STILL GOING STRONG
Most of us remember the tremendous response the agricultural community had last spring to the Los Padres Agriculture and Land Political Action Committee. While that supervisorial race is now history, the PAC is actively providing support for Congressional candidate Mike Stoker, and Assembly candidates Robin Sullivan and Abel Maldonado. Last Spring, agriculturalists from all industries as well as other citizens concerned about preserving property rights, came together socially and financially to raise over $300,000. This money was used to fund campaigns for county supervisorial seats in the Spring primary election. Unfortunately, only one of the three candidates supported by the PAC was successfully elected. Nonetheless, the efforts were a huge success for several reasons:

1) The diverse and generally fragmented agricultural industries united in an unprecedented show of solidarity.
2) Although two of the candidates supported by the PAC were defeated, the impetus that the PAC provided for their campaign kept their opponents campaign resources narrowly focused, and created an amazing “support” of agriculture among all candidates.
3) The agricultural community realized that the battle not only occurs at the polling booth, but in the perception of the public at large. As a result, the SAGES Foundation is being formed.

The SAGES Foundation will be a means to provide grants, education, and information to benefit the agricultural industry. SAGES will be a conduit of information tothe general public about the benefit of agriculture to the environment, the economy, and the public’s own best interest. The SAGES Foundation is set up to be funded through tax-deductible charitable contributions. For more information contact Larry Lahr at Rincon.