Young farmers and ranchers urged to be industry's voice

By Christine Souza 

Young farmers and ranchers from across California convened in Anaheim for the 2025 California Young Farmers & Ranchers State Conference, where agricultural leaders underscored the need to strengthen grassroots involvement and cultivate the next generation of industry advocates.

“We need diverse voices and perspectives to help shape our future—not only the future of Farm Bureau, but of California agriculture as a whole,” said California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass, a Glenn County farmer and rancher. “Our young farmers and ranchers are an important feeder for our county Farm Bureau boards and for the leadership of the California Farm Bureau.”

Speaking at the YF&R State Conference, held Dec. 6-7 in conjunction with the 107th California Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, Douglass reflected on her own experience in the program. 

“YF&R holds a very special place in my heart because it was a huge part of how I became involved in Farm Bureau,” she told attendees, noting the organization provided her many opportunities. 

The event brought together YF&R members—farmers, ranchers and agricultural professionals ages 18 to 35—for a series of workshops on leadership development, financial planning and agricultural advocacy, along with celebrations recognizing outstanding member accomplishments.

YF&Rs heard from Pam Marrone, a pioneer in biological pest management and co-founder and executive chair of the Invasive Species Corporation. Marrone shared insights from her career, which has advanced biological solutions for agriculture. 

Conference attendees also heard from inspirational speaker Matt Rush, former CEO of the New Mexico Farm Bureau. As part of his speech on planting the seeds of greatness, he told the YF&Rs, “You can do more and have more than you ever thought possible. You just have to be willing to get over yourself to get there.” 

During the conference, YF&Rs from across the state participated in the California YF&R Open Discussion Meet, which challenges participants to demonstrate their abilities to exchange ideas and offer opinions on key issues. 

After advancing to the final competition from earlier rounds, J.P. Beall, a farmer-owner of a specialty crop company in Redlands, San Bernardino County, earned top honors in the contest. During part of the final fourth round, Beall discussed strategies to help members better understand and use Farm Bureau benefits. As the winner, Beall receives $6,000 and will represent California in the national contest during the American Farm Bureau Federation annual conference Jan. 9-14 in Anaheim.

Jynel Gularte, a controller and compliance officer for Rincon Farms Inc. in Gonzales, Monterey County, was first runner-up in the contest, receiving $2,000. The other finalists were Brendan Black of Clovis, Fresno County, and John Tamayo of Holtville, Imperial County, each winning $1,000. Black is an agriculture teacher at Clovis East High School. Tamayo is relationship manager at AgWest Farm Credit.

El Dorado County farmers Jim and Normita Spinetta support the event through a fund established by the California Farm Bureau. 

At an awards banquet that closed the conference, the YF&R program honored two leaders and four county committees for dedication to advancing the goals of the California Farm Bureau. 

Matthew Vosseler, a hay and grape farmer in Cotati, in Sonoma County, was awarded the YF&R Star Member Award for his dedication to the program. An active participant on the Sonoma-Marin YF&R Committee since 2017, Vosseler managed fundraisers, organized events and held leadership roles. He also serves on the Sonoma County Farm Bureau Board of Directors.

The Hometown Hero Award went to Kern County farmer Steve Murray of Bakersfield for his support of YF&R. The award was established in 2022 in memory of Fresno County farmer Randy Rocca and recognizes county Farm Bureau members for outstanding service to YF&R. Murray welcomes Kern County YF&R members to his farm every year, providing hands-on agricultural learning opportunities. He also donates produce to the organization’s annual Charity Farmers Market. His contributions help raise funds for local scholarships and agricultural education programs. 

The Sonoma-Marin YF&R Committee received the Committee of the Year Award for engagement in YF&R and work with the Sonoma County Farm Bureau. Members played a key role in community initiatives. 

For 2025, the YF&R State Committee also recognized the following county YF&Rs for achievements in different categories:

• Central Coast YF&R was honored for Harvest for All projects. Committee members volunteered 700 hours, raised more than $60,000 and donated 172,383 pounds of food to nonprofit organizations, including the Monterey County Food Bank. 

• Stanislaus YF&R won the most innovative event prize for its cherry-gleaning event in which members promote agricultural sustainability and engage with the community. 

• Merced YF&R earned the top award for community involvement, highlighting its expanded outreach efforts and organization of community events. 

• Sonoma-Marin YF&R received the FarmPAC Award in recognition of its volunteer work to support FarmPAC.

California Farm Bureau 2025 State YF&R Committee chair Daniel Jones stressed the importance of young farmers and ranchers staying engaged and advocating for agriculture. He said American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall told YF&Rs during a workshop to “get out there and tell your story, because if you don’t, someone else will write the narrative differently.” 

“We’re here, we’re strongly rooted, and we together have the power to bring that brighter future to reality,” he said.

Reflecting on 2025, Jones said it was a great year for California YF&R, adding that county YF&Rs hosted new, innovative events, increased advocacy in meetings with elected officials, raised the largest amount of money ever recorded to support FarmPAC and increased participation in YF&R contests. 

Elected as YF&R State Committee chair for 2026, August D’Amato, a vineyard manager from Napa County, said she’s looking forward to carrying the momentum into the new year.

“We will continue to increase participation in our competitive events and provide support to our chapters across the state,” D’Amato said. “It will be hard to top 2025, but we have a robust group of leaders on our state committee, and together we inspire and cultivate the next generation of young farmers and ranchers.”

Andrew Angulo, a member of Imperial County YF&R and student at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, said the Anaheim conference was the third such event he has attended. 

“Coming to these events really gives me ideas,” Angulo said, adding that he plans to start a YF&R chapter at Cal Poly to show other students what opportunities are out there.

He said he also plans to share photos with them and tell them about his experience and what he learned at the conference.

“Our industry is one that is aging, and that’s not a bad thing, but it is really important that we bring in new, young, fresh voices who are able to bring in different perspectives,” Angulo said. 

Christine Souza is a reporter in Turlock. She can be reached at agalert@cfbf.com.