By Dayna Ghirardelli, Executive Director
It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of another year. I’m going to say it again: the days are long, but the years are short!
As the calendar year closes, I look back on 2025 with a mixture of exhaustion and immense pride. We began the year hopeful for a period of calm, emerging from the trenches of the successful No on Measure J campaign in 2024. That overwhelming defeat was a resounding vote of confidence from Sonoma County residents, and we hoped it would herald a quieter chapter for local agriculture.
The reality, as always, proved far more demanding.
For those of us working daily to protect and advance the interests of Sonoma County’s farmers and ranchers, the indispensable backbone of this community, the battles never cease. Every quiet moment (and busy moment for that matter) seems to be followed by a new regulatory proposal, another challenge to property rights, or an escalation in disruptive activism. We are constantly handed battles that keep us busy, cause us to lose sleep, and push the limits of our resources.
Yet, this relentless strain does not have us resting on our laurels; rather, it awakens a fire, a determined spirit to fight for what we know is just and essential: the protection of local agriculture. We do this not just for our members’ livelihoods, but for the fundamental right to produce food and fiber in a region so fertile, yet plagued with constant change, pressure, and the high price of living and production.
Our work in 2025 included our continued presence throughout the County. From hosting and participating in events with over 1,000 attendees (NASCAR weekend at Sonoma Raceway was over 50,000 alone) to attending and participating in important meetings, from hosting trainings and workshops to weekly radio shows, from membership communications and updates to the production of the monthly Sonoma-Marin Farm News, from giving public comment at Board of Supervisors meetings to advocating and educating, the list goes on. Our work demands that we be present everywhere- in policy meetings, in the media, and in the community.
This visibility is driven by many of our critical events. From the traditional, successful Crab Feed to smaller gatherings, these events provide essential funding for our programs and create vital social connections among producers and community members alike. Initiatives like Ag Days continue our mission of bringing agriculture into the classroom, educating the next generation of consumers. Our newly created signature event, Farm Fest, proved again to be a spectacular success, showcasing the diversity and vitality of our local industry to over one thousand attendees who get to make a direct connection with Sonoma County agriculture. Our regular presence on the airwaves, through a weekly “Farm to Table” segment on KRSH 95.5 and our new monthly “Culinary Commodore” radio segment with Clark Wolf on The Drive 95.9, ensures that our members’ stories and the true narrative of local farming reach a broad, non-agricultural audience. Amplification through social media platforms extends the reach of every event and policy update far beyond the county lines. And so much more.
In a time when the political and social landscape is increasingly fractured, the roles of advocacy and education have never been more critical. The simple truth is this: no matter what your political party, everyone needs to eat. The food on our plate, the wine and milk in our glass, the fiber in our clothes; they all come from the land managed by farmers and ranchers.
In order for food and fiber to be produced, economic stability and sustainability are a must. This is the core message we work tirelessly to communicate. It is not an “either/or” choice between environmental protection and economic viability. Our advocacy focuses on pushing back on outlandish regulations and insisting that any regulation is scientifically sound, economically feasible, and protects the producer’s ability to remain on the land.
As we look toward 2026, we do so with renewed strength drawn from the tremendous community support we receive and the tireless efforts of our volunteers. While we may not achieve the quiet year we originally hoped for, we stand ready to face the next round of challenges, fueled by our passion to protect the hardworking backbone of Sonoma County.
