Local Farmer Casey Houweling recognized for Excellence

Resource Conservation District and FOOD Share hosts 5th annual Ventura County Excellence in Agricultural Stewardship and Sustainability Awards
By: FOOD Share of Ventura County
 
VENTURA, Calif. - Nov. 18, 2014 - PRLog -- The Resource Conservation District of Ventura County and FOOD Share held their 5th Annual Ventura County Excellence in Agricultural Stewardship and Sustainability Award for 2014 at a luncheon last week at the Crowne Plaza in Ventura.  The event, attended by more than 250 people, brought together local agricultural agencies, local dignitaries and politicians, farm families, agricultural associations and others to honor nominees, who included Casey Houweling, Bill Camarillo, Dave Borchard, Emily Ayala, and Tom and Scott Deardorff.

Winner of the 2014 Excellence in Agricultural Stewardship and Sustainability was Casey Houweling, founder of Houweling’s Tomatoes. He was recognized for his usage of best available technologies for sustainable development. By controlling factors, such as temperature, irradiance, carbon dioxide, humidity, and nutrition, Houweling can produce 37,000 tons of non-GMO tomatoes in 125 acres of greenhouse, which is 95 percent less acreage than what is needed for field tomatoes. The controlled environment of the greenhouse virtually eliminates the need for pesticides, allows for the recapture and reuse of resources, and is readily integrated with resource-conserving systems, using best available technologies. This integrative sustainability is exemplified by Houweling’s use of three natural gas engines to augment the electricity generated by their 3,176 solar panels. The engines offset Houweling’s electricity needs, heat the greenhouse, recycle 37,000 tons of carbon dioxide, and provide 5.2 million gallons of pure water, all while reducing greenhouse emissions and water consumption, a feat which earned Houweling’s Tomatoes the 2011 GEELA award.

Monica Houweling, Casey’s daughter who accepted the award on his behalf said, “"All of us at Houweling's are honored to be recognized with such an award.  We put our pride and joy in creating a cohesive and sustainable operation, so this local recognition truly means a lot to us."

Winner of the 2014 Award for Excellence in Leadership was Ellen Brokaw. Since founding Brokaw Nursery in 1960, Brokaw has sold more than 8 million trees to California growers and have exported trees to more than 45 countries around the world. Brokaw’s agricultural leadership is renowned, participating in a number of agricultural organizations, including: Chairperson of the Ventura County Agricultural Association, Executive Director of FACT, Women in Agriculture Board member, Private Industry Council Board member, and 1997 Agriculturalist of the Year. Equally impressive is Ellen’s service to her community. Throughout her life, Brokaw has witnessed how difficult it is for farm workers to find safe, sanitary and affordable housing. As Chair of the AFA Farm Worker Housing Task Force, Brokaw has joined with a dedicated group of community activists to find solutions that will address housing needs for farm workers.

“It’s always an honor to work side-by-side with such quality nominees who are innovators of the agricultural industry, putting Ventura County at the forefront as one of the nation’s most significant agricultural communities,” explains Marty Melvin, Executive Director for RDC.

The program included a discussion panel, which featured guest panelists and AG experts: Henry Gonzales, Edgar Terry, Rich Atmore, and John Lowrie.  The discussion touched on the importance of preserving agricultural working landscapes in Ventura County.

About the Ventura County Resource Conservation District

The Ventura County Resource Conservation District serves as a liaison for natural resource conservation between local landowners, regulatory agencies, and municipalities. As a Special District organized under the California Public Resources Code, Division 9, the RCD has the authority to carry out its goals and objectives.

Priority RCD issues include Ag preservation, open space advocacy, outreach and education on water resources, watershed protection, watershed restoration, control and/or eradication of invasive species, as well as evaluating the potential impacts of loss of wildlife habitat, maintaining air quality, and researching and promoting alternative methods for energy.

About FOOD Share:

More than 35 years ago, eight citizens performed a good deed by distributing food to those who were in need underneath a Ventura bridge. The early philanthropic movement quickly formed into what is now Ventura County’s regional food bank, FOOD Share, which has grown from serving a few hundred hungry people per month to 74,500 people. Today, staff and volunteers distribute more than 10 million pounds of food annually from its distribution site; more than 180 partner agencies, which include neighborhood and church food distributions and soup kitchens; as well as hunger assistance programs. FOOD Share’s programs provide healthy nutrition and education to children, families and seniors, which include: KIDS Share, SENIOR Share, Nutrition Education, Community Market, SoCal Gas CARE Program, ART Share and more. A 501(c)3 non-profit organization, FOOD Share is a member of the Feeding America network, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. For more information about FOOD Share, visit www.foodshare.com. Find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FoodShareofVenturaCounty) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/FoodshareVC).

Contact
Alicia Rutledge
***@consortium-media.com
End
Source:FOOD Share of Ventura County
Email:***@consortium-media.com Email Verified
Tags:Food Share, Ventura County, Houweling’s Tomatoes, Brokaw Nursery
Industry:Agriculture, Event
Location:Ventura - California - United States
Subject:Awards
Account Email Address Verified     Account Phone Number Verified     Disclaimer     Report Abuse
Consortium Media Services News
Trending
Most Viewed
Daily News



Like PRLog?
9K2K1K
Click to Share