Gov. Brown to speak at Ag Leadership Breakfast in Colusa

Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to address the annual Agriculture Leadership Breakfast in Colusa on Wednesday.

What the governor will say is unknown, but organizers of the event said Brown is not expected to speak at any length.

"He is going to make some introductions and say a few words, and they he is going to walk through the Farm Show," said spokeswoman Sarah DeForest.

State Department of Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross is also expected to attend.

The keynote speaker for the 11th annual breakfast is Vernon Crowder, senior vice president and agricultural economist for Rabobank's Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory group.

He is expected to say a lot in a room where the agricultural economy is always on the minds of the 350 to 400 people expected to attend.

Crowder and his team analyze and conduct market research on California agribusiness as well as the North American fresh fruit and produce sectors. Crowder is a graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program.

The event has raised more than $170,000 in scholarship funding for the Ag Leadership Foundation and Chico State's College of Agriculture, DeForest added. Proceeds are split between the two entities.

While separate, the breakfast is held in conjunction with the 48th annual Colusa Farm Show at the nearby Colusa County Fairgrounds.

Rabobank is moving toward becoming the lead sponsor for the Farm Show, organizers said. This year, it donated $4,000 to the ag leadership event, and $6,000 to the Farm Show.

It is already the top sponsor of the Tulare farm show, the largest in the state, and was born out of the Colusa show four decades ago.

The governor has family ties to the county, including the newest Fair Board member, Walt Seaver, who is Brown's second-cousin. The governor is a frequent visitor to the area.

The Farm Show, which opens at 9 a.m. Tuesday, will feature dozens of exhibitors over its three-day run.