Cindy Daley Named Inaugural Recipient of Gayle E. Hutchinson Award for Excellence

Longtime Agriculture Professor and Co-Director of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems Recognized for Visionary Work to Advance Industry Sustainability

Professor Cindy Daley has seen the need to grow the ecological farming movement for decades. That’s what drove the fourth-generation farmer in 2006 to create the University Farm’s Organic Dairy Unit—the first university-based organic dairy program in the West—and the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems (CRARS), which is transforming agriculture and addressing climate change across the world.

This summer, the University Foundation Board of Governors announced Daley as the inaugural recipient of the Gayle E. Hutchinson Award for Excellence. The $100,000 award—the largest of its kind in the California State University—recognizes individuals who exemplify forward-thinking strategies and innovation in technology and academic research and creative activity.

Cathy Pleasant, chair of the University Foundation, said this award exemplifies the board’s mission to further the excellence of Chico State, by investing in the individuals who are putting Chico State on the forefront and inspiring others to do the same.

“We are beyond excited to award this honor, not only as the first and largest of its kind in the CSU, but to a recipient who truly represents all that it stands for,” she said. “Cindy has been on the forefront of whatever she has tackled for decades, and it is our hope that not only will this further her research and her prominence in the field but it will make other people, both scholars and students, want to come to Chico State because of it.”

Daley’s tenure with Chico State began in 1996. Among her visionary projects have been to start a composting enterprise at the University Farm, the Organic Dairy Unit, and an Environmental Resiliency Collaborative. She has served as the campus coordinator for the University’s Agricultural Research Institute, is a continuing member of the Campus Sustainability Committee, and spent four years as faculty chair for This Way to Sustainability, the largest student-run sustainability conference in the nation.

But it is her work today through CRARS that is generating international attention and creating opportunities for transformational difference. Since 2019, the center has worked to promote farming practices that reduce greenhouse gasses, restore soil resiliency, increase the sustainability of farms and ranches, and address food and water insecurity.

It has raised over $30 million in funding to support operations and its applied research and education program. With implications for undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral experiences in regenerative farming, recent projects focus on soil carbon accrual, the effect of rangeland seeding on soil health and forage production, the use and impacts of cover crops, and no-till farming and cropping practices.

With Daley’s leadership, it has established a comprehensive educational program that includes an interdisciplinary master’s degree, an industry certificate, and a major and minor in regenerative agriculture currently under development. The center also hosts field days, special events, conferences, and on-farm demonstrations and learning centers that focus on regenerative farming practices. And it has established a national network that includes academics, extension, farmers, ranchers, non-profits, and agency personnel.

Among the Center’s many innovations: the North Valley Food Hub for North State Agriculture, which provides farm-to-fork integration through marketing and sales support for climate-smart commodities; the Technical Service Provider Training Program, which supports the expansion of systems-based farm, ranch, and forest management practices on California working lands; and the Agricultural Management Systems Learning Collaborative, which works to train and support producers, agricultural professionals, and students to become leaders in systems-based agricultural management.

“I can think of no better individual to represent the visionary work taking place at Chico State than Dr. Cindy Daley,” said President Steve Perez. “For decades, she has been driving the College of Agriculture, the University Farm, and her industry far into the future, challenging them to think boldly, to initiate change, and to imagine the possibilities. Through her leadership, her research, and her extensive partnerships, she is transforming tomorrow in an industry responsible for both feeding and stewarding our planet.”

Daley, who holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Illinois and a PhD from the University of California, Davis, said the award is both an incredible honor and further affirmation of her vision for a regenerative future.

“I am thrilled and deeply honored to be the inaugural recipient of the Gayle E. Hutchinson Award for Excellence at Chico State,” Daley said. “This recognition not only affirms a lifetime of hard work and dedication to my campus and discipline but also motivates us to continue advancing the frontiers of innovation and excellence. My heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who has supported and believed in our vision.”

As a highly sought-after public speaker and active collaborator with state and federal agencies and other universities, Daley’s work has brought significant visibility to Chico State. She serves on the Science & Technical Advisory Council for California Climate & Agriculture Network, the California Department of Food and Agriculture-sponsored California Regenerative Agriculture Work Group, and the Green America Soil Health Initiative Committee, and she is a founding member of the Board of Directors for the Western Organic Dairy Producers Alliance.

The success has drawn the attention of the USDA, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and many foundations and independent donors. Larry Kopald, president and cofounder of the Carbon Underground, in his nomination letter, declared that Daley has built CRARS into the most respected voice in a globally critical space.

“Today, if you ask Nestle, General Mills, Unilever, McDonalds, or other giants who they trust most on regenerative leadership, they all point to [Chico State]. Today, a school that lived in the shadows of other, better-known names, is now the go-to place in an education R&D sector for industries representing $11 trillion in revenue and the greatest opportunity for a healthier and more economically robust world,” he said.  

“Quite simply—she is helping Chico State change our world and rewrite our future. One cow, one acre, one student at a time.”

Larry Kopald

The award is named for Gayle E. Hutchinson, who served as president of Chico State for seven years until her retirement June 30, 2023. During her tenure, Hutchinson worked with the campus community to create a new Strategic Plan; imagine a new physical Master Plan; helped raise an incredible $106.6 million through its first capital campaign; balanced budget stability and grew fiscal reserves; strengthened Tribal Relations; led the campus through multiple crises including the Camp Fire and COVID-19; and invested in marketing to attract and retain the next generation of Chico State students. 

Through these powerful contributions, and so many more, Hutchinson placed Chico State on a path to prominence, while emphasizing the need for forward-thinking strategies and innovation in technology and academic research.

“I am deeply grateful to the University Foundation Board for establishing this transformative award in my name. This award truly captures the innovative spirit of our faculty and staff at Chico State,” said Hutchinson. “And, I am thrilled that Dr. Cindy Daley will be its inaugural recipient. Cindy is a visionary leader, scholar, and teacher. I was awed to watch her grow the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems from an idea into the powerhouse that it has become. I look forward to seeing all she will accomplish in her next steps.”