About Us

Meeting Today's Challenges ... Planning for Tomorrow

As a cornerstone of the county’s agricultural industry, the San Joaquin Farm Bureau represents over 1,400 families throughout our area. Our staff, volunteers, and board of directors advocate for all of our members through grassroots organizations, education, scholarships, regulatory and legislative outreach, and so much more. The San Joaquin Farm Bureau's efforts are in constant motion.

We believe that one of San Joaquin County’s biggest assets is our agricultural industry, so we work hard to ensure that the farming community is supported and represented for many years to come!

Interested in joining the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau? Sign up and unlock all of our member benefits today!

Why Join?

Becoming a member is your way to make your voice heard while receiving exclusive benefits to make your life easier!

Benefits

Get exclusive discounts from a variety of our partners, ranging from dining to tool retailers.

Advocacy

Make your voice heard by working hand-in-hand with the people who represent your interests in local, state, and national politics.

Education

Learn about the newest developments in our field with exclusive webinars, workshops for maximum efficacy and profit.

History of SJFB & Agriculture in the County

Agriculture is the biggest industry in San Joaquin County and shapes everything we do. However, we knew we needed to do something to support the farmers that contribute to such a large part of our county.

In 1914, the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation was started. Our organization was established as a link between the University of California Extension and farmers. We knew something had to be done about the issues that disproportionately affected farmers.
early days

The Making of the Farm Bureau

As a link between the U.C. Extension system, the Farm Bureau fostered a relationship between members of our agricultural community and farm advisors. By working together, the U.C. Extension’s farm advisors could conduct field trials in different parts of California. This meant the Farm Bureau could share valuable research findings with our farmers.

Over the years, the Farm Bureau developed an organizational structure and tradition to best help farmers like you. Members are grouped into Farm Centers based on location to provide even more specific support and representation of the local communities within San Joaquin County. Our Farm Advisors still give a report at every SJFB meeting today about the state of our county’s farming!

From our humble roots, we’ve worked tirelessly to raise awareness and advocate for farmers on issues like water, land use, and other issues that uniquely affect farmers. This includes things like providing insurance, compliance trainings, partnerships, consumer education, and so much more—all at a discounted rate for Farm Bureau members.

When you join, you’re not only joining other farmers, you’re joining a group of likeminded people who care about the issues that affect our community and want to see something done about it.

Consistency over time

Over 100 Years in the Making

A lot has changed since 1914, but we still believe that agriculture works best when we work together. We encourage anyone who cares about our county’s farming to take part and become a member today! From farmers, packers, and those who just care about sustainable farming, we work best when we stand together.

For over one hundred years, we’ve led and operated with this mindset. As a part of the San Joaquin County agricultural community, we work hard to represent you.

The San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation is a 501(c)(5) non-profit organization.

2024-25 Board of Directors & Staff

Officers/Delegates

Les Strojan, President
James Chinchiolo First Vice President
Herman Doornenbal Jr., Second Vice President

Farm Center Directors

Acampo
Joe Salazar, Chair
Charlie Starr
Joe Petersen

Calla Nile
Tim Weststeyn, Chair
Bruce Oosterkamp
Dave Phippen
Bryan Van Groningen

Collegeville
Chester Murphy, Chair
Kent Norman
Neil Norman

Escalon
Caleb Gervase, Chair
Katie Veenstra
Paul Voortman

Lafayette
Richard Rodriguez, Chair
Stanton Lange
Daniel Meza
Alfred Nicolini

Linden
Nick Ferrari, Chair
Donald Drake
Jim Ferrari
Joe Ferrari
Steve Galvin

Roberts-Union
Nick Mussi, Chair
Patrick Drury
David Strecker

Tracy
Joe Bacchetti, Chair
Phil Martin
Pete Reece, Jr.

Victor
Nick Bokides, Chair
Dave Simpson
Kelton Fleming

Directors At Large

Josh Barton
Phil Brumley
Jean Cabral, Emeritus
Jim Connolly
Karen Cultrera
Dennis Drake
Brad Goehring

Jack Hamm
Bob Hesseltine
Jim Larkin
Joe Luis
Steve Moore
Jerry Robinson

Jake Samuel
Paul Sanguinetti
Ken Vogel
Darrell Voortman
Andrew Watkins
Kenny Watkins

Staff

Andrew Genasci
Executive Director
andrew@sjfb.org

Jessica Coit
Program Director
jessica@sjfb.org