Nov 7, 2016

LGMA honors Congressman Farr

The California Leafy Green Marketing Agreement (LGMA) and the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California hosted a breakfast event honoring Congressman Sam Farr for his longstanding support of national food safety laws and the leafy greens industry in general.

Congressman Farr is nearing the end of his final term in Congress. He has served 12 terms representing the Central Coast area which includes the Salinas Valley.

Grower-Shipper Association President Jim Bogart presented Farr with a resolution thanking him for his many years of service to the leafy greens industry.

The LGMA also honored Farr with the “Golden Checkmark Award,” which is given to those who support government oversight of food safety in the produce industry. This award has been previously presented to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura.

Here’s more from LGMA:

“Even before the LGMA existed, Congressman Farr was a great supporter of this effort to regain consumer confidence in the safety of leafy greens following tragic events of 2006. Immediately following the outbreak, Congressman Farr recognized that traditional wheels of government were not going to move fast enough to help the leafy greens industry. They needed something to happen fast. Farr was very much in favor of the proposed public-private partnership and he encouraged the industry to move forward with plans to establish its own program.

Farr was correct in this view. Ten years later, federal food safety laws are just now being implemented throughout the nation, but the LGMA program is well established to the benefit of leafy greens producers and consumers who every day enjoy salads grown under a system of government verified food safety practices and a strong culture of food safety.

Throughout these past ten years, Farr has been instrumental in bringing to Salinas such officials as USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg and FDA Director of Foods Mike Taylor allowing them to see first-hand the commitment to producing safe leafy greens among farmers. He has also helped by capitalizing on his position as a ranking member of the House of Ag Appropriations to raise public awareness of the LGMA as a model program that has made a real impact in protecting public health.

The Congressman has always been generous with his time, frequently meeting with LGMA members, advising the industry and providing insights from his long career as a public servant in the House of Representatives. For these reasons, we happily honor him with our Golden Checkmark Award in appreciation of the significant contribution he has provided to the leafy green industry.”