YOLO LAND TRUST - Key Persons
Chuck Moore is a California and Yolo County native being raised in Davis. Two summers working on a dry-land grain and cow-calf ranch in Northeastern Montana led him to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Management was obtained. He has worked in the Farm Credit system for over 35 years in various lending and management capacities. He is presently Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager for Farm Credit West in their Woodland Office. He resides in Woodland and is a member of the noon Rotary Club.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Assistant Manager for River Garden Farms Company
Dominic Bruno works as the Assistant Manager for River Garden Farms Company in Knights Landing, CA. Much of his career to date has been spent farming and working on environmental projects in Yolo County. He holds a B.S. in Agricultural Science from Chico State and is a graduate of the California Ag Leadership Class of 46.
Duncan grew up in the Southern California desert. The lush lawns, green fairways, and bountiful agriculture of the arid Coachella Valley sparked his interest in managing scarce water resources. Duncan moved to the area for graduate work in water resource economics at UC Davis, and never left. His interest in water resource issues has expanded into work related to agricultural policy and markets. After completing his PhD, he was a postdoctoral researcher in the UC Davis agricultural and resource economics department before shifting into economic consulting work with a large firm in Sacramento. In 2013, he co-founded ERA Economics, based in Davis, which is dedicated to working with water managers and agricultural stakeholders on issues related to the economics of water and agriculture. He lives with his family in Davis where he spends most of his free time chasing his two young children, who currently seem to have no interest in economics but thoroughly enjoy the rural character of Yolo County.
A California native, Grant grew up on a Sonoma County family farm raising prunes and wine grapes. With a grounding in agriculture and an aptitude for math and science, he earned a BS in Agricultural Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Grant holds two professional registrations, one as an agricultural engineer and another as a civil engineer. He spent his entire career as a consulting engineer specializing in agricultural water management. Grant founded Davids Engineering in 1993, a firm dedicated to sustainable agriculture that works primarily with irrigation water suppliers and the farmers they serve to build improved water management capacity. Grant and his wife, Joni, are mostly retired and reside outside Winters, CA. They enjoy gardening, cooking, relaxing on the Mendocino Coast, and spending time with friends and family.
John's deep family connections to agriculture in Yolo and Solano Counties have fostered a passion for agriculture. This passion led him to serve on the Solano Land Trust's Agricultural Conservation Easement Committee and the Board of Directors. Prior to joining the Yolo Land Trust, John spent over 20 years managing special districts providing irrigation, drainage and resource conservation services to constituents in Solano, Yolo, Shasta, and Tehama Counties. Prior to public service, John has amassed extensive work experience with crop and livestock production, managed agricultural operations, and worked as an organic farm inspector. John is a UC Davis Graduate with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Agricultural and Managerial Economics. He has also earned the Accredited Farm Manager designation from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. John and his family live on the family farm in Solano County, where they are restoring their 1875 Victorian home.
Kathy Ward is from Baker City, Oregon, where her family continues full time operation of their Century Farm. She helped raise potatoes, hay, horses, cattle, wheat, and other crops. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy from Oregon State University and MBA from Western Michigan University. Kathy is the former Global Testing and Operations Lead for Bayer Crop Science in Woodland. She has always been active in the non-profit community and has served on a number of boards, including the Woodland United Way and Oregon State College of Ag Science Leadership Academy. She and her husband Harold have lived in Woodland for over 25 years. They produce olive oil for family and friends.
Kenneth C. "Casey" Stone is a life-long resident of Yolo County, having grown up in Woodland and residing now in Winters with his wife Angela and their two children. After earning a B.S. degree in Business Administration from CSU Chico, Casey joined the family ranching and farming partnership, Yolo Land & Cattle Co., which he manages with his brother, Scott. He and Angela also operate a related beef jerky distribution business and host international tour groups at the family ranch. Casey is a past President and current Director of the Yolo County Farm Bureau. Casey was on the Board of the Yolo Land Trust from 2005 to 2010. He served as President in 2008-2009, and is still involved with the Land Conservation Committee and A Day in the Country each year.
Job Titles:
- Land Stewardship Director
Elizabeth Heckles moved to Yolo County in 2010 and, since her arrival, has always been interested in agriculture. Liz initially worked for a local almond grower/processor/handler and most recently worked for a third-generation walnut farmer, transitioning their conventional walnuts to certified organic orchards. She joined the staff of Yolo Land Trust in March 2021 as the Conservation Associate and intends to continue her interest in sustainable agriculture and farmland conservation. Prior to moving to Yolo County, Liz was a Senior Consultant with Navigant Consulting, a litigation consulting firm located in New York involved in government contracts and construction disputes. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware. Liz also volunteers her time as a member of the Board of Directors for Yolo County CASA, a local non-profit serving foster children.
Lynnel Pollock has a broad agricultural and community service background, including serving eight years on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors (1997-2004). Prior to that, she served on the Yolo County Planning Commission for four years. Lynnel has been involved with many other community organizations including the Yolo County Farm Bureau, California Farm Bureau, Woodland Chamber of Commerce, and various water-related entities, and was one of the founding board members of the Yolo Land Trust. Most recently Lynnel served as the executive director of Cache Creek Conservancy until her retirement in June 2015. Lynnel and her husband Herb farm in northern Yolo County, growing a variety of row crops, grain, and walnuts. Their farmland near the community of Yolo has had a conservation easement with the Yolo Land Trust since 2006. Herb and Lynnel have two sons, Brad and Greg, who farm with them, and are blessed with two grandchildren. Lynnel graduated from Stanford University with a degree in biological sciences and participated in the California Agricultural Leadership Program.
Mary-Ann Warmerdam has worked on agricultural, natural resource and rural public policy issues for most of her career, including a stint with the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District. She is the Senior Vice President of the Rural County Representatives of California. Prior to that, she served in the State Controller's office as the deputy controller for environmental policy. She also served in the California Environmental Protection Agency for Governors Schwarzenegger and Brown. In addition to her public service, Mary-Ann has worked for the California Farm Bureau Federation and several publicly-traded companies including the Clorox Company. Rounding out her experience, she has served on the Board of Directors for the Cache Creek Conservancy, the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation and the UC Davis Dean's Advisory Council for the College of Agriculture and Environmental Science.
Mary-Ann and her husband, Robert Falconer, both "farm kids", own a small farm in northern Yolo County. Mary-Ann has an MBA from CSU Fresno and completed the California Agricultural Leadership Program and the Kennedy School of Government's Executive Certification Program.
Melissa Harlan is a Yolo County native who has had a lifelong connection to agriculture. She grew up on a large-scale family farm, watching and learning from her grandfather and father, and working in their office. Melissa then went on to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development, along with her teaching credential, from UC Davis. She taught at the elementary level for 13 years in the Woodland Joint Unified School District.
From that point forward Melissa has assisted her husband, Blake, in the running of Harlan Family Ranch. Their farm is a sixth-generation diversified crop operation located in Woodland and farming throughout Yolo County.
Melissa has served on numerous local boards and committees, including the Ag Advisory Committee, the Woodland High School Greenhouse Committee, Woodland FFA Boosters, and School Site Councils.
Nick Gallagher grew up in San Mateo California. Although he lived in a big city, outdoor activities and nature was and still is a major driver in Nick's life. After earning a degree in Agriculture with an option in Wildland and Range Science from CSU Chico, Nick started his career as a Rangeland Management Specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Yolo County and has resided in Woodland CA since 2005. USDA NRCS Rangeland Specialists work with private landowners to develop conservation plans and administer voluntary conservation programs on farms and ranches that typically involve livestock operations. Nick is a certified conservation planner and produces conservation plans ranging from the development livestock water systems in rangeland to assisting with irrigation system improvements on pastureland in the valley. Working for the NRCS brings such diversity in work activities including land use and I have gained a lot of experience working with different partners, agencies, private landowners and other conservation organizations.
Paul Muller was a founding member of Yolo Land Trust, and served on the Board until 2010. During his tenure, Paul witnessed the organization grow from a small group of dedicated volunteers working around a kitchen table to one of the most active agricultural land trusts in California. Paul, along with his family and partners, owns and operates Full Belly Farm - a 250-acre certified organic farm located in Capay Valley. Full Belly Farm was awarded the prestigious 2014 California Leopold Conservation Award which honors private landowner achievement in voluntary stewardship and management of natural resources. Paul continues to coordinate A Day in the Country for the Yolo Land Trust, and masterfully connects the chefs with local growers resulting in the best farm to food event in Northern California.
Peter Hunter is a lifelong Yolo County resident. He and his wife Debbie raise French prunes and olives for oil on his family farm outside of Winters. He attended the University of California Davis in the late 60's and early 70's earning a BS in Zoology in 1971 and a PhD. in Ecology in 1976. Peter and Debbie placed their farm in an agricultural conservation easement with the Yolo Land Trust in 2001, using the proceeds to replant an aging, unproductive orchard using best practices for water conservation, soil management and integrated pest control technology. Peter served on the board of the Yolo Land Trust from 2003 until 2014. He was President in 2006. Peter continues to serve on the Land Conservation Committee.
As an avid horsewoman, Sasha Beoshanz spent much of her youth riding and exploring the coastal range of the Bay Area Peninsula. It was there she developed a deep passion for open spaces and the dwindling farmlands. Moving to the Central Valley to attend college, she worked in a variety of agricultural jobs. She received a B.S in Animal Science from CSU Fresno and has worked at UCD Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for over 20 years. During her time at college, she met her husband Marc, and following graduation they moved to his family's farm in Davis. There, they raised their children as the sixth generation on the farm. In 2002 they worked with the Yolo Land Trust to conserve an additional farm property located in Woodland that had been in Marc's family for generations. On that property, Sasha and Marc built a new home and have been proud to be part of the ongoing effort to conserve farmland in Yolo County. With a riparian corridor running through the farm, Sasha especially enjoys learning about and cultivating native plantings to promote the diverse bird and wildlife populations. In her leisure time, she still enjoys her horses, caring for a small herd of Jersey cattle and dreams of artisan cheesemaking.
Job Titles:
- Development and Communications Manager
Stacy joined Yolo Land Trust in December of 2021 to lead YLT's fundraising and communications. She grew up in Sacramento, and during her college years found an enjoyment for gardening and growing her own food, which connected her to the importance of stewarding the land from which food grows. Stacy has held previous positions with nonprofits in Sacramento (JDRF Northern California), Redding (Shasta Land Trust), and Chico (Chico Velo Cycling Club), where she was responsible for fundraising, event management, donor relations, marketing, and communications. Additionally, Stacy was the Marketing Coordinator for the Stevens Creek Whole Foods Market in Cupertino where she managed the marketing and community outreach efforts for one of the largest Whole Foods Market stores on the West Coast. She received her bachelor's degree from California State University, Chico in Recreation Administration and Tourism. When not working at YLT, Stacy spends time outdoors with her husband, two sons, and two dogs - they love exploring Truckee, going to the local farmers market, and visiting area playgrounds.