Tom Broz was named the 2023 Farmer of Year by the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau June 22 at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.
In its 106th annual meeting, the Farm Bureau welcomed dozens of farmers, agricultural workers and others to the open-air event.
Broz and his wife, Constance, started the all-organic Live Earth Farm in Watsonville in 1996.
“Live Earth Farm has been a model for how a farm can incorporate biodiversity into food production, and Tom and Constance have been committed to that for many years,” said local farmer Sam Earnshaw.
Broz’s early plantings in native shrubs are holding the soil and providing pollination and beneficial insect habitat. On his home farm, he has been not only installing habitat plantings, but also conserving existing native vegetation that supports carbon sequestration and beneficial insects, pollinators and birds that are key to pest control.
As Broz was brought to the podium, Ramon Gomez was among several people to recognize him, with the presentation of a proclamation from Supervisor Felipe Hernandez.
“Tom has been a leader in farming with natives and in incorporating biodiversity into daily cultural practices,” Earnshaw said. “He is a true leader for all of us, and this honor is well-deserved.”
