Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems

CRARS Leadership Council Members Honored At EcoFarm Awards Banquet

by Sheryl Karas MA, CRARS staff member

 Rosie and Ward Burroughs and Scott Park

Rosie and Ward Burroughs and Scott Park

We're proud that leadership council (JPG) members Rosie and Ward Burroughs(opens in new window) and Scott Park(opens in new window) were recognized as Successful Organic Farmers at the 2020 ECOFARM Conference(opens in new window) that was held January 22—25 in Asilomar, CA. They gave keynote addresses at the conference after the awards banquet and ceremony honoring those who have been actively and critically involved in ecologically-sustainable agriculture and related endeavors.

In 2016, Rosie and Ward Burroughs co-founded the the CSU Chico Regenerative Agriculture Initiative which is now known as the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems (CRARS). They are part of a family that has been farming for over a century. Over the last 17 years they converted Burroughs Family Farms(opens in new window) to organic and now, together with their children, own and operate multiple individual farms in California and Southeastern Oregon, selling organic products under the Full Circle Dairy, California Cloverleaf Farms, Burroughs Family Orchards and CCF Sullivan Ranch labels. They use regenerative agricultural practices to improve soil fertility through nurturing soil biology and biodiversity to successfully produce almonds, beef, cheese, free-range pastured chickens and other poultry, grass-based dairy, eggs, and olives. Rosie and Ward also have served as mentors and supporters to the Organic Dairy Education & Research Program at CSU Chico and co-created the Western Organic Dairy Producers Alliance with CRARS director Cynthia Daley. 

Scott Park has been farming for nearly 50 years. Although his family has no history with agriculture, he successfully farms 10-20 crops on 27 fields spread over 10 miles on 1,700 acres at Park Farming Organics(opens in new window) in Meridian, CA. He converted his conventionally grown farm to one that is entirely certified organic decades ago, using regenerative farming techniques such as cover crops, conservation tillage, adding tons of biomass, crop rotation, controlled traffic, and compost, etc. He is always striving for healthier soil, reduced external inputs, improved profitability and sustainability. His main crops are tomatoes, rice, corn, wheat, barley, dry beans, alfalfa, vine seed crops, squash, cauliflower but he experiments with many more. Park also serves as one of the mentor farmers(opens in new window) at CRARS.

Rosie, Ward and Scott were joined by Emigdio Ballon of Pueblo of Tesuque in Santa Fe, New Mexico as this year's Successful Organic Farmers keynote speakers(opens in new window) at the ECOFARM Conference. Congratulations to all!