Three conservation agriculture pioneers were honored at the UC Conservation Agriculture Systems Innovation Twilight Field Day at the UC West Side Research and Extension Center yesterday, reported Patrick Cavanaugh in the California Ag Today blog.

CASI chair Jeff Mitchell, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis, presented the awards before the conclusion of an event that included tours of three local farms and three sites at the field station.

Ron Harben, project director at the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, was recognized for outstanding service to CASI. Ralph Cesena, Sr., president of Cesena Distributing in Stockton, received the CASI Industry Innovator Award. Danny Ramos, manager of Morning Star company's Lucero Farmers, was presented the Conservation Tillage Farmer Innovator Award.