The National Dairy Herd Information Association (DHIA) Scholarship Committee selected 18 high school seniors and college students to receive a $1,000 scholarship. Committee members ranked applicants based on scholastic achievements, leadership in school and community activities, and responses to DHI- and career-related questions. To be eligible for a National DHIA scholarship, applicants must be a family member or employee of a herd on DHI test, a family member of a DHI employee, or an employee of a DHI affiliate. The DHI affiliate for the herd or affiliate employee must be a National DHIA member.
This year’s National DHIA scholarship recipients are Lillian Agueda, Hickman, Calif. (parents: Tony and Diane Agueda); Jon Chapman, Turlock, Calif. (parents: Katherine Teixeira and Jon Chapman); Claudia Frenchick, St. Martin, Minn. (parent: Amanda Frenchick); Alexis Hoefs, New Prague, Minn. (parents: Jim and Lisa Hoefs); Blake Jauquet, Luxemburg, Wis. (parents: David and Stacy Jauquet); Katie Ketchum, Altura, Minn. (parents: Mike and Mary Ketchum); Sam Miller, Viola, Wis. (parents: Kathryn and Stuart Miller); Jacob Mitchell, Freeport, Ill. (parents: Matthew and Stephanie Mitchell); Ainsley Noble, Lancaster, Wis. (parents: Troy and Jaime Noble); Annabelle Pronschinske, Rollingstone, Minn. (parents: Kim and Kimberly Pronschinske); Abigail Roskom, Lena, Wis. (parents: Scott and Jackie Roskom); Liviya Russo, Lunenburg, Vt. (parents Samantha and Stephen Russo); Ella Saal, West Salem, Ohio (parents: Mark and Carolyn Saal); Alexis Schultz, Marion, N.Y. (parents: Shane and Shandele Schultz); Sophie Stelling, Millville, Minn. (parents: Brent and Tricia Stelling); Jellie Waterlander, Pine River Wis. (parents: Harmen and Edna Waterlander); Connor Weltzien, Arcadia, Wis. (parents: Keith and Karen Weltzien); and Matthew Winch, Fennimore, Wis. (parents: Peter and Christina Winch).
For the 17th consecutive year, National DHIA awarded scholarships in memory of Joe Drexler, who worked for NorthStar Cooperative DHI Services (now known as CentralStar Cooperative Inc. – DHI Services). Blake Jauquet, Abigail Roskom and Jellie Waterlander received the Joe Drexler scholarships. NorthStar members and employees, friends and family contributed nearly $10,000 to establish this scholarship fund.
Money generated from the annual National DHIA Scholarship Auction primarily funds the organization’s scholarship program. Investments and donations also help build the fund. To donate to the National DHIA Scholarship Fund, contact Leslie Thoman at 608-848-6455 ext. 108 or lthoman@dhia.org.
On July 1, 2025, the 2026 National DHIA Scholarship application will be posted on the National DHIA website at: www.dhia.org/scholarship.asp. Applications are due Oct. 31, 2025.
National Dairy Herd Information Association, a trade association for the dairy records industry, serves the best interests of its members and the dairy industry by maintaining the integrity of dairy records and advancing dairy information systems.
One in eight Californians currently struggle with food insecurity, with milk being one of the most requested but least donated items at food banks. The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) recently worked with student dairy advocates from California State University, Chico (Chico State), California State University, Fresno (Fresno State), California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), and Modesto Junior College (MJC) to address this deficit by hosting the second annual Real California Milk Intercollegiate Give-A-Gallon Challenge.
Using 100-gallon donation commitments from the CMAB as an incentive, students in each area shared information about the need for milk and options for donating through their social media channels. Each team coordinated donations through local and campus milk drives, in person and virtually. As a part of the Real California Milk CADAIRY4GOOD program, this initiative spotlights ongoing commitment by California dairy families to increasing access to nutritious foods.
“My passion has always been rooted in the dairy industry, which is why I am so motivated to get milk off of the shelves and into our communities. I’m so thankful for all of the supporters of our milk drive year after year. My favorite part is arriving to a food bank with all of our milk to drop off and seeing everyone’s faces light up,” said Anthony Agueda, California dairy farmer and Fresno State Ag Business student.
Megan Donaldson, Chico State student and Dairy Science Club president, noted, “Everyone deserves to have quality milk products to enjoy in their home, and this initiative is a wonderful way to provide that. Chico State Dairy Science Club and Chico State Organic Dairy Unit members are proud to represent this amazing industry by donating gallons of Real California Milk to those in need.”
“Participating in this competition truly showed a new perspective on what food accessibility looks like in our community. We’re extremely grateful to have participated in this challenge and are excited to bring forth new ideas to next year’s competition,” said Morgan Oliveira, Cal Poly student and Dairy Club secretary.
“Over the last 4 years MJC has donated almost 3,000 gallons of milk to Stanislaus County with this project. It is heartwarming to know that we have donated 48,000 servings of fresh, California milk to those less fortunate in the Central Valley through our efforts to promote Hunger Awareness in our community,” said Nicole Morris, California dairy farmer and MJC dairy science instructor.
The initiative raised more than 6,000 gallons of milk with donations distributed to 17 local food banks, including student pantries at Cal Poly, Chico State and Fresno State.
California is the nation’s leading milk producer, and makes more butter, ice cream and nonfat dry milk than any other state. California is the second-largest producer of cheese and yogurt. California milk and dairy foods can be identified by the Real California Milk seal, which means they are made with milk from the state’s dairy families using some of the most sustainable farming practices in the world.
About Real California Milk/California Milk Advisory Board
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. With a vision to nourish the world with the wholesome goodness of Real California Milk, the CMAB’s programs focus on increasing demand for California’s sustainable dairy products in the state, across the U.S. and around the world. Connect with the CMAB at RealCaliforniaMilk.com, Facebook, YouTube, Tik Tok, Instagram, X and Pinterest.
Members are selected to represent a broad range of topics that are important to California’s farmers and ranchers, community stakeholders, citizens and the California State University and University of California academic systems.
“It’s a pleasure to have Dr. St. Hilaire as a representative to the State Board of Food and Agriculture,” said California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. “I congratulate Dr. St. Hilaire on his appointment and value his representation of the California State University System on the board.”
Fresno State alumnus Don Cameron (biology) serves as the president of the 15-member board that also includes alumnus Mike Gallo (viticulture and enology).
The board’s next meeting is on Dec. 3. Agendas for past and upcoming meetings demonstrate the board encourages public participation and input in a host of matters concerning evolving agriculture and food policy issues.
Members serve up to four-year terms and may be reappointed to the position.
“This is a special honor for me because the board works with multiple aspects of sustainable agriculture,” St. Hilaire said, “which is a concept we are equally committed to with our campus agricultural academic and research programs. California is known around the world as a leader in agricultural innovation and for trying to more effectively balance its resources among agricultural, urban and environmental needs.”
He became Jordan College dean in September 2022 after serving as a plant science faculty and department head at New Mexico State University from 1998 to 2022. He was also a regents professor, New Mexico State’s highest faculty award, and oversaw its research and extension programs.
He earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in horticulture from Iowa State University, and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez. Each degree was in the horticulture field, and he received his department’s top of the class award as an undergraduate.
How did the 2024 harvest fare for California table grape growers following the extensive high heat conditions they weathered over the summer? What are the biggest challenges concerning growers moving into 2025? California Fresh Fruit Association President Daniel Hartwig addressed these questions at Malcolm Media’s annual Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo in his State of the Industry address. Watch his interview with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network and read more about it in the coming issue of American Vineyard Magazine.
Supporting the next generation of farmers in sustainable stewardship of the land is a priority for Setton Farms, the second largest pistachio processor in the United States. That is why they have partnered with the Future Farmers of America Tulare Chapter to support their agricultural programs while distributing 50 student-made owl boxes across their farming operations. Watch this brief interview with Mike Smith and Jared Castle meeting with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network during the owl box exchange to learn more.
A new report reveals that California farmers participating in the state’s Farm to School Incubator Grant Program are increasing sales of fresh, local and organic produce, meat and dairy products to schools, according to researchers evaluating program impacts. The report found that 57% of the program’s farmers made sales to schools between April and September 2023, representing an average of 33% of their total farm revenues. All food producers funded by the Farm to School Grant Program state that they use or plan to use climate-smart agricultural practices in their operations during the grant period.
California has made the largest investment of any state in the country in farm-to-school programs, allocating approximately $100 million from 2020 through 2022. The report, authored by an independent group of researchers from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Berkeley, Food Insight Group, Berkeley Food Institute, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, shows those investments are beginning to pay off beyond increasing kids’ exposure to food education and California-grown fruits and vegetables.
While existing research shows that kids who engage with farm-to-school programs eat more fruits and vegetables, are more willing to try healthy foods, and even perform better in class, the California farm-to-school evaluation project examines a gap that most farm-to-school research hasn’t addressed: how local purchases from schools affect the agricultural sector and the environment.
The report found that the investments are flowing primarily to the farmers the state seeks to support through this program: Of the 50 producer grantees evaluated in this report, 42% are owned by people who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color, and 62% are owned by women. Nearly all (94%) are small to midsize operations.
Three producer grantees revealed that the Farm to School Incubator Grant Program funding likely prevented them from going out of business. “This grant … has and will enable us to do things on the farm that would probably take us a decade to do but we’ll be able to do that in one or two seasons. So [it] really moves us forward a lot,” noted one farmer.
Beth Katz, a lead researcher and executive director of Food Insight Group, said, “Farmers are expanding their relationships with local school districts, increasing their sales to schools, investing in infrastructure and staff, and forming new relationships with food hubs that can help them with the often complex purchasing requirements unique to school food. While we’re still at a very early stage of understanding the impacts of these investments, we’re beginning to see patterns emerge.”
A Humboldt County farmer noted that food hubs, which are also supported by the grant program, are critical to their success in accessing the school food market: “[The food hub] is really a huge game changer to be able to make that one drop in town, even though it’s an hour away, rather than going to [several school sites] and just making all these little drops. That’s been one of the ways that it’s very . . .appealing to us as a farm to participate.”
The report also examines the potential for environmental impacts through direct investments in farmers who use climate-friendly farming practices.
Research shows that kids who engage with farm-to-school programs eat more fruits and vegetables, are more willing to try healthy foods, and perform better in class.
“I’m inspired by the potential for the farm-to-school program to support farmers using environmentally beneficial practices like reducing pesticides, planting cover crops and growing organic — and to help farmers expand or adopt these practices. It’s essential these farmers have a market for what they grow to see durable environmental benefits,” said Tim Bowles, who is leading the environmental impacts assessment for the evaluation team and is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management at UC Berkeley and lead faculty director of the Berkeley Food Institute.
“We’re also seeing farms actually expand their acreage in order to sell to schools, suggesting this is a desirable market. We’re investigating the environmental impacts from these investments, especially for climate,” Bowles said.
As with many new programs aimed at building out long-delayed infrastructure, school food systems improvement demands a deep-rooted approach.
The farm-to-school program supports farmers using environmentally beneficial practices like reducing pesticides, planting cover crops and growing organic.
“The challenges around changing a complex school food system are substantial,” Gail Feenstra, a pioneer in farm-to-school research and co-lead on the project from UC ANR stated. “Decades of research shows the value to children from fresh, locally sourced food. However, what is becoming more clear from this research is that long-term investments in the full farm to school system are crucial. Without regional-level infrastructure, staffing, aggregation and distribution in place to support getting that locally grown food from farms to the schools and kids, we’ll have challenges moving the needle.
“Fortunately, the state’s strategic and innovative investments in the entire farm to school supply chain – meaning funding for school districts, farmers and also their regional partners, combined with support from CDFA’s regional staff – are beginning to address those long-standing challenges.” — By Haven Bourque, UCANR
Agricultural educators play a crucial role within their communities by investing countless hours to prepare and empower students for successful careers in the industry. In recognition of their invaluable contributions and to offer additional resources for their programs, Nationwide introduced the Golden Owl Award in 2018.
Since its inception, the Golden Owl Award has awarded nearly half a million dollars to support teachers, students, and FFA programs. Last year, there were over 3,500 nominations across 11 participating states. Due to its positive impact and popularity, the award is expanding this year to include Kentucky and Maryland.
“Agricultural educators are so much more than teachers; they’re community servants who are shaping the leaders of tomorrow,” said Brad Liggett, president of Agribusiness at Nationwide. “Together with our partners, we encourage students, parents, fellow teachers and other community members to nominate their agricultural teachers to acknowledge their hard work.”
The California FFA Foundation, in partnership with Nationwide and the California Farm Bureau, is now accepting nominations for California’s top agricultural teachers for a chance to be named as the Ag Educator of the Year. Nominate any California agricultural educator for the 2024-2025 Golden Owl Award from September 1, 2024, through January 17, 2025.
After the nomination period closes on January 17, a selection committee will evaluate nominations and select six finalists in California. These finalists will be recognized in front of their peers and students, receiving a personalized plaque and $500 award. One finalist will then be chosen as the grand prize winner, earning the 2024-2025 Agricultural Educator of the Year title for California, along with the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy and an additional $3,000 to help fund future educational efforts.
Highlighting the profound influence of the FFA, California Farm Bureau President and FFA alumna Shannon Douglass emphasized the significant impact it has on shaping leaders in agriculture. “Farm Bureau sees first hand the tremendous impact that FFA makes, as many of our current leaders across agriculture have roots in FFA,” reflected Douglass. “We are so appreciative of the hard-working ag teachers who provide a great foundation for FFA members that in turn benefits all of agriculture.”
The 2023-2024 Golden Owl Award recognized 79 exceptional agricultural teachers, including 11 Ag Educators of the Year. This year, the award program will recognize leading agricultural teachers across 13 states: California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota.
Nationwide is committed to supporting the future of agriculture through meaningful sponsorships of national and local organizations. In conjunction with the Golden Owl Award, Nationwide is donating $5,000 to the California FFA Foundation, to further support the personal and professional growth of students, teachers and advisors alike.
The owl, a symbol of knowledge and wisdom, is one of the five symbols in the FFA emblem. It inspired the name of the Golden Owl Award program, reflecting the dedication and investment agriculture teachers make to empower their students.
The California FFA Foundation serves more than 104,000 California students and strives to make a difference in their lives by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. To learn more about the California FFA, visit calaged.org.
About Nationwide
Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified financial services and insurance organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by Standard & Poor’s. An industry leader in driving customer-focused innovation, Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; and pet, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.
After some 40 years, the Farm Credit Multicultural Scholars Program at California State University, Fresno, is continuing to grow and expand its mission. In fact, the program is now reaching even more students and urging them to consider earning a college degree and pursuing a career in agriculture.
During the recently concluded school year, Fresno State completed the first year of an ambitious outreach program to visit Central Valley high schools to educate traditionally underrepresented students about the benefits of attending the university and pursuing a career in an agriculture-related field.
“We made 33 presentations and 14 farm tours during the school year,” said Amy Suarez, a graduate student leading the outreach effort. “The 60 ambassadors gave presentations about Fresno State as well as our ag programs. And they answered questions from the students about campus life, what it’s like to live in the dorms and about our majors. It was also important to show that all students can be accepted at Fresno State and that we thrive on diversity.”
The expanded high school program adds to a long list of nearly 80 outreach efforts held each year by the Jordan College of Agricultural Science and Technology. These include career fairs, community college presentations and workshops at the FFA Leadership Conference. During the year, the ambassadors reached 10,675 high school and community college students in the Central Valley and Central Coast. That’s up from around 6,000 in 2022-23 and just 620 in 2021-22, said Dr. Sharon Freeman, the program coordinator.
“For example, we had three of our ambassadors spend all day at a high school in Salinas, where they presented to eight groups of students in the ag teacher’s classrooms,” Freeman said. “We’ve found that students are receptive to learn about our six departments and the teachers are very appreciative as well.”
The student ambassador program has been strongly supported by Farm Credit since 2013, said Keith Hesterberg, President and CEO with Fresno Madera Farm Credit.
“During the past 11 years, Farm Credit has contributed over $765,000 to fund stipends each year for five ambassadors who serve as leaders of the program,” Hesterberg said. “Diversity has been part of Central Valley agriculture from the beginning as people from around the world migrated here to become farmers. That diversity is more important now than ever as we work to ensure that California agriculture reflects California’s rich diversity.”
Kevin Ralph, California State President for AgWest Farm Credit, said he was extremely pleased to see the expanded outreach to high school students.
“Our sponsorship has allowed the major expansion of the program to high school students while the program continues its outreach efforts to older students as well,” Ralph said. “It’s also a plus that this year the sponsorship is helping to reimburse the scholars for some of their travel expenses. Since the presentations take place from Modesto to Tulare, those stipends can really help these college students.”
Farm Credit organizations supporting the program are AgWest Farm Credit, American AgCredit, CoBank and Fresno Madera Farm Credit. These organizations are part of the nationwide Farm Credit System – the largest provider of credit to U.S. agriculture.
Freeman meets weekly with the ambassador leaders to go through the list of what’s coming up next and making sure enough people are in place for all of them, and Suarez keeps in touch throughout the week as well to orchestrate all the moving parts. Ambassadors can sign up for any activity that fits their schedules and student participation has been amazing.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the effort and energy going into this outreach effort,” she said.
Besides promoting careers in agriculture, the ambassadors also get a lot out of the program, Freeman said. They improve their communication, teamwork and time management skills, which improves their prospects for future employability.
Suarez is a good example of that.
“Being a part of the ambassadors has really helped me grow professionally,” Suarez said. “Managing the program has helped build my time management and management skills and I can see how it will help me pursue a career in the future. And just being able to develop relationships with other ambassadors has been a tremendous opportunity.”
Suarez has an ag background and participated in 4H and FFA growing up. In high school, she raised and sold Boer goats to students to show at county fairs. She joined the ambassador program as a sophomore and became one of the agricultural scholars after entering grad school. She expects to begin student teaching this fall and to become a full-fledged ag teacher by May 2025 – and looks forward to continuing her outreach to students.
“It’s very important to have ag teachers,” Suarez said. “They can spark students’ passion to be part of the industry, help them become more aware of what is going on in ag and how food ends up on their tables.”
About Farm Credit:
AgWest Farm Credit, American AgCredit, CoBank and Fresno Madera Farm Credit are cooperatively owned lending institutions providing agriculture and rural communities with a dependable source of credit. For more than 100 years, the Farm Credit System has specialized in financing farmers, ranchers, farmer-owned cooperatives, rural utilities and agribusinesses. Farm Credit offers a broad range of loan products and financial services, including long-term real estate loans, operating lines of credit, equipment and facility loans, cash management and appraisal and leasing services…everything a “growing” business needs. For more information, visit www.farmcreditalliance.com
About the Multicultural Ambassadors Program:
The Multicultural Ambassadors program is made up of agricultural students attending California State University, Fresno. Their mission is to conduct recruitment activities to encourage underrepresented students to further their education, consider agricultural careers, and to learn about the opportunities available at the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology. Recruitment activities include career fairs, high school presentations, farm tours, and leadership conferences. Through participation in these recruitment activities, the Multicultural Ambassadors develop soft skills, leadership, and career-readiness practices that prepare them for leadership positions in the agricultural industry.
Nine Solano County residents majoring in an agricultural field will share $26,000 toward their college educations, thanks to the Donnie and Tootie Huffman Scholarship Program of the Friends of the Dixon May Fair.
The scholarship program is named for the Vacaville couple who set up the program. It memorializes founding president Donnie Huffman (1940-2023), who died June 17, 2023 of cancer, and honors his wife, Claudia (Tootie), the founding treasurer, who continues as a scholarship committee judge.
Since 2000, the Friends of the Dixon May Fair has awarded a total of $274,750 to Solano County residents majoring in agriculture, announced Carrie Hamel of Dixon, the scholarship chair.
For the second consecutive year, Sam Esperson, a 2022 graduate of Rio Vista High School and a student at California Polytechnic University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo, won the $5000 Donnie Huffman Presidential Scholarship, the highest award the program offers. He is majoring in agricultural systems management.
Massimo Menicou of Vacaville, a 2024 graduate of Vacaville High School won the $4000 JoAn Giannoni Award, honoring a Dixon resident who is the founding secretary of the Friends. Menicou received an early acceptance to the University of Nevada. He plans to major in animal science (pre-veterinary medicine path).
Natalie Victorine, of Dixon, a 2021 graduate of Dixon High School and a student at Cal Poly, won the $3500 Ester Armstrong Memorial Award. The award memorializes a former director of the California Division of Fairs and Expositions, who died in May 2009 of cancer. Armstrong, a Rocklin resident served as interim chief executive officer of the Dixon May Fair from 2006 to 2009.
Elena Mendonsa of Vacaville, a 2024 graduate of Vacaville Christian High School, won the $3000 Joe Gates Memorial Scholarship, memorializing the longtime auctioneer of the Dixon May Fair Junior Livestock Auction. Gates, a Rio Vista resident, died of COVID in February 2021.
Others winning $3000 scholarships in the university category:
Megan Kett, a 2021 graduate of Dixon High School and a student at Oklahoma University; Bridget de Flores, a 2023 graduate of Rio Vista High School, and a student at Chico State University; Maya Ferris, a 2024 graduate of Vacaville High School with plans to attend Cal Poly; and Trevor de Rosier, a 2024 graduate of Angelo Rodriguez High School, Fairfield, enrolled at UC Davis.
In the community college category, Cole Jacobson, a 2024 graduate of Dixon High School and an incoming student at Woodland Community College, won the $1500 Jack Hopkins Memorial Scholarship. Hopkins (1922-2009), a life-long resident of Fairfield and Suisun and a fruit rancher, was a strong support of the Junior Livestock Auctions at the Dixon May Fair and Solano County Fair.
Carrie Hamel (far left), scholarship chair of the Friends of the Fair, and Linda Molina (far right), scholarship committee member, pose with seven of the nine winning scholars who shared $26,000 in college scholarships. Students from left are Cole Jacobson, Maya Farris, Trevor DeRosier, Megan Kett, Elena Mendonsa, Bridget De Flores, and Massimo Menicou. Not pictured are Natalie Victorine and Sam Esperson. Esperson is the recipient of the $5000 Donnie Huffman Memorial Scholarship, the top award. Sam’s mother represented him at the recent ceremony.
Capsule information about the recipients:
Sam Esperson. Esperson, interested in an agricultural engineering career, seeks expertise “in agricultural engineering, financial management, personnel administration and an overall agricultural systems management to uncover fresh opportunities within the industry,” he wrote in his application packet. His letters of support praised his leadership, professional development, work ethic, and collaborative spirit. He interned at Pacific Southwest Irrigation the summer of 2023 and was described as a “rising star” in the industry.
Massimo Menicou. Menicou wrote that his end goal is to “become a doctor of veterinary medicine… As of now, large and small animal medicine are of interest to me. I attended a summer youth camp for veterinary care at Texas A&M the summer of 2023 and loved the exposure to cattle and swine.” He was both an athlete and a scholar at Vaca High. A member of the Future Farmers of America Veterinary Science Career Development Team, Menicou captained his high school football team and the Solano-Yolo Rugby Club. “Massimo is the type of student every teacher dreams of having in their class,” a teacher wrote in her letter of recommendation.
Natalie Victorine. Victorine, majoring in agricultural communication, seeks a career in digital media management production. Her decision to major in ag communication was “spurred by my involvement in youth agricultural leadership organizations such as 4-H and FFA, combined with my strong familial roots in agriculture,” she wrote. Last November at the national FFA convention, she received her American FFA Degree, the highest award an FFA member can achieve. Her letters of recommendation praised her as a leader, and as “a hard-working, genuine and enthusiastic.”
Elena Mendonsa. Mendonsa wrote that she seeks an animal science degree at UC Davis and hopes to attend the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She served as president of her school’s Environmental Club and won the top student award in anatomy and physiology and biomedical sciences. She interns at a local veterinary clinic and also with the Solano County SPCA. Her letters of support praised her academic excellence, leadership and social responsibility.
Megan Kett. Kett, who seeks a career as a veterinarian, is a first-generation college student majoring in animal science, with a concentration in pre-veterinary animal science. She worked as an animal caretaker for the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Stillwater, Okla. At Dixon, she raised market swine in the 4-H and FFA programs and was a member of the water polo and swim teams all four years of high school. “I am currently pursuing a position in the undergraduate scholar’s program, with a focus on research with swine,” she wrote. Agriculture has always been a part of her life. She helped her father plant and grow a walnut orchard on the Kett family farm in Dixon.
Bridget de Flores. De de Flores is majoring in agricultural business at California State University, Chico. As a 10-year 4-H club member, she won a number of awards, including Supreme Grand Champion Turkey and Reserve Grand Champion Turkey. “My experience in 4-H has helped to better prepare me for my future career,” she wrote, adding that she plans career as a farm/ranch manager or as a farmer or rancher. Her letters of recommendation praised her as an outstanding leader and student, and “well-rounded.”
Maya Ferris. Ferris plans to attend Cal Poly with a career goal of becoming a veterinarian. “I’ve always had an affinity for animals,” she wrote in her application packet. “Since I was a little girl, I’ve always had the precarious habit of seeking out animals an trying to bring them home, much to my parents’ displeasure…Over the years I have had the chance to shadow my local large animal veterinarian, Jason Bravos.” Her letters of support praised her as an outstanding leader and scholar, and active in FFA. She won the title of Miss Teen California and is a recipient of a FFA State degree.
Trevor deRosier. He plans to major in wildlife biology at UC Davis. “I hope to learn as much as I can about wildlife biology and I would like to specialize in my primary interest, which is birds.” For his Eagle Scout project, he chose the California Raptor Center at UC Davis. “I led a group of Scouts in creating life-sized wooden cutouts of seven silhouettes of birds they have at the facility,” he wrote. “I displayed them on a wall at the Center to encourage more community members to visit the facility.” His letters of recommendation praise him for his diligence, leadership, and as a persistent hard worker.
Cole Jacobson. Cole plans to major in agricultural business at Woodland Community College. In his application packet, he related “With agribusiness, I can tap into this industry from a financial or entrepreneurial perspective, two things that I am very interested in.” He added that “learning how to drive a tractor…(was) a huge stepping stone in my life.” His letters of recommendation described him as “a thoughtful, kind and a strong leader in our school and FFA community” and that “he never shies away from challenges, and new opportunities for learning.”
The Friends, an all-volunteer, service-oriented organization, is the fundraising arm of the Dixon May Fair. Headed by president Gilbert “Gil” Molina of Vacaville, the organization raises funds through the sale of beverages at the four-day fair, and donates the proceeds for building and grounds improvements, college scholarships and exhibitor awards.
Applicants are scored on personal, civic and academic experience; academic standing; personal commitment and established goals; leadership potential; and civic accomplishments. Most applicants have experience in 4-H, FFA or Grange–criteria desired but not mandated.
Continuing scholarship winners may apply up to four times, Hamel said. Scholarship checks can be used only for tuition, fees, books, materials and supplies, housing, and meals purchased on campus.
The scholarship committee, chaired by Hamel, also includes Tootie Huffman, Kathy Keatley Garvey and Linda Molina, all of Vacaville, and Sue Miracle and Michelle Robinson of Dixon.
The deadline to apply for the annual scholarships is March 1. In the past, rules mandated that the applicants “be attending a college or university within California.” As of 2024, the rules expanded to “a college or university within the United States,” Hamel said.
After recognizing six exceptional California teachers as finalists through the Golden Owl Award, the California FFA Foundation, in partnership with Nationwide and the California Farm Bureau, selected Rick Neugebauer, agricultural teacher at Fall River Junior-Senior High School, as California’s 2023-2024 “Ag Educator of the Year.”
Neugebauer was formally recognized as the Golden Owl Award grand prize winner during the California FFA State Leadership Conference in Sacramento on March 22. In addition to the title of California’s Ag Educator of the Year, Neugebauer received the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy and a $3,000 Nationwide-funded donation to further Fall River Junior-Senior High School’s agricultural education efforts.
Upon receiving the award, Neugebauer expressed heartfelt appreciation for his supportive community. “I am deeply honored and humbled by this recognition. Receiving the Golden Owl Award means a great deal to me personally, however I would be remiss to take all the credit,” he said. “This award represents the collective effort of an entire community dedicated to educating and guiding the leaders of tomorrow. It reflects the unwavering support and belief of everyone within the Fall River/McArthur Valley. I am honored to continue my service and contribute positively to the growth and development of the students at Fall River Junior-Senior High School and McArthur FFA.”
Each Golden Owl Award finalist was also presented with an individualized plaque in front of attendees at the California FFA State Leadership Conference and received a $500 donation to support future educational efforts. The finalists were:
Daniel Crookham – Exeter FFA
Rebecca Freeman – Lodi-Tokay FFA
Randy Mendes – St. Helena FFA
Deanna Morton – Shandon FFA
Marlisa Nordstrom – Buena Park FFA
Neugebauer’s passion for agriculture and his commitment to his students have made him an outstanding educator, and his recognition is well-deserved. His nomination, submitted by a fellow teacher, describes Neugebauer as hard-working, dedicated, and involved in his community. “Mr. Neugebauer has been an ag teacher at our school for 24 years. In those years, he has led many students to success in public speaking and leadership roles; earning state champion titles and mentoring numerous regional and state officers. He has taught kids how to be confident in their abilities and become well-rounded, productive members of society.”
As the number one insurer of farms and ranches in the United States, Nationwide established the Golden Owl Award with its state partners to shed light on the contributions of California’s leading agricultural teachers and provide additional resources to support their programs.
“Nationwide is proud to recognize the dedicated teachers who are educating and inspiring students to pursue careers in agriculture,” said Brad Liggett, president of Agribusiness at Nationwide. “We’re honored to have the opportunity to appreciate their contributions, highlight the growing need for their services, and supply additional resources to help provide their students with optimal learning experiences.”
In conjunction with the Golden Owl Award, Nationwide is also donating $5,000 to the California FFA Foundation to further support the personal and professional growth of students, teachers, and advisors alike.
The Golden Owl Award is the result of partnerships between Nationwide, the California FFA Foundation, and the California Farm Bureau.
About the California FFA Foundation
California FFA Foundation serves more than 103,000 California students and strives to make a difference in their lives by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. To learn more about the California FFA, visit calaged.org.
About the California Farm Bureau
The California Farm Bureau works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of more than 26,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of 5.8 million Farm Bureau members.
About Nationwide
Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. An industry leader in driving customer-focused innovation, Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities, mutual funds and ETFs; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; pet, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
