SAVE THE DATE!
The Madera District Chamber of Commerce will honor our 2011 Senior Farmer of the Year at the annual presentation and celebration dinner in their honor on Thursday, July 21, 2011

Congratulations to
Mr. Johnny Deniz
2010 Senior Farmer of the Year!

The Madera Chamber of Commerce thanks our 2010 Sponsors...

Allied Waste Services, Almond Tree Hulling Company,
Citizens Business Bank,Cosyns Farms, DT West II, LLC,
Fresno Madera Farm Credit, Houlding Farms,
Kuckenbecker Tractor, Madera Irrigation District,
Madera Pumps, Inc., Ray Pool Farms,
San Joaquin Wine Company, Vernon Martinazzi Farms, WerStan Associates LP (Bob Stanfield)

Special thanks to Mrs. Franklin 'Elaine' Secara who sponsors the

Madera Chamber of Commerce Senior Farmer of the Year Plaque,

and to the Madera Tribune for their special Salute to Agriculture special section.

The Madera Chamber of Commerce wishes to express their condolences to the family of Elaine Bundy Secara, who passed away on August 15, 2010.  Mrs. Secara was a long-time supporter of the Madera Chamber of Commerce Senior Farmer of the Year award.  Since 1994, she sponsored the Madera Chamber of Commerce Senior Farmer of the Year Plaque, in memory of her husband, Franklin B. Secara.

We are currently unable to load new photos to the Photo Gallery on our website, but VISIT US ON FACEBOOK to see our photos from the 2010 Senior Farmer Dinner.

The Madera District Chamber of Commerce honored Mr. Johnny Deniz, as our 2010 Senior Farmer of the Year at our annual awards presentation and celebration dinner held in his honor on Thursday, July 22, 2010 at the Madera Municipal Golf Course, St. Andrew's Ballroom, 23200 Avenue 17 in Madera. Social Hour began at 6:00 p.m. with dinner at 7:00 p.m. and the 2010 Senior Farmer Presentations following.  Cost to attend was $40.00 per person with tables of ten (10) available for sponsors.  Reservations were required; no tickets were sold at the door. 

Sponsorships of this event were available for $250.00 and $500.00.  Proceeds from this event benefit our Madera High Schools Chamber of Commerce Ag Scholarship fund.  If you would like to participate in the presentation honoring our Senior Farmer, please contact Debi Bray at the Chamber office (559) 673-3563.  For reservations, sponsorships or additional information, please call the Chamber office at (559) 673-3563.

Net revenue derived from this event benefits the Madera Chamber of Commerce Ag Scholarship fund.  Your support not only honors our Senior Farmer and Past Recipients, but also supports the Ag Scholarship program for our youth who are our future Farmers.

Congratulations to the Madera Chamber of Commerce 2009-10  Ag Scholarship Recipient...
Jazmine Jackson, Madera South High School

ABOUT OUR 2010 SENIOR FARMER OF THE YEAR...MR. JOHNNY DENIZ

The Madera District Chamber of Commerce has selected Johnny Deniz as the 2010 Senior Farmer of the Year.

Deniz, 78, was nominated by longtime friend and former Madera Irrigation District general manager, Robert Stanfield.

Deniz is currently farming 450 acres of land, 350 under farm management. He is owner and partner of the other 100 acres.

Deniz has grown a variety of crops in his 60 years farming, including almonds, peaches, nectarines, plums, table grape varieties, cotton, tomatoes, prunes and alfalfa.

The Senior Farmer celebration dinner in Deniz’s honor was held on July 22 at the Madera Municipal Golf Course, St. Andrew’s Ballroom, 23200 Avenue 17, Madera.  The no-host social hour began at 6:00 p.m. with dinner, followed by the program.  Tickets were $40 per person with tables of ten of available for sponsors.  Reservations were required; no tickets were sold at the door.

Event Sponsorships were available for $250 and $500.  Proceeds benefited the Madera Chamber of Commerce Ag Scholarship Program for students of Madera high schools.

The award-winning Salute to Ag section of The Madera Tribune was printed the week of the dinner.  To reserve space in this special keepsake edition, call the Tribune advertising department at 674-2424.

For information, tickets or to participate in the Senior Farmer presentation, contact Debi Bray at the Chamber office (559) 673-3563 or by email

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Saturday, July 03, 2010 by Tami Jo Nix
Tami Jo Nix is a senior staff writer, photographer and community / features writer for the Madera Tribune. You can contact Tami Jo at 674.8134 ext. 231 or e-mail.  Tami Jo also handles community calendar items and wedding announcements.

ABOUT THIS ANNUAL EVENT...
Since 1981 the Madera District Chamber of Commerce has annually honored outstanding individuals for their leadership, service, and contributions to Madera County Agriculture. The Senior Farmer of the Year Award recognizes, with great appreciation, the lifetime of an exceptional individual in the discipline of agriculture. Individuals are nominated and awarded points in 8 topic areas and must be 65 years or older. Nominations are reviewed by past honorees who also determine the final selection. These previous honorees, along with our 2010 recipient, have made huge and significant contributions to Madera County and recognizing them is just never quite enough for all they have done.

“Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven’t planted”. The truth in this quote by author David Bly, certainly exemplifies the past recipients. Their years of hard work have brought success and continue to provide a prosperous economic base for Madera County. The Chamber looks forward to celebrating a new Senior Farmer of the Year; the following is the impressive list of past honorees:

• 1981 - Sherman Thomas*

• 1982 - Henry J. Bitter*

• 1983 - Gino Petrucci, Sr.*

• 1984 - Walter Rosskopf*

• 1985 - Aubrey 'A.K.' Baker*

• 1986 - Everett Garner*

• 1987 - Floyd Nelson*

• 1988 - Lionel T. Rogers*

• 1989 - Ben Coulthard*

• 1990 - J.E. 'Eldred' McKinney
  

• 1991 - George Andrew

• 1992 - John Sordi*

• 1993 - Edmond 'Ed' Sagouspe*

• 1993 - Honorary Senior Farmer Franklin Secara*

• 1994 - Elsie Buchenau*

• 1995 - Norman E. Dill*

• 1996 - Henry Massaro

• 1997 - Joe Galleano

• 1998 - Robert T. Houlding, Sr.*

• 1999 - Dino Petrucci

• 2000 - Elvin 'E.K.' Davis

• 2001 - Alfred 'Fred' Russell*

• 2002 - Oliver Espinola*

• 2003 - Will Gill, Jr.

• 2004 - Jack W. Schnoor

• 2005 - Richard B. Johnson

• 2006 - Charles 'Charlie' Faso*

• 2007 - Vernon E. Martinazzi

• 2008 - William 'Billy' McKinney*

• 2009 - Albert 'Al' Cosyns

• 2010 - Johnny Deniz

* deceased