Brian Pacheco, a fourth-generation dairyman from Kerman, Calif., will be honored today (Oct. 5) by his alma mater, the University of California, Davis, with an “Award of Distinction” from the university’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES).

The award is presented annually to those whose contributions and achievements enhance the college’s ability to provide cutting-edge research, top-notch education, and innovative outreach. Pacheco is being recognized among “Outstanding Alumni” for his exemplary work in dairy industry and community groups and for advocating on behalf of UC Davis. Seven other people—faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the college—will also receive the award.

“The Award of Distinction recipients are highly accomplished, as well as influential in their daily lives, and we are honored by their strong connection to and support of our college,” said Mary Delany, interim CA&ES dean. “We look forward to recognizing these eight remarkable people at our annual fall harvest celebration where we step aside from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life to celebrate the vital linkage of such individuals to our mission of serving the public good by advancing agriculture, human communities and the environment.”

Pacheco earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1991 in agricultural and managerial economics with a minor in rhetoric and communications. His Pacheco Dairy, Inc., with 1,300 Holstein cows and an elite group of purebred Brown Swiss cows, is a model of environmental stewardship and has been recognized as a top-producing herd in Fresno County every year since 1998.

In addition to serving as president of the Fresno County Farm Bureau, Pacheco serves on boards for the Community Regional Medical Center and the Fresno Dairy Herd Improvement Association. He is chairman of the board of California Dairies, Inc. (CDI), the largest dairy cooperative in California and the second largest in the United States. Pacheco is president of the board of trustees for the Kerman Unified School District, and is a member of the Nisei Farmers League, Sun-Maid Raisin Growers, and Western United Dairymen.

“He pointed out that a dairy facility on campus made sense because that’s where the students are, some of whom will be working for the benefit of the dairy producers in the future,” said UC Davis animal science professor Ed DePeters. “Brian emphasized that although many producers might be unaware of it, the research conducted at UC Davis impacts their daily life on the dairy farm from areas in animal science to plant science to economics and marketing.”
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