Veteran Elk Grove ag leader is new executive director of Central Valley Farmland Trust

Elk Grove’s Charlotte Mitchell is the new executive director of the Central Valley Farmland Trust, a nonprofit group that works to preserve agricultural land in the central San Joaquin Valley.

She replaces the retiring Bill Martin, who held the post for 12 years.

Mitchell previously served as executive director of the Sacramento County Farm Bureau for 11 years and has worked in various programs for the California Farm Bureau Federation.

“My ultimate goal is to ensure that not only are these essential farmlands protected but that the necessity of our industry and its direct relationship to your healthy food options are inextricably tied,” Mitchell said in a statement.

The trust says that to date it has protected 13,528 acres of farmland through acquisitions, conservation easements, donations and public outreach.

For more information, go to valleyfarmland.org.

This story was originally published February 15, 2017 at 3:38 PM with the headline "Veteran Elk Grove ag leader is new executive director of Central Valley Farmland Trust."