Anthony J. Tony Toso, ARA has been a member of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers since 2003 and earned his Accredited Rural Appraiser designation in 2008. Tony graduated from Fresno State University in 1985 with a major in Animal Science and minor in Agricultural Business. He started in the Farm Credit System in October of 1988 and now has nearly 34 years of experience in agricultural finance and appraisal. From 1988 and into 1999 Tony worked on the credit side of finance, for both Central Valley Production Credit and Yosemite Farm Credit. Tony began subcontracting to do personal property appraisals for Edwards & Lien, Inc., in 1999. In 2003 he began full time work for E&L doing real estate appraisals and as of January 1, 2009 became a 1/3 partner with Randy Edwards, ARA and Jeff Lien, forming what is now Edwards, Lien & Toso, Inc., where he now serves as the company CFO.
Tony is currently President-Elect of ASFMRA, Chair of the Nominating Committee, Chair of the Education Foundation Board and a member of the Government Relations Committee. Tony is also a past president of the California Chapter of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and is the immediate past president of the California Cattlemen's Association. He has also served as the past 2nd Vice-President of the California Farm Bureau Federation and on the Board of Directors of Producers Livestock Marketing Association. Tony currently represents the cattle industry on the Mariposa County Agricultural Advisory Committee and currently serves as the vice chair of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's (NCBA) International Trade Committee. In addition, he has also served as president of the Merced-Mariposa Cattlemens Association and the Mariposa County Farm Bureau.
Tony was raised in west Modesto and now lives in Hornitos, Mariposa County, and is partners in an 11,000-acre cattle operation with his father-in-law where they run about 200 beef cows. Tony has been married for nearly 34 years to Danette, who was recently elected to the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors, and they have two daughters, Alyssa Haines 29 (Husband Cody, grandson Weston and granddaughter Dallas), and Gianna Adem 28 (Husband Uhuru and expecting in August of 2023). Alyssa is a trainee appraiser with Edwards, Lien & Toso, Inc. and is an Associate Member of the ASFMRA and her husband Cody is in the United States Navy. Gianna works in tech support for Agrian by Tellus and her husband Uhuru is the rodeo coach at California State University, Fresno.
While appraising many different agricultural property types, Tony specializes in conservation easements, cattle ranches and permanent planting developments.