Farm Bureau Hails Fresno Co. Leader

By The Fresno Bee, Calif.

Mar. 22–In a departure from tradition, leaders of the Fresno County Farm Bureau announced this year’s recipient of its Distinguished Service Award before the annual banquet, and it caught Fresno County Supervisor Phil Larson off guard.

Larson, a Kerman-area farmer, past president of the Farm Bureau and supervisor for District 1, was surprised at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.

Larson will be recognized April 7 at the organization’s annual banquet at the Radisson Hotel in Fresno.

Larson, a longtime Farm Bureau member, became involved on the board of directors in the late 1980s. He was asked to be the Farm Bureau’s first agricultural chemical chairman and held other leadership positions within the bureau.

Larson served as president from 1996-98 and also as a director for the California Farm Bureau Federation.

He retired from his Farm Bureau board positions in 2001 to run for the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.

He was elected in 2002 and will serve another four-year term because he does not face opposition in the 2006 election.

Current Fresno County Farm Bureau President Pat Ricchiuti termed Larson “a 24-hour president” in his promotion of agriculture. In addition to farming grapes in the Kerman area, Larson worked for 37 years as a sales representative for the Wilbur Ellis Co. in San Joaquin.

Larson has received numerous awards and recognition for his service to production agriculture, education and the business community.

He and his wife, Joyce, have two grown children and several grandchildren.

Tickets to the annual banquet are available at the Farm Bureau office for $40 per person, or $375 for a table of 10. Details: (559) 237-0263.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Fresno Bee, Calif.

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