Mar 29, 2021
Sakata on Colorado Water Conservation Board; steps down as CFVGA president

Robert Sakata, Sakata Farms, Brighton, Colorado, has been appointed to the Colorado Water Conservation Board and was officially sworn in March 10. The board is comprised of 15 members.

There are 10 voting members appointed by the governor to serve a three-year term. The Colorado Water Conservation Board’s (CWCB) mission is: To Conserve, Develop, Protect and Manage Colorado’s Water for Present and Future Generations.

He is one of the first-full-time farmers appointed to CWCB and believes the position will allow him to represent Colorado agriculture in an important way.

“It is so important that agriculture is part of the conversation,” said Sakata. “Colorado’s growing population coupled with drought severely strain water for agriculture.”

In a message to the Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Board of Directors (CFVGA), Sakata said it was an honor yet a surprise to be tapped for the

position. He also revealed that it soon became apparent that he could not effectively serve on the CWCB and the CFVGA Board while farming full time. Sakata is a founding member of CFVGA and served as its president since 2015, the year members first met to elect a board of directors.

“It is with great heaviness that I resign from the CFVGA Board,” said Sakata. “At the same time, I am confident in the abilities and commitment of the remaining board members. They will carry on CFVGA work in an effective and efficient manner.”

In recognition for his tireless work to found and grow CFVGA, Sakata was the organization’s first Member of the Year awardee for 2017, and the award was named after him going forward.

“Throughout his tenure, Robert has traveled the state and nationally to establish a presence for CFVGA and to encourage growers and allied industries to join CFVGA, said CFVGA Executive Director Marilyn Bay Drake. “We have a very able board, but Robert will be severely missed.”

The CFVGA is comprised of more than 250 members, including growers of all sizes and types of production throughout the state, as well as representatives of allied industries. The Colorado fruit and vegetable growing sector contributes nearly $485 million to Colorado at the farm gate and is multiplied as it goes through the distribution chain. Over 90,000 Colorado acres are in fruit and vegetable production.