USA Rice extends condolences to the family and friends of Homer Lundberg, a founder of Lundberg Family Farms, who passed away on Tuesday, August 6, at the age of 89.
Born in 1935 in Holdrege, Nebraska, Homer was two years old when he and his family moved to Richvale, California, with a new farming philosophy: “Leave the land better than you found it.”
Homer graduated from Biggs High School in 1953 and attended Yuba College and CSU Fresno, earning a B.S. in Agricultural Education. After serving in the Air Force, Homer returned to Richvale in 1959 to join his father and brothers in the family farming business. In 1961, Homer married Carol Van Dyke, a third-generation farmer from Pleasant Grove. Carol passed away in 2016. She and Homer are survived by two children, three grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
In 1969, Homer and his three brothers, Eldon, Wendell, and Harlan, started milling their own organic brown rice, launching the company that would become Lundberg Family Farms. In the early 1970s, Homer joined with other organic farmers to establish California Certified Organic Farmers, creating consistent standards to help guide the organic movement.
In 1985, Homer and several other local farmers organized and became the founding board of directors of the landowner-based Western Canal Water District, purchasing the water system from PG&E. In addition to serving on the WCWD Board for 22 years, Homer served on the boards of the Butte Basin Water Users Association, the Association of California Water Agencies, and the California Farm Water Coalition. In 2019, the Northern California Water Association recognized Homer with the Will S. Green Award for his longstanding promotion of irrigation and regional sustainability in the Sacramento Valley.
In 2016, Homer received the California Rice Industry Award in recognition of his lifetime of contributions. Homer was grateful for the farmers who went before him, saying, “We’ve been able to stand on the shoulders of giants who have worked hard and put up their wherewithal to make rice farming what it is today.”
“I would definitely put Homer in that class of giants on whose shoulders the rice industry is able to stand on,” said fellow California rice farmer Josh Sheppard. “His tireless advocacy of surface water rights in northern California is the pillar of our ability to consistently produce rice for our domestic and international customers.”
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 10, at 11:00 am at the Richvale Community Church. In lieu of sending flowers, please make a donation to an organization fighting homelessness. To send condolences to the family, please go to
www.NewtonBracewell.com.