The Kings County Farm Bureau Board of Directors has voted to endorse Garrett Gilcrease in his campaign for the District 1 seat on the Kings County Board of Supervisors. Gilcrease, a fourth-generation farmer and current President of the Kings County Farm Bureau, brings decades of agricultural experience and frontline leadership on the county’s most pressing water challenges.
Gilcrease’s family has farmed in Kings County since 1883. He currently farms almonds, grapes, and tomatoes and operates Pure Agronomics, a crop and water management consulting firm serving growers throughout the San Joaquin Valley. He joined the Farm Bureau Board of Directors in 2017 and has served in every leadership role, including Secretary/Treasurer, Vice President, and President, since October 2025.
“When you consider his farming background, his leadership within the Farm Bureau, and his role as Chairman of the GSA Stakeholder Committee, Garrett is arguably the most informed person in Kings County on what we believe is the most consequential challenge this county faces, now and for the foreseeable future,” said Chad Souza, Vice President of the Kings County Farm Bureau. “Water is not just an agricultural problem. It is a county-wide problem. And Garrett understands it as well as anyone.”
Gilcrease has been a central figure in Kings County’s response to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and the Tulare Lake Subbasin’s historic probationary status, imposed by the California State Water Resources Control Board in April 2024, the first time the state had ever placed a subbasin on probation. He is active in multiple GSAs and was appointed to represent District 1 on the reconstituted Mid-Kings River GSA’s Stakeholder Advisory Committee, where he currently serves as Chairman.
This race is open following the retirement of Supervisor Joe Neves, who has represented District 1 since 1994. Neves has endorsed Gilcrease’s candidacy.
“I’m stepping up to ensure Kings County stays strong for the next generation,” Gilcrease said.
District 1 encompasses Lemoore, Stratford, and the surrounding rural communities. The Kings County Board of Supervisors also serves as the governing board for the reconstituted Mid-Kings River GSA, making agricultural representation on the board directly consequential to local groundwater policy.