By Natalie Willis, Reporter, Valley Ag Voice
The World Ag Expo named former Assemblymember and 22nd Congressional District Representative Connie Conway as the 2025 Show Chairman, highlighting Conway’s connection to the valley and history in serving its constituents.
Born in Bakersfield and raised in Tulare, Conway describes herself as a “quintessential Valley girl,” and her roots in the Central Valley instilled a profound appreciation for agriculture.
“My whole world has been between Fresno and Bakersfield, but, you know, you can’t help but live where we live in this beautiful agricultural valley,” Conway said. “I realize that all the Central Valley counties have other things that they do, but we are Ag-oriented, and we have been from the start.”
From childhood visits between Kern and Tulare counties to representing the region on the Tulare County Board of Supervisors and in the California State Legislature, agriculture has been a central theme of her life.
Along with working for a phone company, Conway’s father planted an acre of walnuts in the front yard, effectively joining the farming community.
“He moved a 150-year-old home from downtown to Tulare out to the outskirts of town — which now is all developed around — but he had the house on about three acres, and he put an acre of walnuts in the front yard, if you will, and joined the farm bureau because he was a walnut grower,” Conway said.
Beyond her local work, Conway was appointed by President Trump to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency during his first term.
PAVING THE WAY
The theme of the 2025 World Ag Expo, which runs from Feb. 11-13, is “Paving the Way for Ag and Technology.” Conway explained that as chairman, the honor of selecting the theme fell to her. Conway was inspired by the long-awaited overpass that will connect directly to the farm show grounds at the International Agri-Center in Tulare.
Construction on the new Highway 99 interchange is expected to be completed in the coming years, hoping to ease congestion during the Ag Expo as well as provide a lasting benefit to the community by connecting southern and northern California through the Central Valley.
“I just thought it was a good connection of using that phrase, you know, ‘Paving the way,’” Conway said. “Ag and technology — there will be no divorce. They are there for life.”
This theme reflects the Expo’s dual focus on honoring tradition and embracing modernity, Conway explained.
The expo began 58 years ago as a farm show to display tractors, hosted by the Tulare Chamber of Commerce at the fairgrounds. It has since grown into an international phenomenon, hosting over 100,000 visitors in 2024 from 49 states and 81 countries over three days.
Along with access to new and emerging technologies, the expo offers educational opportunities, with sessions covering agricultural policy, technology, and pressing issues like California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Conway explained that a “Women in Agribusiness” venue will spotlight the contributions of women in agriculture and agribusiness.
As the Expo nears, Conway encouraged the public to share ideas and interests through the Expo’s website.
“We want to talk about what’s important to the constituency that we represent, and that’s the Central Valley,” Conway said. “Anybody that wants to submit an idea or contact us and let us know what they would be interested in hearing about or seeing at the show, now is a good time to do that.”