The 40th EcoFarm Conference – the oldest and largest organic farming conference in the West – went off without a hitch in late January, providing some 1,600 attendees with a wide range of information about how to grow food sustainably.

Farm Credit understands the vital connection between farmers and their land, as well as the importance of preserving our natural resources. These beliefs have motivated Farm Credit to be a long-standing sponsor of the Leopold Conservation Award.

The Farm Credit Alliance was recently presented with FFA’s Distinguished Service Citation for its longstanding contributions to FFA and agricultural education. Katie Otto, development director for the California FFA Foundation, the state organization’s fund-raising arm, said the California FFA nominated Farm Credit for the award because of its generous and enduring support.

Latinos have been the largest ethnic group in California since 2014 and make up an even larger portion of the population in many of California’s farming regions. To support the entry of Latinos into agriculture, the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will hold the fifth-annual Latino Farmer Conference in November.

Farm Credit West is pleased to announce the 2019 Director and Nominating Committee election results.

Central Valley Food Bank moved into a new 145,000 square foot facility in Fresno last summer that nearly tripled their space and allowed the 27-year-old non-profit to greatly expand its efforts to feed the hungry from Madera to Bakersfield.

Multiple associations of the Farm Credit System, which has served the nation’s agricultural and rural communities for more than 100 years, have come to the aid of a community in need. Together they have donated nearly $500,000 to help victims of the devastating Camp Fire in Butte County, the deadliest fire in California’s history.

The secretary of the state Department of Food and Agriculture told Imperial Valley growers and officials Wednesday that her agency continues to work to keep agriculture viable in California. At a luncheon sponsored by Farm Credit Services Southwest in Imperial, Karen Ross discussed efforts the state is doing to address key issues such as food safety, labor issues, and the cost of doing business in the Golden State.

Each year, Madera-based Valley Children’s Healthcare holds several events to raise money to help Valley families receive top-quality medical care regardless of their ability to pay. This year, a lucky auction winner at the 2^nd annual Kids, Cowboys and Clays fundraiser was able to take home an authentic Fresno Grizzlies Triple-A championship ring valued at $3,000, courtesy of Farm Credit West and the Farm Credit Alliance.

In celebration of “National Read a Book Day” on Thursday, September 6, volunteers from the local agriculture community in Imperial Valley participated in the first annual "Read with a Farmer" Day.