From Agribusiness to the Campaign Trail
Leo Zacky, a fourth-generation Californian and former executive of Zacky Farms, has announced his candidacy for governor of California. Speaking on the Ag Meter in Clovis with Nick Papagni, Zacky described his journey from running one of the largest poultry companies in the state to entering politics.
“California is what made my family successful,” Zacky said. Though he considers himself a political outsider, he stressed that his deep agricultural background and business experience make him uniquely equipped to understand the state’s challenges. With roots in California spanning more than 120 years, Zacky argued that he knows the state’s problems firsthand and has solutions to restore it as a viable and thriving place for families and businesses.
The Collapse of Zacky Farms: A Case Study in California’s Challenges
Zacky Farms was once the largest poultry producer on the West Coast, the largest organic turkey producer in the U.S., and one of California’s biggest private land employers with 4,000 workers. The company was fully vertically integrated — from feed mills and hatcheries to trucking, processing, packaging, and cooking.
Yet, despite its scale, the company fell victim to a series of compounding pressures:
- Federal ethanol mandate: Drove corn prices up by 450%, eating away at financial reserves that could have been used to expand or adapt.
- California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations: Forced the company to abandon its fleet of more than 70 trucks due to new compliance costs, increasing transportation expenses.
- Rising minimum wage: California’s increase from $10 to $15 per hour left the company uncompetitive against out-of-state rivals paying $7.75.
“Everything we did was vertically integrated here,” Zacky explained. “But these compounding issues made it impossible to compete in a global market.”
Water as the Number One Priority
At the center of Zacky’s platform is water — which he calls “the lifeblood of everything.” He rejected the notion that California suffers from natural shortages, framing the issue as a political and infrastructure failure.
According to Zacky, California has not invested in new water storage for over 50 years while simultaneously removing dams, reducing hydroelectric capacity, and letting billions of gallons of fresh water flow to the ocean. Meanwhile, the state’s population has doubled.
His solutions include:
- Building reservoirs at higher altitudes to capture both rainfall and snowpack.
- Expanding desalination capacity powered by hydroelectric dams and small modular nuclear reactors.
- Using reliable, affordable energy to lower utility costs while producing water abundance.
- Monetizing water resources by auctioning off California’s allocation of the Colorado River rather than letting it go unused.
Zacky argued that water abundance would revive agriculture, protect families, and even generate revenue for the state.
Infrastructure Failures and Reactionary Governance
The Palisades fire highlighted California’s failing infrastructure when firefighters lacked water in hydrants to contain the blaze. Zacky, who lives near the affected area, called the incident a wake-up call:
“The fact that our infrastructure is failing, we can’t put out fires in arguably the most famous city in the world, in a first world country — this is pathetic.”
He criticized state leadership for being reactionary, focusing on political narratives like “15-minute cities” and land grabs while failing to proactively build infrastructure to handle recurring natural events like storms, droughts, and fires.
Defending Farmland Against Solar Mandates
California’s independent farmers face mounting pressures, from high costs and regulations to new proposals like Proposition 1156, which would deny water to farms in exchange for solar panel installation.
Zacky opposed converting farmland into solar projects: “Why would we waste beautiful farmland? Put solar on your roof, great. But don’t destroy acres and acres of fertile land we could be raising food on.”
He stressed that agriculture is the backbone of California’s economy, reminding listeners that farming — not Silicon Valley or Hollywood — underpins California’s position as the world’s fifth-largest economy.
A Message to Farmers: “I’m Here for You”
Zacky shared his concern for multi-generation farms that are being sold off because families can’t make ends meet. Many of these farms, he warned, are being purchased by large corporations, foreign investors, or individuals like Bill Gates.
“It breaks my heart,” he said. “Independent farmers are the lifeblood of this country. Without them, we don’t have quality food on our table.”
As a farmer himself, he promised to fight for policies that secure water, reduce regulations, and provide fair opportunities for small and mid-sized farms to thrive. “I want Californians to be able to take pride in what they do and not feel like the government and the world’s out against them.”
A Reluctant Candidate, but a Determined Fighter
In closing, Zacky emphasized that he is not running for governor out of personal ambition but out of necessity. “I don’t need this job. I don’t want to be a public figure. But I have to do this because I don’t trust anybody else.”
After losing his family’s farm, Zacky said his mission is to defend what remains: “All I’ve got left is my life and my freedom. I’m not giving up my freedom.”
With that message, Zacky is positioning himself as a candidate who combines lived agricultural experience with a commitment to rebuilding California’s water systems, protecting family farms, and challenging regulations that, in his view, are crippling the state’s economy.