Blue Diamond’s Young Leader Class of 2017 had its first event Monday and Tuesday in Sacramento. The program aims to prepare the future leaders of the cooperative and allows participants to meet Blue Diamond board members, staff and fellow growers. January’s event provided the group with a taste of California’s legislative arena, hearing from members of the legislature, Blue Diamond’s state advocates and industry associations, the Agricultural Council of California and the Almond Alliance California. Assemblymember Jim Cooper and Assemblymember Heath Flora visited the Young Leaders, answering questions and providing their thoughts on politics and what’s in store for 2017. State Water Resources Control Board member, Dee Dee D’Adamo, briefed the group on the Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan that the Water Board will soon be updating. The Dinner’s keynote speakers, Senator Bill Dodd and Senator Cathleen Galgiani, recollected the hardships agricultural faced in 2016 and expressed their optimism for coming year. Each speaker provided the class with insightful perspective on the lawmaking process in the state and how the Young Leaders can do their part to advocate and educate for the industry. With help from the Ag Council, Blue Diamond held a successful first event for the class of 2017.