Mark McKean

Mark McKean has been the Field Crops Commodity Chairman for more than a decade.

Mark McKean, a third generation farmer from Riverdale, has been farming his entire life. His grandparents moved from the Goshen area (just north of Visalia) to Riverdale/Five Points area in 1903. After more than a century, the McKean family has become deep-rooted in the Riverdale community.

McKean said there are three things he enjoys about farming. “The reward of providing a safe supply of food and fiber; the reward of having our employees become successful in life; and the reward that I receive from friends and family related to that success.”

McKean farms 5,500 acres of pima and upland cotton, sugar beets, wheat, corn, tomatoes, alfalfa, wine grapes and almonds. In addition, he also raises about 100 head of cattle. Even though he has achieved a great amount of personal success from the family business, he said his number one priority is providing an opportunity for the next generation. Wyatt, McKean’s son, was awarded a California Farm Bureau Federation Scholarship for the 2007-2008 school year.

McKean has been married to Megan for 20 years, and has two sons: Wyatt, 18, and Connor, 16. Wyatt is beginning his first year at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, majoring in plant science. Connor, a junior at Riverdale High School, has expressed interest in pursuing an agricultural engineering degree following graduation.

When McKean isn’t hanging out with his sons on the farm, he is heavily involved with their extra-curricular activities. “One of my hobbies has been raising my children to become young adults,” he said. Outside of coaching their sports teams, he has always supported their involvement with 4-H and Future Farmer’s of America.

McKean was more than happy when Wyatt decided to attend Cal Poly. Mark graduated from Cal Poly in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in animal science, and then a master’s degree at Colorado State University, Fort Collins in 1981 in animal nutrition. He said he chose animal science because it was the subject that most interested him out of high school.

McKean’s love for animals is extended through one of his favorite hobbies, training performance horses, including reined cow horses and cutting horses. His travels consist of going to shows all around the western U.S., including Reno, Idaho and Paso Robles.

Focus on agriculture/involvement

McKean has been heavily involved with the industry his entire life, both through the farm and through leadership positions. He has been the Fresno County Farm Bureau commodity chairman for field crops since 1997. He was recruited by Shawn Stevenson and Rod Stark.

Farm Bureau is very active in a lot of issues with the right frame of mind to solve those issues,” McKean said. “I felt positive about the leadership [when he joined] and still do today.”

McKean has been a great go-to person on many issues affecting agriculture in Fresno County, including: water conservation, environmental concerns and issues affecting field crops. He has been a great resource for Farm Bureau, both as a board member and as a media spokesperson.

One of McKean’s passions has been water, both from a farmer’s perspective and through serving on multiple water boards and resource management associations. “Our number one priority is to build above-ground storage, but the reality is that because of the nature of politics, it is a difficult task to accomplish.

Meanwhile, while our elected officials work out the issue, we need to develop conjunctive use measures and employ conservation techniques to conserve our water supply,” he said.

McKean cited urban demand for water as a fight farmers cannot win if nothing is done: “Continued pressure from urban folks isn’t going to let up. We must find ways to create a win-win for both the urban and rural communities. We are not going to solve the issue by throwing another brick in the toilet; elected officials have let it go too far at this point.”

McKean has extended his involvement well beyond Farm Bureau. He is the president of the Reed Ditch Company, the chairman for Kings River Conservation District (KRCD) Board of Directors, a graduate for the California Ag Leadership Class XX, the chairman for the West Hills Community College Board and president of the Crescent Canal Company.

McKean is extremely prideful of his involvement with West Hills Community College. “It is rewarding in a sense because we work hard towards providing educational opportunities for all students,” he said.

In McKean’s involvement with the KRCD, he points out the agency’s commitment to “Community Choice” aggregation, with the goal of bringing more reliable and more affordable power to the region. This is a good example of McKean’s advocacy for water conservation and for more efficient use of our resources.

Whether it is through conservation, change in farming practices or the introduction of new technology, McKean recognizes the need for growers and producers to become more flexible. He also said that farmers need financial incentives to adopt the new and inventive ways to conserve resources and still produce a safe, abundant food supply.

The use of technology is a never-ending challenge,” McKean said. “We need to find the resources to adopt these new technologies. It’s amazing how fast agriculture is evolving, and sometimes it is a difficult task to keep up with these challenges.”

McKean will continue to work hard for agriculture as issues continue to evolve. His work ethic, people skills and expertise has been an asset to the industry, his community and most importantly, his family.

Meet Your Board Members Profile: Ag Today, Sep 07

By: John Migliazzo