Submitted by the Los Banos
Downtown Association
For several years now, the Los Banos Downtown Association, as part of its Farm to Table event, has chosen a Farmer of the Year.
At this year’s sold-out Farm to Table event on Sept. 12 in Henry Miller Plaza, the person to be honored as Farmer of the Year is Robert McDonald.
Robert McDonald was born to Ollie and Rudy McDonald, who came to California during the Dust Bowl era and started a dairy in the early 1940s in Los Banos.
Robert worked on his father’s farm while he was a student attending school in Los Banos. His parents instilled a good work ethic in Robert, and while a lot of his friends considered it a chore to work for their parents, Robert developed a love and passion for the farming industry.
Robert started as a dairyman and quickly realized that quality feed results in quality dairy products. He found an opportunity to purchase land and decided to develop the acres for alfalfa and oats, as well as cotton, tomatoes, and cantaloupes.
He started with 10 acres from his father to now farming over 2,000 acres (about the area of Philadelphia Airport). Robert maintains nearly a dozen full-time employees and many others on a seasonal basis and takes great pride that many of his employees have worked for him for decades.
McDonald has dedicated his life as an advocate for farmers. Robert has been serving on the Board of Directors for the Dos Palos Co-Op Gin for 25 years while serving as president for two terms. Robert also serves on the California Cotton Association Board of Directors. Most recently, Robert became involved with the San Luis Canal Company Board of Directors.
He has also been a lifetime supporter of the local Ag Boosters in Los Banos and surrounding communities. His children were involved in 4-H and FFA growing up in Los Banos. Robert continues to support the youth in these programs by buying livestock at the local Merced County Spring Fair in Los Banos.
He is also involved in the Los Banos Sportsmen’s Association, the Italian Catholic Federation, the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Society and the Local Native Sons of Golden West.
Robert realizes that the day will come when his business that he passionately built will be passed on to his children, and he has and is preparing them for this task to carry on his legacy.
