Jess Brown is the new executive director of the Santa Clara County Farm Bureau, the agricultural organization announced Monday.Brown lives in Santa Cruz and is the head of the Santa Cruz Farm Bureau. He will continue in that role while serving in his new post, the Farm Bureau said in a press release.Brown said he’s excited to help promote area agriculture for the nonprofit that promotes agriculture in Santa Clara County.“I look forward to being a part of the Santa Clara County Farm Bureau; I've admired the organization for many years,” Brown said. “I already know and respect a number of local growers and am excited about working with them to promote and protect the illustrious history of agriculture in Santa Clara County,” the new executive director said.“We feel fortunate to have someone with Brown's experience and familiarity with local agricultural issues as our executive director,” Farm Bureau President Erin Gil said.Previously, Brown worked on the development of a map that lists the locations and products of all farms in Santa Clara, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties that sell directly to the public, the press release states.Brown has served in leadership roles on boards of multiple local nonprofits, according to the press release. He is taking over from former executive director Elizabeth Gabrio, who started with the bureau in August 2014.
When local farmers needed a unified voice in a political forum to fight for their way of life, for the last four years or so they have turned to the Santa Clara County Farm Bureau and, specifically, its Executive Director Jennifer Scheer.
Many California consumers have a preference for California products over those produced elsewhere. For most folks, this preference is even stronger when it comes to the fresh produce we feed our families. In fact, 86% of California consumers report that “CA Grown” products matter to them. The good news is, California consumers have plenty of opportunities to buy California grown.