CAFF Names Leland Swenson Executive Director
DAVIS, Calif., (June 14, 2002)- The Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) has announced the appointment of Leland Swenson as the organization's executive director.
Swenson most recently served as president of the National Farmers Union, a position he held from 1988 until March of this year.
CAFF is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1978 with regional chapters throughout California. CAFF uses practical information-sharing, organizing and advocacy in support of strong, ecologically sound family farms and healthy rural communities.
"I look forward to the opportunity to work with agriculture producers in California," Swenson said. "CAFF is a dynamic organization with a long history of farmer-to-farmer and outreach programs. These types of programs, linking family farmers and urban communities, will help our efforts to make sustainability a core principle in all food and agriculture policy."
While Swenson was with the National Farmers Union he was responsible for organizing and leading the historic 1999 National Agricultural Summit. The gathering brought together 29 of the nation's farm and commodity organizations to address serious farm economy conditions such as a farm safety net, industry concentration, risk management and international trade.
Swenson also organized the Rally for Rural America in March 2000. That event attracted thousands of farmers, church leaders, labor organizations and rural people to Washington, D.C. to send a strong message to Capitol Hill that the rural crisis was more than an economic crisis but also a social and cultural crisis in rural America.
"We are pleased to have Lee Swenson on board to spearhead our efforts on behalf of family farmers," said CAFF Board President, Judith Redmond. His experience with family-farm advocacy will benefit all California agriculture producers and rural communities.
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