Traveling through 13 counties on a 1,600-mile road trip, FSA State Executive Director Val Dolcini wrapped up a busy week in southern California by hosting a local grower’s listening session March 9 with Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan and about 40 local farmers at the headquarters of the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, Calif.
The Great Park, formerly a Marine Corps air base, is being transformed into the largest metropolitan park in the U.S. and will feature a working 114-acre farm designed to provide fresh produce to the public.
Dolcini met with several FSA program participants over the course of the week, including those attending the California Small Farm Conference in Valencia. Every year, FSA joins other USDA agencies in helping to support the work of the conference. FSA also meets with individual farmers and ranchers and others attending the conference interested in learning more about USDA programs. Dolcini met with Kern County orchard grower Nazar Kooner, who is a former FSA borrower. Kooner completed full payment on several loans and started his son in farming. The Kooner family grows navel oranges, almonds and cherries in the Arvin area. Dolcini also visited with farmers in San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties.
