Fred Fagundes, owner and partner of Fagundes Brother’s Dairy, is a generous business leader. For many years, Fagundes Brother’s Dairy has been a loyal supporter of the CCOF Foundation’s Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund (FOFGF). They continue to champion the CCOF Foundation’s programs despite the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, the connection between organic production and human and environmental health has become ever more apparent in recent months. Fagundes Brother’s Dairy is committed to producing organic dairy products at an accessible price. What’s more, Fred Fagundes is keeping his Portuguese roots alive in the Central Valley.
Last Spring, the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute hosted a variety of panelists to discuss the topic of Portuguese immigration to California and current Portuguese heritage in agriculture in the Fresno/Merced area. The Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute is housed within Fresno State University, from which several CCOF Foundation FOFGF grantees have graduated (including Ignacio Mendoza, who spoke at the 2019 CCOF Foundation Benefit Dinner at the Organic Grower Summit). The panel discussion took place during Portuguese Immigrant Week last March. Fagundes’ participation in this event highlights an opportunity for other organic business and industry leaders to connect with their local universities by contributing meaningful content to students.
Leaders and businesspeople can directly impact organic farms and growers, like Fagundes Brother’s Dairy, by donating directly to the Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund that supports students who are pursuing careers in organic agriculture. The students the CCOF Foundation supports are bright, eager, and deeply passionate about tending the land and stewarding animals to the NOP organic standards. For many, all that stands in the way is the financial commitment to higher education. With students disproportionately affected by job losses and restaurant and retail industry closures and layoffs during the coronavirus pandemic, supporting these students has never been more important. Consider making a gift to Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund today.
