As a community-engaged bank, the SF Fed seeks out real-time information on economic conditions by engaging with and learning from businesses, community organizations, and local leaders. These conversations are one of the many inputs into the decisions and policymaking at the Federal Reserve as we pursue our mission.
Here’s a snapshot of a recent outreach visit to California’s Central Valley from Stephen Delay, Regional Executive of the SF Fed’s San Francisco branch.
California’s Central Valley is an economic powerhouse. Its farms, dairies, and food processors supply a quarter of the country’s food, and the Valley also boasts strong energy, logistics, and manufacturing sectors. On a recent trip to Turlock, Fresno, and Clovis, I had the chance to meet local business leaders to talk about how the region’s post-pandemic economy is faring and discuss the outlook for the future.
It was an informative trip, and I’m especially grateful to Bill Smittcamp of Wawona Frozen Food, Roger Isom of the California Cotton Ginners Association and Western Agricultural Processors Association, Michelle Reimer of the Turlock Irrigation District, and Steve Jones of Murphy Bank for generously sharing their time and insights about this vital region. Conversations like these are a valuable source of information as the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco works to build a healthy economy for all Americans.
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The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the management of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco or of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.