Ontario — Grant Kitamura, President of Murakami Packing Co., has been selected as the recipient of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce's “Agriculturist of the Year” award for 2012. Kitamura, 59, was born and raised in Ontario and graduated from Ontario High School and Treasure Valley Community College. He left the area for only a short time to attend Oregon State University, where he graduated with bachelor's degree in business administration.
Kitamura has been involved in agriculture essentially his whole life, working on his family farm in the Vale/Cairo area from his childhood.
“My family has been involved in produce for almost 100 years, starting with my grandparents in Washington,” Kitamura said. “I have always known farming.”
With that knowledge and expertise, it was only natural that Kitamura would pursue a career in the business, and in 1980 he began at Murakami Produce Co., and is now president of the company.
For Kitamura, it has always been important to maintain the quality of local business and contribute whenever possible.
“This area produces around 40 percent of the onions in the nation,” Kitamura said. “So our market is really more nationwide, but we want to support local business and retailers, as well.”
Kitamura cited Red Apple Grocery store as an example of a local business that maintains a healthy relationship and carries their products.
This is also around the same time Kitamura began his relationship with the Chamber of Commerce, a relationship that has continued for the better part of 30 years. Kitamura also served on the Board of the Chamber at one time. He says that being a member of the Chamber is important, especially in terms of giving something back to the community.
“(Ontario) is a great place to grow up and call home,” he said. “It's been very good for us, so we want to help give back.”
The accomplishment Kitamura cites as his most important and personally most gratifying over the past year was his involvement in the Malheur Agriculture and Extension Coalition's campaign for help funding the area Agriculture Extension service, in connection with land grant universities, such as Oregon State, which was founded in 1868.
“I'm very proud of the service establishment.” Kitamura said. “I'm proud that the community wants to keep the services they provide and that people recognize the importance of agriculture to the local economy.”
Land grant universities use funds for a variety of agricultural research and development projects, as well as funding the extension services which in turn help provide vital information, especially in regards to food and production safety, as well as sponsoring popular organizations such as 4-H.
“These services are very important to our area as well as the state,” Kitamura said. “It's very important for people to know the importance of food safety and preservations, especially as times change and people acquire different means of getting their food.”
Kitamura will receive the award at the annual Ontario Chamber of Commerce banquet which takes place at 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 11, at the Four Rivers Cultural Center in Ontario.
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