Speaker for January 14, 2013

BENJAMIN F. CARTER

Owner, BENDEN Farms

Colusa, California

Ben and Denise Carter formed BENDEN Farms in November of 1992 to pursue a life long ambition to own and operate their own business.  The current operation includes approximately 3000 acres of rice, beans, wheat, vine seeds, vegetable seed, sunflowers, alfalfa, prunes, walnuts, beef cattle, a commercial warehouse, and a duck club. Approximately one third of the BENDEN’s farming operation is certified organic.

Prior to venturing out on his own, Ben worked at Apple Computer in the areas of strategic planning, finance and total quality management implementation.  Prior to Apple, Ben spent five years as a consultant at The MAC Group, an international general management consulting firm.  While at MAC, he worked primarily with clients in the telecommunications, energy and technology fields in the areas of manufacturing management, cost containment and business planning.  Before becoming a management consultant, Ben worked on Wall Street for Morgan Guaranty Trust Company and in Chevron's El Segundo refinery as a design engineer and operations manager.

Ben earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and a master’s degree in business administration from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. 

Ben’s public sector experience includes serving as past President of the California Central Valley Flood Protection Board, founder of the California Levees Roundtable, a past Director of the Sacramento River Conservation Area Forum where he was Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Landowners Assurances Committee.  He is a past Director and Secretary of the Sacramento River Water Contractors Association and past Director of the Colusa County Fair Board where he served as Vice President.

Ben is a Rotarian that loves the outdoors.  He is a cyclist, skier, sailor and an instrument rated private pilot.  When he isn't on the farm, Ben can probably be found making holes in the sky with a tail-dragger, or on an adventure with his wife Denise and children, Brian and Kendra.