FEATURE STORY A SHEEP, A PIG AND A CALF Lesa Eidman and a New Era of Ag Leadership By Emily Gengler, Executive Assistant to the President and CEO
bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and management from Fresno State and a master’s degree in agricultural and resource economics from UC Davis. From 2003 to 2015, she served as the Executive Director of the California Wool Growers Association (CWGA) and the California Pork Producers Association (CPPA). From 2015-2025, she was a Director and later Vice President of Sales at Superior Farms, North America’s top processor and marketer of lambs. Beyond line items on a resume, Eidman’s story is one of profound California agricultural landscapes, family enterprise and business acumen, and a deep and abiding love for California production. From her professional career, one can quickly observe a sort of signature style: audaciousness set in a balanced cross with integrity. Eidman has built a career out of engineering new
When Cameron Boomgaarden arrived at Fresno State College on the morning of Oct. 11, 2024, he climbed out his car in the parking lot, instantly identifying other suited professionals likewise clambering out of their cars. “Hey, are you here for Ag Leadership?” they would ask one another. Class 54 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program was arriving for their first weekend seminar in a rigorous, extremely well-regarded 17-month fellowship program. “There was a mix of excitement and uncertainty—wondering if I was in the right place, if I was early or late, and what to expect as the weekend began. Everyone seemed to arrive with the same quiet curiosity, scanning the area, double-checking directions and looking for small cues that reassured us we belonged there,” Boomgaarden said. Likewise, on the executive leadership front, change was brewing at the helm of Ag Leadership. As Boomgaarden and Class 54 were celebrating their inauguration and attending their first seminars, Dwight Ferguson, who had served as the foundation’s President and CEO since October 2020, had announced his departure. The search for his successor had quietly begun. The California Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF) and its flagship fellowship program are well known in all circles of agricultural business professionals in California and beyond— certainly to our readers here. Celebrating 55 years of operations this year, the leadership development program has built decades of longstanding, powerful relationships and partnerships in the industry, pinned by sacred values of trust and integrity. Boasting one of the greatest alumni networks in America, one must only throw a stone at any ag event to find an Ag Leadership alum. When one becomes familiar with Ag Leadership, they notice a convention used by proud alumni: a simple parenthetical after the name, indicating class year. When I met Lesa Eidman (Class 49) at Galante Vineyards in Carmel-by-the-Sea, we ponied up to the bar and got to know our welcoming host. At some point in our early conversation, a large printout or magazine page was displayed in front of us, where our host traced regions known for California wine production and agriculture. I thought to myself: He does not know that this person is a chief executive of one of the finest agricultural business programs in the nation. That wasn’t my identifying factor to tell, and I watched as Lesa nodded, followed along, and asked questions. In industry press releases, Lesa Eidman’s bio goes like this: Eidman is a third-generation agriculturist with a family heritage rooted in education and production agriculture. She earned a
Lesa Eidman
33 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com January – March 2026
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