Robert Craig McNamara (born 1950) is an American farmer and activist. He is president and owner of Sierra Orchards. McNamara founded and is president of the Center for Land-Based Learning. He has written a memoir of his life with his father, defense secretary
Robert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara (; June 9, 1916 – July 6, 2009) was an American businessman and government official who served as the eighth United States secretary of defense from 1961 to 1968 under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson ...
: ''Because Our Fathers Lied: A Memoir of Truth and Family, from Vietnam to Today''.
Activist
Robert Craig McNamara was born in
Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...
,
Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
. He is the only son of three children of the former United States Secretary of Defense,
Robert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara (; June 9, 1916 – July 6, 2009) was an American businessman and government official who served as the eighth United States secretary of defense from 1961 to 1968 under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson ...
(1916–2009) and
Margaret McNamara (1915–1981). Though McNamara was born in Michigan, he comes from a family with deep roots in California as the first McNamaras arrived in California during the Civil War.
McNamara suffers from learning disabilities, especially dyslexia. During the Vietnam War, he was strongly opposed to the war, which made for difficult relations with his father. His father was shocked to discover that his teenage son had hung the American flag upside down in his bedroom, as Craig maintained that he was ashamed of America because of his father's actions as Defense Secretary. Craig recalled that his father exploded in rage when he saw the American flag hanging upside down, and was even more angry when he discovered that Craig also had the flag of the National Liberation Front, better known as the
Viet Cong
The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and ...
, hanging in his room.
McNamara later stated his views must have offended his parents, saying: "It must have really just hurt my folks. It must have been devastating". McNamara felt that the Vietnam War was "absolutely wrong" and was deeply hurt that his father refused to discuss the issue with him, saying dismissively that his son was an uninformed teenager. By the age of 17, McNamara had developed an ulcer, which he believed was caused by stress caused by his conflict with his parents over the Vietnam War. McNamara's grades at his private school suffered, in part because of his dyslexia and in part because of his conflict with his father, causing him to repeat Grade 10 in the 1966-67 academic year. Paul Warnke, an aide to the Defense Secretary McNamara stated: "I'm quite sure that the strong opposition of his own children to the war had a very definite impact on him. I think Craig in particular. He was very opposed to the war and was very disapproving of his father".
McNamara enrolled at
Stanford University
Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
in 1969. McNamara took part in antiwar demonstrations at Stanford. Often joining him on the podium to denounce the war were two other students at Stanford, namely Susan Haldeman and Peter Ehrlichman, who were respectively the daughter of
H.R Haldeman and son of
John Ehrlichman. H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman were respectively the presidential chief of staff and domestic affairs adviser under Richard Nixon, being known as Nixon's "Berlin Wall", owing to their German surnames and ability to grant or deny access to the president. McNamara recalled: "Pretty much all the time at Stanford was occupied with anti-Vietnam and Cambodia demonstrations...I remember the rage settling in on me, and the frustration that we all felt because we couldn't stop the war".
On 30 April 1970, Nixon launched an
invasion of Cambodia to occupy areas adjunct to the border with
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
. At the time, it was believed that Nixon was escalating the war, and the largest demonstrations ever against the Vietnam War took place in early May 1970. McNamara served as part of a mock court that convicted Nixon of war crimes for ordering the Cambodian invasion, which was followed up by a bout of window breaking and other property damage on the Stanford campus. McNamara was involved in demonstrations against the Cambodian invasion, and by his own admission smashed windows on the campus in protest, saying he felt very angry about the invasion of Cambodia. The historian Melvin Small described McNamara as leading an "especially destructive rampage" at Stanford that caused much property damage. After McNamara left Stanford, he spent several years traveling through
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
,
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
,
Ecuador
Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
,
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
,
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
and
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
. In 1971, he moved to Chile whose President,
Salvador Allende
Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens (26 June 1908 – 11 September 1973) was a Chilean socialist politician who served as the 28th president of Chile from 1970 until Death of Salvador Allende, his death in 1973 Chilean coup d'état, 1973. As a ...
, was a Marxist in order to see Marxism in action. In 1984, McNamara stated that he moved to Chile because: "I felt an enormous sense of frustration with my family, with my country. I felt there was nothing I could do to change my father, so I left the country".
After arriving in Chile, McNamara went to work on a dairy co-operative farm on
Easter Island
Easter Island (, ; , ) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is renowned for its nearly 1,000 extant monumental statues, ...
. In 1972, Robert McNamara, who had become the president of the
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...
after being fired as Defense Secretary in 1967, visited Santiago to meet Allende to discuss loans made from the World Bank to Chile. At the time, as part of the "destabilization" campaign against Chile, Robert McNamara had come under immense pressure from Nixon to end World Bank loans to Chile. Craig believes that his father resisted this pressure, but also was opposed to Allende's policy of nationalizing various industries in Chile. The younger McNamara stated: "I think my father truly respected Allende-his compassion, his humility. But he disapproved of the nationalizations". Much to disappointment of his son, the elder McNamara ended all World Bank loans to Chile. Craig was in Santiago at the time his father met with Allende, but the rift between father and son was such that the two did not meet.
In 1973, McNamara visited the United States where over the course of a dinner, he became caught up in an argument with
Katharine Graham, the owner of ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' newspaper and his father over Chile. The younger McNamara insisted that the Nixon administration was trying to overthrow Allende because he was a Marxist while both the elder McNamara and Graham insisted that there was no such policy on the part of the United States. Later on in 1975, the "destabilization campaign" waged by the Nixon administration came to public light. McNamara stated: "That's why I'm still cautious about my father to this very day-that's the flip side. If they
raham and Robert McNamaradidn't know what was going on in Chile factually, they must had known it intuitively. But they wouldn't say so".
Shortly before he was due to return to Chile, the Allende government was overthrown in a
military coup d'etat led by General
Augusto Pinochet
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean military officer and politician who was the dictator of Military dictatorship of Chile, Chile from 1973 to 1990. From 1973 to 1981, he was the leader ...
on 11 September 1973. The Pinochet government vowed to "exterminate Marxism" in Chile, earning a reputation as one of the worst human rights abusers in Latin America. McNamara chose not to return to Chile and instead enrolled in a course at the University of California, Davis to study agriculture. In 1974, Robert McNamara again visited Santiago to meet General Pinochet and announced that the World Bank would resume making loans to Chile. Craig was so outraged that he decided to fly to Washington to confront his father, recalling that he told him over a phone call that: "You can't do this-you always say the World Bank is not a political institution, but financing Pinochet clearly would be". Robert flatly replied: "It's too late. I've already made my decision". McNamara felt that his father was being disingenuous in his claim that he had to refuse loans to Chile under Allende because the nationalizations of the copper mining companies was an "economic" matter that was within the remit of the World Bank, but he could make loans to Chile under Pinochet because human rights abuses were a "political" matter outside of the World Bank's remit. McNamara stated: "I was really upset by that. That was hard to mend". McNamara graduated from Davis in 1976 with a degree in
plant and soil science.
Career
After a three-year apprenticeship with Ton Lum, McNamara founded Sierra Orchards.
Sierra Orchards
McNamara established Sierra Orchards in 1980. Sierra Orchards is located within the limits of
Winters, California, a small city in
Yolo County, on the border with
Solano County. The orchard is approximately 450 acres and produces mostly organic walnuts. Sierra Orchards is recognized for its use of sustainable practices and conservation techniques. McNamara has also been recognized for his outstanding agricultural work and commitment to ensuring a healthy,
sustainable food system
A sustainable food system is a type of food system that provides healthy diet, healthy food to people and creates sustainable environmental, economic, and social systems that surround food. Sustainable food systems start with the development of Su ...
for
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
and the nation. In 1992, McNamara described his mission as "...to inspire and motivate people of all ages, especially youth, to promote a healthy interplay between agriculture, nature and society through their own actions and leaders in their communities".
Craig and Julie McNamara are the founders of the FARMS Program, a partnership that started in 1993, joining Sierra Orchards (the operational farming entity of McNamara's family),
UC Davis
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Davis, California, United States. It is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University ...
, the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom and the Yolo County Resource Conservation District. FARMS is now integrated as a curriculum of the ''Center for Land-Based Learning''.
In 2007, McNamara was asked in an interview why the walnut trees on his farm seemed so small, sickly and weak. McNamara replied: "Funny, you should ask. These trees are already fifteen years old, they are so stunted and weak, not because the moths are so much of a problem anymore, thanks to Rachel's biological control using synthetic pheromones." McNamara claimed that the problem was that the soil of California was infested with
nematode
The nematodes ( or ; ; ), roundworms or eelworms constitute the phylum Nematoda. Species in the phylum inhabit a broad range of environments. Most species are free-living, feeding on microorganisms, but many are parasitic. Parasitic worms (h ...
s, parasitic worms that attack the roots of his walnut trees. He concluded: "There are no organic methods to control these nematodes and because we did not want to fumigate the soil with methyl bromide before planting, we accept the reduced yield". Methyl bromide is often used as a soil
sterilant, but is also a potential occupational carcinogen linked to high rates of prostate cancer and impotence
and a ozone-depletion chemical; most farmers in California still apply methyl bromide to their soil before planting their crops in the spring. When it was suggested that he use genetic engineering (GE) to alter his walnut trees to keep them safe from the nematodes without using methyl bromide, McNamara seemed hesitant, saying: "I don't know what to think about GE".
Center for Land-Based Learning
The SLEWS Program was formed in 2001, after partnering with Audubon California's Landowner Stewardship Program. This effectively doubled the number of students served annually. As a result of this dramatic growth and increased demand, in February 2001, FARMS Leadership, Inc., a
501(c)(3)
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...
non-profit organization, was formed and moved to its new headquarters at ''The Farm on Putah Creek'' in
Winters, California. In 2004, FARMS Leadership, Inc. was renamed as the Center for Land-Based Learning. The program now reaches nearly 2,000 students annually.
California State Board of Food and Agriculture
Craig McNamara has served on the
State Board of Food and Agriculture since 2002. On February 1, 2011, Governor
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic P ...
appointed Craig McNamara president of the state board. McNamara is working to ensure that the goals of ''Ag Vision 2030'' are met. McNamara is passionate about sharing his knowledge of
sustainable agriculture
Sustainable agriculture is agriculture, farming in sustainability, sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. It can be based on an ...
and leadership with the world around him.
Other affiliations
McNamara is a graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program and a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum.
His professional activities include: board member of
American Farmland Trust, Roots of Change Stewardship Council, University of California, Davis Dean’s Advisory Council and Agricultural Sustainability Institute advisory board member,
Public Policy Institute of California advisory board, past member of the Foundation Board of Trustees
University of California, Merced
The University of California, Merced (UC Merced or colloquially, UCM) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Merced, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of ...
.
[http://craigmcnamara.org]
Personal life
Craig McNamara is married to Julie McNamara. Together with his wife and three children, he lives in
Winters, California.
Awards
Craig McNamara is the recipient of several awards including the
Leopold Conservation Award, the California Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award, the UC Davis Award of Distinction and Outstanding Alumnus Award.
References
Books and articles
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External links
"Craig McNamara's Official Website""The Center for Land-Based Learning""Terroir Lessons in a Nutshell"- An article referring to Craig McNmara's orchard o
SFGate.comAn articlementioning the young Craig McNamara's opposition to the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
Craig McNamara: Interview, 1997 - an article by Jan Goggans about Craig McNamara's sustainable agriculture and ''FARMS Program'', a partnership that started in 1993 joining ''Sierra Orchards'', ''
UC Davis
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Davis, California, United States. It is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University ...
'', the ''California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom'' and the ''Yolo County Resource Conservation District''
Article and updatingon ''FARMS Program'' by Mary Kimball, project coordinator, ''Yolo County Resource Conservation District''
Craig McNamarareceives the ''2007 Leopold Conservation Award'', article written by Bob Krauter on 2007 December 7
with Craig McNamara�by Stephen McKiernan, Binghamton University Libraries Center for the Study of the 1960s, September 30, 2010
{{DEFAULTSORT:McNamara, Robert Craig
Farmers from California
Organic farmers
Sustainability advocates
Living people
People from Ann Arbor, Michigan
Organic farming in the United States
People from Winters, California
University of California, Davis alumni
1950 births