What's on the minds of California's farmers and ranchers?

I’m not a farmer. I will preface this post with that fact. I am, however, a farmGIRL. The difference therein lies that my roots are in farming, I have spent many years in and around agriculture. My life has progressed as such that I am not the person who climbs onto the tractor to nurture the crops or feed the livestock. FarmGIRL, not farmER. In fact, I am not even from California. So why am I posting here?

Many of the farmers and ranchers involved with Know a California Farmer know me as Kelly the Intern. I was brought on as a summer intern. Growing up in the midwest (northern Illinois), I knew that California would be a major learning experience for me. Coming here has opened my eyes to many things about life, work, and ag. I have walked in fruit and nut orchards, vineyards, and fields, the likes of which I had never experienced prior to being here. I thought I knew ag pretty well back home…California has completely changed my outlook. I have visited dairies that dwarf Illinois operations and have walked the intricate man-made canals that enable California’s bountiful harvests.

Libby Hall (KACF speaker and digital strategist), Dino Giacomazzi (Hanford dairyman), myself, and Josh Lysne (KACF speaker and digital strategist) -- during a KACF roadtrip, we stopped at Dino's dairy for a tour!

Saturday morning, I leave California. While I say I will come back (and intend to someday, even if just for a visit) it’s hard to leave. I don’t know if/when I’ll ever walk the canals and groves and orchards and fields of California’s diverse agriculture communities again. However, the lessons learned around the farms and ranches of this great state will stick with me forever.

Central Valley is probably one of my most favorite places on Earth. It's hard not to be moved by its beauty!

I guess the point of this post is to tell you, the reader, than California agriculture presents an amazing opportunity to learn, grow, and experience new things. I thought I was well-versed in American agriculture. I know all about the Illinois agricultural mainstays of corn, soybeans, wheat, pumpkins, and specialty flowers. It wasn’t until I really got to know the great farmers and ranchers of the Left Coast that I really developed a stronger understanding for how vital and amazing agriculture is. If I learned so much as a well-established farmgirl, imagine what someone with no farm background could soak up!

I guess the moral of this story is that the world is a huge, big, awesome, interesting place. You never, ever stop learning, and even when you are an “expert” in something there is something new to be learned each and every day. I encourage you all to continue learning and experiencing new things, especially in agriculture. California is blessed with an amazing and diverse agricultural community, and I feel blessed to have been welcomed into it for the summer.

In-N-Out Burger was also a big part of my important California education.

Thank you to all the wonderful communicators, volunteers, and community members involved in Know a California Farmer. And thank you to the folks who take time to read this blog, view the pictures, and watch the videos. Taking the time to get to know California’s wonderful producers means you are that much more connected to the sources of your food, fuel, fiber, flowers, and who knows what else!