The new University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Foundation will support programs across the university’s various areas of focus.
The future 501(c)(3) organization is modeled after other UC entities and will be led by a board of directors that will represent interests from across California, it was announced.
“The establishment of this foundation could not have come at a better time, as it will inspire the vital resources and energy we need to meet the pressing challenges we pinpointed in our recently released Strategic Vision 2040,” said Glenda Humiston, UC ANR vice president.
Board directors include Don Bransford, owner of Bransford Farms and a former State Board of Food and Agriculture member, and Corinne Martinez, president and chief operations officer at Berryessa Gap Vineyards.
UC ANR Development Services Executive Director Greg Gibbs said in a statement that the cooperative extension will benefit from the board’s connections and expertise to take on new fundraiser initiatives.
The announcement follows the release of UC ANR’s 15-year strategic vision, which outlines how the system will address agricultural “productivity, sustainability, profitability and equitable distribution of healthy foods,” through research and policy recommendations.
