About Howard Beeman

By Howard Beeman

About Howard Beeman

FARMER and CONSERVATIONIST: In 1971, my wife and I began farming a wide variety of crops on land in my mother's family for 100 years. We were among the first certified organic farmers in California, cultivating a large part of our land organically. I was a key player in the passage of California's SB 872, which established the sustainable agriculture program at U.C. Davis in 1986. For the last five years we have stewarded our land (320 acres) into a wildlife preserve.

VETERAN and LEADER: After graduating from U.C. Berkeley in 1967 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, I entered the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant. I served two years active duty in the US Army Corps of Engineers, and one year in Vietnam. I served with the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, N.C., the 62nd Engineer Battalion (construction) at Long Binh, Vietnam, and the 588th Engineer Battalion (combat) at Tay Ninh, close to the Cambodian border. I ended my active service as a First Lieutenant, earning a bronze star (service) and a Viet Nam campaign ribbon.

DEMOCRAT and PROGRESSIVE: The day I became eligible, I registered to vote as a Democrat. I cast my first vote for Democrats, and have continued to vote Democrat. Since 1976 I have been working on campaigns for Democratic candidates, particularly those running on a progressive platform. In 1988, I ran in the Democratic primary for Congress, coming in second out of four. I am of the political mold of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt, and those other farmer politicians, Andrew Jackson and Harry Truman.