McNamara earns state fair honor

Solano County farmer Craig McNamara has been honored by directors of the California State Fair as agriculturalist of the year. The fair said the honor recognizes his contributions to advancing agriculture and increasing public understanding of food production.

A grower of organic olives and walnuts, McNamara serves as founder and president of the Center for Land-Based Learning. The teaching program assists high school students in becoming lifelong learners and helping make a difference in their communities.

McNamara has served on the state Board of Food and Agriculture since 2002 and currently serves as president. He is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, and of the California Agricultural Leadership Program.

A senior fellow of the American Leadership Forum, McNamara also sits on the board of the American Farmland Trust and Roots of Change, an organization that promotes sustainable food systems in California. He is a past director of the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom and a past member of the Foundation Board of Trustees at UC Merced and the Dean's Advisory Council and Agricultural Sustainability Institute at UC Davis.

He has received the Leopold Conservation Award, the California Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award, the Profile in Leadership Award, and the Award of Distinction and Outstanding Alumnus Award from UC Davis.