Soledad, CA – Mari Rossi was recognized as the 2012 Ag Woman of the Year for Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties at an annual event hosted by Ag Against Hunger on June 8 at Paraiso Vineyards in Soledad.
This annual luncheon recognizes a woman who has contributed significantly to the success of the tri-county agricultural industry. The Ag Woman of the Year award is a surprise to all guests including the recipient. More than 260 people were in attendance to recognize Mari Rossi.
The Agricultural Woman of the Year award seeks to honor unique leadership qualities held by women working within the local agricultural industry.
These qualities include a selfless spirit of engagement in promoting and celebrating agriculture with one's heart, mind and soul; and a perpetuation of the pioneering traditions and tenants of independence, integrity, and innovation from our agricultural history, for and with humanity.
This year, the committee made up of previous honorees and the Ag Against Hunger Board of Directors chose a woman who has worked to the great benefit of the local agricultural community, Mari Rossi.
Mari began her career at the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce promoting the local area. When she married Jim Rossi, she left to help run the Rossi family ranch, B & R Farms, LLC, a fourth generation family-operated business that began in 1929. She has been instrumental in taking what was a small family business and helped to turn it into a profitable but still family-owned large operation. Today they grow, process, pack and sell unique Blenheim apricots and related products locally, domestically and internationally. At B & R Farms, Mari manages the product development, sales and also attends local farmers markets. She has raised three boys, has three grandchildren and still lives and works on the family's ranch.
B & R Farms contributes to the community through their involvement with Ag in the Classroom, the Community Foundation, Tourism, Country Crossroads, Hollister Downtown Association, San Benito County Chamber of Commerce, the Farm Bureau and more. Mari frequently works at her booth at the Aptos Farmers Market and participates in the Hollister Farmers Market. With each outreach opportunity, Mari dedicates her time to educate the attendees about the family farm and the Ag industry.
Mari is very involved in her community by being a member of the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce, the San Benito County Farm Bureau, Hollister Downtown Association, the Salinas Chapter of California Women for Agriculture, and is a founding member of the Tri-Country Crossroads Farm Trail Map. Mari graduated from the Chamber's 2010 Leadership class and currently serves on their Tourism committee and recently joined the Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital's Foundation Board. She is an annual presenter at SBC Farm Day, and conducts several farm tours helping educate the public on the Ag industry and Blenheim apricots. These farm tours are conducted for local Leadership classes, the Farm Bureau's Educational Ag Tours and World Wide Country Tours.
Previous Ag Women of the Year include: Sharan Lanini (1994); Claudia Smith (1995); Karen Miller (1996); Susan Gill (1997); Betty Ichikawa (1998); Mary Hansen (1999); Elia Vasquez (2000); Connie Quinlan (2001); Kay Filice (2002); Dorothy Errea (2003); Nita Gizdich (2004); Mary Orradre (2005); Lorri Koster (2006), Margaret D'Arrigo-Martin (2007), Celeste Settrini (2008), Darlene Din (2009), Karen Antle (2010) and Abby-Taylor Silva (2011.)
This year's keynote speaker was Undersecretary Sandra Schubert of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Emcee was news anchor Michelle Imperato from KSBW.
All proceeds from this event went toward Ag Against Hunger's efforts to alleviate hunger. On the Central Coast of California, more fruits and vegetables are grown, packed and shipped than in any other region in the world. Yet, in the midst of this abundance there are many who are hungry.
Ag Against Hunger was founded to provide people in need with nutritious, fresh, surplus produce from local fields by creating a connection between the agricultural community and food assistance programs. Since 1990, the generous donations of surplus produce from local growers and shippers have helped Ag Against Hunger bring 190 million pounds of produce to millions of hungry children, adults and seniors. In 2011, almost 14 million pounds of fresh produce was donated to food banks in the tri-county area, across California, and across the West Coast.
Source: Ag Against Hunger
