Feb. 16—In 2021, Anastacia Allen became the first woman to ever be appointed to the position of Colusa County Agricultural Commissioner. She is still actively standing in that role alongside her other duties as the county’s Sealer, Air Pollution Control officer, and Migrant Housing director.

The growing season of 2022 saw unprecedented struggles in water allocation, temperatures, and crop yields for the community of Colusa. But things took an upward turn in 2023 and that momentum appears to be following local farmers into 2024. With the Colusa Farm Show fast approaching, the Appeal-Democrat reached out to Allen for a short Q&A on her background and the state of agricultural fairs in Colusa.

Q: What encouraged you to switch from construction management to agriculture?

A: As I began college, I knew I wanted to do something in the science field. I declared a biology major. I paused my college work for the birth of my first son. During that time, my uncle asked me to help him with his new and growing construction company.

What was a small construction company in 2000, grew very quickly into a very large company over the next seven years. Then, with the housing market crash in 2006 and the commercial construction market following, I saw the opportunity to step back and complete my college degree. I found my way back to the university where I received my BS in biology.

I was not sure what I wanted to do with the degree once I completed it. My husband worked for the county of Butte and forwarded me a recruitment flier he saw posted in HR for an agricultural biologist. I looked into the position and instantly knew it was something I wanted to do.

I began my career with some amazing mentors who taught me to truly understand and see the big picture of what it means to be an agricultural commissioner. Today, I am passionate about my work as the ag commissioner in Colusa County. Every decision I make is with careful thought and consideration for how it will affect our county’s ag industry this year, next year, and for generations to come.

Q: How was the 2023 grow/harvest season for Colusa?

A: Following such an unprecedented 2022 season, the 2023 harvest was a welcome sight for everyone in Colusa. Water allocations were made sufficient enough for growers to grow food. Planted rice acres were higher than they have been in three seasons. Growers are still dealing with significant pest pressures, commodity pricing shortfalls, and unpredictably enormous input increases. However, I am still seeing the ag industry continue to push on strong. Farmers are smart, creative, and resourceful. Out of these struggles, you will see them come up with new technology, farming practices, and strategies to overcome each of these hardships.

Q: Is water still a primary issue facing Colusa County farmers?

A: Water is necessary and a key component to a successful farm. Water availability, dependability, and affordability are all factors in accessing the water needed to grow food. The water available to farming in 2023 was why we were able to see our county come back to life this year. Now we need to prepare and focus on solutions to ensure that what happened in 2022 does not happen again. Water storage is an essential part of that long term strategic plan. The county of Colusa has supported the building of Sites Reservoir for decades. I am fortunate enough to be able watch as this project transitions from a planning project into an actual construction project. Some major milestones have recently been reached by the Sites JPA. This water storage project and others like it is what California needs in order to continue to be one of the leading producers of the world’s safest, cleanest, and most sought after food.

Q: What type of farming changes, if any, were seen or implemented over the past year?

A: Over the past year we have seen some orchard removals. I think the delay in planting the orchards back is longer than we have seen in the past due to the high input costs and the low commodity pricing the current markets are providing. I haven’t seen any drastic changes in response to 2022. I am seeing farmers do what they do every year — produce their crop and then sit back and figure out how they can do it better next year. Small changes that result in more yield, less resources, healthier soils, etc. They do this every year as they evolve the ag industry into the future for the generation below them.

Q: Has the county set any specific ag-related goals this year?

A: Colusa County is an ag-based county. Almost all goals set at any time for our county have some element or consideration on how ag will be affected. As the ag commissioner, my goal is to always protect and promote agriculture. I want to advocate for the ag industry in any way that I can to protect their ability to continue doing what they do best — grow the world’s food!