by | | Board of Directors
Daniel Bays
Stanislaus County Farm Bureau Secretary
Daniel Bays
As secretary of the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, Daniel Bays knows that no two days in agriculture are ever the same. On his family’s farm, they grow apricots, almonds, walnuts, tomatoes, lima beans, peaches, olives and watermelon—each bringing its own opportunities and challenges.
“Agriculture always has moving targets,” Daniel said. “We’re constantly adapting to everything from Mother Nature to markets, water, regulations and changing policies.”
That’s exactly why he believes Farm Bureau plays such an important role in protecting local agriculture.
“We can’t do everything individually by ourselves,” he explained. “Farm Bureau brings people together to problem-solve and be the voice for agriculture at the county, state and national levels. We need that unified voice to protect our way of life.”
He encourages anyone who values agriculture to become a Farm Bureau member.
“If you value that lifestyle, Farm Bureau is working every day to protect it and keep us farming.”
While he enjoys growing a wide variety of crops, his favorite part of farming has little to do with what they harvest.
“My favorite part of farming is the opportunity my wife and I have to raise our four kids on the farm. They get to learn where they came from while spending time with their grandparents, great-grandparents and cousins. There’s nowhere else you get that type of opportunity to grow and learn where you came from and have the opportunity to build something going forward.”
For Daniel, that’s what agriculture, and Farm Bureau, is truly about. Preserving a way of life and ensuring that future generations have the opportunity to continue the traditions, values and family connections that make farming so special.
by | | Board of Directors
Vance Ahlem
Stanislaus County Farm Bureau President
Vance Ahlem
As a walnut grower and producer of corn and silage crops, Vance Ahlem understands both the challenges and opportunities facing California agriculture. Serving as the current Stanislaus County Farm Bureau president, Vance is passionate about ensuring agriculture has a strong voice at every level of government.
One aspect of agriculture that often surprises people, Vance says, is just how technology-driven the industry has become.
“People don’t realize how technology driven agriculture is,” he explains. “From plant genetics, animal genetics and farming technologies, innovation plays a major role in creating the precision we need in agriculture.”
For Vance, Farm Bureau’s value lies in its ability to advocate for farmers and ranchers while they focus on running their operations.
“Farm Bureau provides a voice for agriculture at the county, state, and national levels,” he says. “It allows farmers and ranchers to continue attending to their businesses on the farm.”
His message to potential members is simple: “Your voice matters in the future of California agriculture.”
When asked about his favorite agricultural commodity, Vance quickly responded, whey protein.
“Whey used to be considered a byproduct that was often thrown away or fed to cattle,” he says. “Today, it’s one of the highest-valued dairy products on the market.”
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Kelly Fogarty Tilma
Stanislaus County Farm Bureau Board Member and Immediate Past President
Kelly Fogarty Tilma
For Kelly Fogarty Tilma, agriculture has always been more than a career, it’s a family legacy built on resilience, hard work, and the hope of passing something meaningful on to the next generation.
As a fifth-generation rancher from Oakdale, Kelly and her family operate a beef cattle cow-calf operation, continuing a tradition that has been part of their family’s story for generations. Today, while raising her two young children, she hopes they will one day become the sixth generation to carry that legacy forward.
When asked to describe California agriculture in a single word, Kelly doesn’t hesitate.
“Resilient.”
It’s a word she believes perfectly captures the spirit of farmers and ranchers, not only here in Stanislaus County, but across California. Every year brings new challenges, many of which are entirely outside a producer’s control. Yet, time and again, agricultural families adapt, persevere, and continue producing the food, fiber, and fuel that sustain communities across the state.
One reality Kelly wishes more people understood is just how uncertain life in agriculture can be.
“Most of us in this industry receive one paycheck a year,”* she explains. *”Not every two weeks. Not every month. One paycheck, with maybe a few sprinkled in throughout the year.”
Unlike many professions, that paycheck isn’t determined solely by how hard someone works. Instead, it’s influenced by countless factors outside a producer’s control, weather, input costs, market conditions, regulations, and even events happening around the world.
“Things you have absolutely no control over often determine whether that paycheck is enough to sustain your family for the entire year.”
It’s that uncertainty, she says, that makes organizations like Farm Bureau so essential.
“Without Farm Bureau, there is no agriculture in California,”* Kelly says. *”Farm Bureau is our voice where it matters most, in Sacramento and beyond. They help shape the policies that directly affect our operations, our families, and our ability to continue farming and ranching.”
While Farm Bureau advocates on behalf of all producers, Kelly believes membership is about more than simply receiving the benefits of that work.
“Farm Bureau will represent agriculture whether you’re a member or not,” she says. “But farmers and ranchers aren’t people who like to ride on someone else’s coattails. If this organization is working for you, then step up, invest in it, and work alongside the people who are already giving their time and energy to protect our industry.”
That spirit of shared responsibility is one of the reasons Kelly has remained actively involved in Farm Bureau throughout her career. Having grown up watching her parents dedicate their time to the organization, she now hopes her own children will witness that same commitment.
“I want them to see that being involved matters,” she says. “Just like I watched my parents serve our industry, I hope they’ll grow up seeing me do the same and understand why it’s important to give back.”
When asked to choose her favorite California agricultural commodity, Kelly smiles.
“Beef. One hundred percent.”
For Kelly, beef isn’t simply what her family raises, it’s a reflection of generations of dedication, stewardship, and perseverance.
by | | Board of Directors
Vince Dykzeul
Stanislaus County Farm Bureau First Vice President
Vince Dykzeul
For the past 25 years, our first vice president has been a dedicated advocate for Stanislaus County agriculture, serving on the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau Board of Directors since 2001. Alongside his wife and three children on the county’s west side, he grows corn, alfalfa, wheat and almonds.
When asked what he wishes more people knew about agriculture, his answer was simple: the vast majority of the food found in grocery stores begins with agriculture.
It’s a reminder of just how important farmers and ranchers are to our everyday lives.
He believes Farm Bureau matters because it is the leading voice advocating for agriculture at the local, state and national levels. That’s also why he encourages others to become members—supporting Farm Bureau means supporting the future of agriculture.
Although almonds are one of the commodities he grows, his favorite agricultural commodity is actually walnuts!
Thank you for 25 years of leadership and dedication to Stanislaus County Farm Bureau and California agriculture.
