Opinion: Food Hubs Offer Answer to a Disrupted Supply Chain

Instead of languishing in a warehouse waiting for truck chassis or open cargo containers to ship it around the world, our bountiful California produce could feed into a local supply chain that could go straight to our schools and feed California’s children.

Capitol Weekly

Governor Gavin Newsom Visits Sierra Orchards and Issues a Climate Change Order

Standing in an organic walnut grove in Winters, the governor unveiled the latest in a series of sweeping actions he has promised to take to tackle climate change. Mr. Newsom picked up a walnut in one hand and with the other signed an executive order calling for the conservation of 30 percent of the state’s land and coastal water by 2030.

New York Times

VIDEO: Stories from the Road: A Conversation with Craig McNamara

At an early KVIE screening of The Vietnam War, Craig spoke with Vice President of Content Creation Michael Sanford.

PBS KVIE

The Water Crises Aren’t Coming—They’re Here

For eons, the earth has had the same amount of water—no more, no less. What the ancient Romans used for crops and Nefertiti drank? It’s the same stuff we bathe with. Yet with more than seven billion people on the planet, experts now worry we’re running out of usable water. The symptoms are here: multiyear droughts, large-scale crop failures, a major city—Cape Town—on the verge of going dry, increasing outbreaks of violence, fears of full-scale water wars. The big question: How do we keep the H20 flowing?

Esquire

Craig McNamara Discusses Proposition 1 and Revitalizing California Water System

“This is our life blood,” said McNamara, peering into the churning waters. “This is our future. By the time August came around we had to put a new well in to supply these trees - to continue irrigating," McNamara said."

"With the skies offering little hope of a quick end to the drought - McNamara and other farmers in the state have pinned their hopes to Proposition 1, the state ballot measure that would dump $7.5 billion into water system improvements in California, including the addition of several new dams and reservoirs."

NBC Bay Area

Craig McNamara Unanimously Chosen as the Agriculturalist of the Year

"Craig is a uniquely visionary leader – someone who is highly deserving of this prestigious award. Beyond his deep commitment as a farmer and as president of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture, Craig has a passion to bring disparate parties together to focus on the big challenges of our time. He has demonstrated his understanding of the need to reach our next generation through the great work of his groundbreaking Center for Land Based Learning in Winters, which connects students to nature and agriculture and, in the process, helps to groom our future farmers and leaders. Again, my heartfelt congratulations to Craig. He’s an agriculturist for all-time." ~ Karen Ross

The Daily Democrat

California Farming's Growing Concerns

In an effort to preserve California's leadership role as a global food producer, McNamara and his wife, Julie, in 1993 founded the Center for Land-Based Learning in Winters (Yolo County). The walnut grower took 40 of his own acres and converted it into a farm incubator, where students can get hands-on experience learning about sustainable agriculture and conservation.

SF Gate

Sustaining California Agriculture in an Uncertain Future: Profile of Craig McNamara and Sierra Orchards

YouTube | PDF case study

A Winters Tale

As the son of one of the most controversial figures in American history, Craig McNamara grew up in the presence of presidents and others who helped shape our world. Now, from his organic walnut farm in Winters, he’s shaping the future of our state by trying to feed the millions of Californians who don’t have enough to eat, and by nurturing the next generation of farmers. Oh, and by helping his son grow hops for really cool Sacramento craft beer.

Sactown Magazine

CDFA Honors Craig McNamara’s tenure and leadership on the California State Board of Food and Agriculture

After more than 16 years on the California State Board of Food and Agriculture, with the last 7 years as Board President, Craig McNamara is stepping down from his position on the Board to participate as a 2018 Fellow in the Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute program.

CDFA

Sacramento Business Journal - Leaders of the year

Craig McNamara was one of five Californians to receive the 2012 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award. He was honored for his role at the Center for Land-Based Learning, which for 18 years has worked to raise a new crop of farmers. 

Sacramento Business Journal

Craig McNamara Appointed President of the State Board of Food and Agriculture

Western Farm Press Article

The Other Mr. McNamara

“For Craig, it’s the culmination of 30 years of pursuing his passions for agriculture, environmental protection and social justice. He talked with SN&R about his long journey from being a privileged son of D.C.'s political establishment to becoming a political activist, a farmer out of his depth, and ultimately a teacher. Craig also reflected on the ways American foreign policy drove him apart from his father and how the issue of U.S. military adventures abroad now have drawn the two men together again.”

Sacramento News & Review

Craig McNamara is Awarded Leopold Conservation Award (2007)

Craig McNamara is awarded the Leopold Conservation Award in 2007. A.G. Kawamura, California Secretary of Food & Agriculture states, We have many outstanding conservation farmers in the state, but few have dedicated themselves so wholeheartedly to conservation agriculture and the education of our youth.

Sand County Foundation

How I Made It: Craig McNamara

The gig: Craig McNamara is a sustainable farming expert, organic walnut farmer in the Sacramento Valley town of Winters, founder of the nonprofit Center for Land-Based Learning and the California Farm Academy, and president of the state Board of Food and Agriculture, which advises state officials on farming policies.

Los Angeles Times