Tracy Ellison

The word “ambassador” is pretty impressive. What does your job entail?

I’m the liaison between the landowners, farmers and business operators and the Suisun Valley Fund. That is the entity that has the money to support their efforts, ideas and projects.

Who do you represent, exactly?

Eight farm stands, two wineries and an olive oil company that buys their olives from growers here in the Suisun Valley.

Can you be diplomatic and still say what your favorite fruit or vegetable is?

I love fresh corn on the cob.

You have two children—is it hard to get them to eat their vegetables?

Ranch Dressing helps ... and they are both fans of pears.

How long has Suisun Valley been an important area for agriculture?

From the 1800s.

What keeps you busiest?

It’s continuing to find the person that doesn’t know much about Suisun Valley, and persuade them that it is here and that it is the real grocery store year round.

The rains in 2006 cast some doubt about the annual Tomato Festival ... Does the weather keep you awake at night?

The farmers worry for sure. Every year has been different and no one knows what to expect. Last year we had floods, heavy rains and high heat, and this year we are short on rainfall, so of course they have to think about the weather, and that uncertainty does affect me.

How did you get interested in agriculture in the first place? Did you grow up on a farm?

I come from the Central Valley where my father was the agriculture teacher in the high school, so I grew up in 4-H, where I raised livestock. As part of 4-H I also did a lot of public speaking about agriculture and farming.

Are you optimistic about the future of small farms and farm stands in the United States?

I’m very optimistic, but it takes hard work, and agri-tourism—getting people to visit farms and orchards and so on—is an important part of the equation.

What do you tell people to do when they visit Suisun Valley?

I tell them that they are going to find something new every time they come here.

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