An Orland rancher has been elected to serve a two-year term as the president of the California Farm Bureau and is the first woman to head the organization since it was founded in 1919.
Shannon Douglass succeeded Jamie Johansson as president of the organization and was elected to the new role on Dec. 5 during the state Farm Bureau’s 105th Annual Meeting in Reno, Nev.
“This is an exciting moment,” Douglass said. “Farm Bureau has provided me with tremendous opportunities as a first-generation farmer. I’m excited to be part of the leadership of this organization, which represents the diversity of farmers and ranchers in our state.
She is the owner of Douglass Ranch, along with her husband, Kelly, where they raise cattle and grow walnuts, corn and forage crops. She also co-founded CalAgJobs, an online listing of employment opportunities in California agriculture.
She has served as a director of the Glenn County Farm Bureau and as chair of the California Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers State Committee. She is a graduate of the Leadership Farm Bureau program and the California Agricultural Leadership Program. Douglass also participated in the American Farm Bureau Federation Partners in Advocacy Leadership program.
“The California Farm Bureau has long played an important role in working to protect the future of America’s most productive agricultural economy,” Douglass said. “We face abundant challenges in farming and ranching today. But California remains a great place to grow food, and Farm Bureau is committed to helping our state farmers, ranchers and agricultural businesses thrive for generations to come.”
She earned a master’s degree in agricultural policy, a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and a minor in agriculture business from California State University, Chico.
Shaun Crook, vice president of a family timber business and a real estate agent specializing in ranch, commercial and residential properties, was elected as the Farm Bureau’s first vice president. Crook has served three terms as the organization’s second vice president. He was first elected as president of Tuolumne County Farm Bureau in 2015.
A member of the California Farm Bureau Board of Directors and past president of the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau, Ron Peterson was elected as second vice president. He is a cattle rancher and dairy farmer who also grows silage crops and almonds.
The California Farm Bureau has nearly 29,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of 5.3 million Farm Bureau members.
