Bakersfield, Calif.-based Grimmway Farms says the EPA appointed Russell Hamlin, president of farming operations, to its Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee.
Hamlin joins 17 other new members named by EPA Administrator Michael Regan, who will provide independent policy advice and recommendations on crucial environmental issues affecting agriculture and rural communities, according to a news release.
Hamlin oversees the management of the company’s conventional and organic vegetable crop operations in more than 10 states. The company said he brings diverse academic, farming and scientific experience to his EPA advisory role.
“Good intentions and a desire to give back are important but must be combined with an equal measure of experience and depth of understanding to be effective in shaping meaningful policy,” Hamlin said in the release. “Working with my advisory board colleagues, I look forward to applying my scientific background and common farm sense to understand and find practical paths forward to address environmental problems facing the nation’s farmers.”
In addition to his role at Grimmway, Hamlin currently chairs the California Fresh Carrot Advisory Board and the Organics Committee of the International Fresh Produce Association. He is also a member of the advisory board for the Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He received a Bachelor of Science and Arts and a Master of Science in horticulture from the University of Georgia and holds a doctorate in plant and soil sciences from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
“The diverse perspectives of these new appointees, along with our dedicated returning members, will be instrumental in helping us navigate environmental challenges and deliver science-based, practical solutions that strengthen our nation’s food and agriculture systems for generations to come,” Regan said in a news release announcing the appointments.
