A Season of Thanks

As we enter a season of reflection and gratitude, I am reminded every day of the extraordinary Ag Leadership family that surrounds us. For more than fifty-five years, this Foundation has been rooted in a simple but profound mission: growing leaders who make a difference. That mission is only possible because of you.

To our alumni and fellows: thank you for carrying the lessons of Ag Leadership into your farms, businesses, boardrooms, and communities. You lead with courage and humility. You advocate for agriculture’s future. You inspire the next generation by living out the values instilled through this program.

To our donors and partners: thank you for believing in the power of leadership development. Your investment fuels transformative experiences, classrooms without walls, conversations that challenge conventional thinking, and global seminars that expand hearts and minds. You are shaping leaders who strengthen California.

To our staff, core faculty, and friends: thank you for being the champions behind the scenes, guiding, encouraging, teaching, and supporting every step of the way.

Earlier this month, we launched our Annual Appeal – Growing the Roots of Ag Leadership, an opportunity to honor what Ag Leadership has made possible and ensure its impact continues to grow. Every gift, no matter the size, is a commitment to leadership and to the agricultural community we are proud to be part of.

Thank you for the passion you bring to this Foundation and for walking alongside us in growing leaders who make a difference. Together, we will cultivate a strong future for agriculture and continue this legacy of leadership for generations to come.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Lesa Eidman

President & CEO

Class 54 Message: A Funneling Experience to Refine Leadership

By: Andrew Smith (Class 54)

One of my staff remarked when they learned of our Class 54 International Seminar in Africa, “that sounds amazing. I look forward to meeting you when you return”. A simple gesture that signified I would be a different person upon my return home. It’s accurate to say that I am changed. I feel we all are after this experience in sustained cultural discomfort and this extended time in the stretch zone. It has taught us all more about ourselves being far from home and immersed in a new culture.

It's difficult to condense such an immersive 15-day cultural experience into 500 words, especially for one of the more verbose of class 54 fellows. What can I share about this metamorphosis-like journey that isn’t already expressed in the blog posts? Perhaps some nuance of our experiences and the development of our own individual leadership postures.

It was truly humbling to experience the community, resilience, and leadership from the people we met in Africa and the places we visited. Each country and place held it’s own cultural and leadership lessons. From the proud, humble, wounded and healing South Africa, to the intentionality of community resilience of Zimbabwe, the abundance of opportunity in the wilds of Botswana, and the youthful promise of Zambia’s future. It was refreshing to see how generosity and hospitality show up differently in the countries and communities that we visited and how much we can learn about postures of leadership related to hosting and expressing gratitude from countries and people that possess so much less material wealth than our own. That has helped us reflect on our own leadership. Some of the simple interactions offered the most profound understanding.

Handshakes for example go beyond the formality of a hello, to a three-part connection that acknowledges hello, how are you, I see you, with smiles that will light you up when you are down and missing home!

Class 55

Class 55 is currently in their second seminar at Cal Poly SLO and will be reflecting on their experiences. Stay tuned for their upcoming blog posts!

Annual Giving Campaign Kickoff: Growing the Roots of Ag leadership!

For 55+ years, the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation has cultivated leaders strengthening our industry and communities.

What legacy will you create for the next generation of Ag Leadership?

Your annual gift ensures future fellows have the life-changing opportunity to learn, lead, and make a difference. Join us in Growing the Roots of Ag Leadership!

Ag Leadership's First Fridays are Back!

We’re excited to relaunch Ag Leadership’s First Fridays, your opportunity to stay connected, keep learning, and gain fresh insight into the current Ag Leadership experience. Virtual First Fridays will now be offered on a quarterly cadence.

Class 54 has just returned from South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana and they’re eager to share their International Seminar reflections with you.

Common Threads Nominations Open

Nominations are being accepted for Common Threads. Honorees are selected for their remarkable contributions to agriculture and philanthropic stewardship. We invite you to nominate women who have deep roots in agriculture and have made a significant difference within the agricultural industry and their communities.

CENTRAL VALLEY

Nominations due December 1st, 2025

Jim Manassero Luncheon

Thank you to everyone who attended our 2025 Jim Manassero Luncheon on October 30, hosted this year at Tanimura & Antle. We enjoyed a delicious lunch with a welcome from Brian Antle, Executive VP of Sales at T&A, and a keynote from Louie Brown, Managing Partner at Kahn, Soares & Conway, LLP.

Special thanks to our premier sponsors, Kahn, Soares & Conway, LLP, Braga Fresh, D’Arrigo, and Central Coast Community Energy, and to our In-Kind sponsors, Farmer John’s, Star Market, Pisoni Estate, and Driscoll’s.

Also, thank you to the wonderful committee who made this lunch possible: James Ewart (49), Abby Taylor-Silva (45), Jazmin Lopez (48), and Miguel Gomez (53). 

AC/Class Liaison Retreat

For our biennial Class Liaison and Alumni Council Retreat, we welcomed liaisons from fifteen different classes along with our Alumni Council to a day-long retreat at Avila Beach and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. As a group, we participated in a creative strategic planning experience where we explored a wide range of bold ideas for Ag Leadership’s future. Every participant infused the discussion with vibrant energy, sharp insights, and future-focused ideas that pushed the conversation forward as we head into the strategic planning sessions in 2026.

The event wrapped up with dinner and wine at Laetitia Winery. Thank you to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo for hosting our group on campus, and thank you to AGR Partners for donating the hotel rooms for our alumni.  

Dean Brown Wine Dinner

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s Dean Brown Winemaker Dinner. It was an unforgettable evening of meaningful connections and exquisite food pairings, masterfully curated by Winemaker James Ontiveros (31).

Special thanks to Jim McGarry(43) and Pacific Coast Farming for orchestrating such a spectacular event!  

Ag Leadership Social at the Almond Conference

December 10 / 5:30 - 7:00pm

California Advocates Inc., 1112 11th Street,

Sacramento, CA 95814