California Ag Network

Tag: Ag Students

  • UnitedAg Announces 2020 Scholarship Recipients for 60 Students

    UnitedAg announced the 2020 recipients of the Agribusiness Education Foundation’s educational scholarship. The member-owned agricultural trade association awarded sixty students from agricultural communities across California and Arizona a combined $75,000.

    Each year, the association’s Board of Directors and the Foundation’s Education Committee spotlight two outstanding applicants with top awards. Karli Lundberg (affiliated with Babe Farms, Inc.) earned the Maurice McMillan Award. Allyson Tomasello (affiliated with Produce West, Inc.) received the William C. Goodrich Scholarship, created in honor of the late UnitedAg founder.

    The scholarship funds are for use during the 2020-2021 academic year and can be applied towards tuition costs, fees, books and room and board. Previous UnitedAg scholarship winners have earned degrees and taken their place in management, government, market development and foreign trade, with many working in agribusiness.

    Since its first award in 1989, the Agribusiness Education Foundation has awarded over $1.5 million in scholarship monies to over 900 students.

    2020 Scholarship Recipients 

    Maurice McMillan Memorial Scholarship Award

    Karli Lundberg, Babe Farms, Inc., (Santa Maria, CA)

    William C. Goodrich Scholarship Award

    Allyson Tomasello, Produce West, Inc., (Salinas, CA)

    California Recipients

    Bakersfield

    Miranda Devan, Braga Fresh Foods

    Calexico

    Andrea Soto, Foothill Packing

    Castroville

    Diviana Navarro, Watsonville Coast Produce

    Chico

    Ryan Calbert, Wizard Manufacturing, Inc.

    Dinuba

    Kandra Salinas, Citrus Research Board

    Firebaugh

    Sandy Rubio, Toma-Tek

    Fresno

    Venissia Garcia, Nichols Farms, Inc.

    Denver Noell, Nichols Pistachio

    Gilroy

    Brenda Barragan, Christopher Ranch, LLC

    Glenn

    Ashlynn Geiger, McCorkle Farms, Inc.

    Greenfield

    Elizabeth Acevedo, Fresh Foods, Inc.

    Hanford

    Oscar Garcia-Medina, Dover Dairy Farms

    King City

    Belinda Silva Chavez, South County Packing

    Kingsburg

    Madelynn Reed, Mountain View Cold Storage, LLC

    La Grange

    Brandon Harden, Green Rubber-Kennedy Ag, LP

    Merced

    Emely Cruz, Church Brothers, LLC

    Monterey

    Jennifer Burton, Ippolito International

    Oxnard

    Edgar Lopez, Saticoy Lemon Association

    Cesar Rivera, Ventura Pacific Co.

    Arianna Sanchez, Saticoy Lemon Association

    Salinas

    Ricky Alvarez, The Nunes Company, Inc./ Blanco

    Kenya Burton, Markon Cooperative, Inc.

    Lizbeth De La Torre, Ramco Employment Services

    Benjamin Eastman, Brent Eastman Insurance Services., Inc.

    Mercedez Espino, Green Rubber-Kennedy Ag, LP

    Miriam Garcia Cendejas, Elkhorn Packing Co., LLC

    Maria Medina, Ramco Employment Services

    Selena Medina Medrano, Ramco Employment Services

    Melody Neely Cabrera, Sea Mist Farms

    Allyson Tomasello, Produce West, Inc.

    San Ardo

    Aaron Hernandez, McIntyre Labor Service, Inc.

    San Diego

    Bryan Amaro, Pacific Ag Consulting

    Santa Maria

    Eddie Lundberg, Babe Farms, Inc.

    Santa Paula

    Osvaldo Ambriz Magana, Saticoy Lemon Association

    Katherine Miller, Saticoy Lemon Association

    Elizabeth Miller, Saticoy Lemon Association

    Soledad

    Rachel Costa, Foothill Packing

    Michelle Flores-Leon, Braga Ranch

    Rebeca Gallaga, Ramco Employment Services

    Cristian Vargas, Al Pak Labor

    Adriana Vargas Mendoza, Braga Ranch

    Tulare

    David Fagundes, Bosman Dairy

    Jazmin Rios Martinez, Nichols Farms, Inc.

    Turlock

    Hannah Ryan, Associated Feed & Supply

    Valley Center

    Jenna Stehly, Nick Stehly Farms, Inc.

    Ventura

    Josef Martinez, Ventura Pacific Co.

    Visalia

    Isabella Argueta, Nichols Farms, Inc.

    Brendon Atsma, Angiola Dairy

    America Huipio-Piedra, Nichols Pistachio

    Michele Noell, Nichols Farms, Inc.

    Alondra Sanchez, Nichols Farms, Inc.

    Brian Valencia, Nichols Farms, Inc.

    Watsonville

    Jason Gonzalez, Henry Hibino Farms, LLC

    Kevin Gonzalez, Henry Hibino Farms, LLC

    Arturo Infante II, Ocean Mist Farms, Inc.

    Arizona Recipients

    Avondale

    Maria De Jesus Rizo, Duncan Family Farms

    San Luis

    Jaydi Ramirez, Valley Pride, Inc.

    Tolleson

    Melanie Rodriguez, Duncan Family Farms

    Yuma

    Alberto Rivera Torres, Foothill Packing

    About the Scholarship Program

    Established in 1989, the scholarship program provides financial assistance to UnitedAg-affiliated students in any major of study. Previous scholarship winners have taken their place in management, government, market development, international sales and foreign trade. Some students have gone on to pursue advanced graduate studies.

    About the Agribusiness Education Foundation

    Founded in 2000, the Agribusiness Education Foundation (AEF) assists members, employees of members and their families pave their way to educational and future success. The Foundation empowers the ag community through financial assistance, business skills education and leadership development.

    About UnitedAg

    Founded in 1980, UnitedAg is a multi-commodity member-owned agricultural trade association dedicated to providing innovative healthcare solutions for a strong and healthy agricultural industry. Our over 1,000 agriculture affiliated member organizations network and share creative ways to transform our ever-changing industry. UnitedAg strives to bring innovative health benefits and solutions to agribusiness by meeting our member’s employee health benefits needs, advocating for ag with lawmakers and helping members comply with regulations.  Based in Irvine, Calif., UnitedAg has offices in Oxnard, Corona, Salinas, Fresno and Santa Maria. For more information, visit www.unitedag.org or contact Maribel Ochoa at 949.471.3206 or mochoa@unitedag.org.

  • Farm Bureau Awards FFA Jackets to Local Students

    Tulare, Calif., (January 4, 2018) – Tulare County Farm Bureau will give away 37 blue-corduroy FFA jackets to local students through the Blue Jacket Bonanza program. Blue Jacket Bonanza, launched in 2012, was developed to provide area students involved in FFA, who may not have the financial means, a chance to earn their own uniform jacket.

    To be granted a jacket the students completed an application process, participated in personal interviews with the Blue Jacket Bonanza selection committee and have completed set hours of community service.

    “These outstanding students have earned their very own FFA jacket to wear at the various FFA events and activities they plan to take part in during their high school career,” said TCFB President Roger Everett.

    Students will be recognized and awarded their jackets at a special awards night on Jan. 18, at the Tulare County Office of Education in Visalia.

    “This program provides a way for Farm Bureau to make an investment in young people who are motivated and excited to further their education in agriculture through the Future Farmers of America,” stated Everett.

    FFA helps the next generation rise up to meet tomorrow’s challenges. Its members explore their interests and develop their own unique skills and talents through FFA activities, career development events and competitions. By helping to prepare the leaders of tomorrow, Farm Bureau is guaranteeing a brighter future for all.

    The program is made possible through generous donors including: Bank of the Sierra, Dennis and Julie Cates, Pixley Lion’s Club, Porterville Breakfast Lion’s Club, Tulare County Cattlewomen, Tulare Kings CWA, White Gold Dairy and the Tulare County Farm Bureau’s Education and Scholarship Charitable Fund.

    Donors this year also provided funds for a Fire Relief Fund, to help replace jackets in fire impacted areas. News of those awards will be made in a separate release.

    The following students are the Blue Jacket Bonanza recipients for this year:

    Jason Alcorn, Woodlake FFA
    Ene Armenta, Woodlake FFA
    Izaiah Benavides, Woodlake FFA
    Xavier Bocanegra, Woodlake FFA
    Max Brown, Tulare FFA
    Rolando Casas, El Diamante FFA
    Karla Castillo, El Diamante FFA
    Rylee Cooper, Exeter FFA
    Ashley Crabtree, Porterville FFA
    Parker Davis, Woodlake FFA
    Carla De La Mora, Tulare FFA
    Nadia DeDad, Tulare FFA
    Carrieann Earles, Tulare FFA
    Shantel Escobar, Tulare FFA
    Gabriela Gaytan-Llerenas, Tulare FFA
    David Gomez, VTEC FFA
    Ashlyn Gomez, Tulare FFA
    Isabel Guzman, Exeter FFA
    Kevin Hofstee, Tulare FFA
    Whitney Iskenderian, VTEC FFA
    Amelia Kline, Tulare FFA
    Kristen Ledesma, Woodlake FFA
    Andrew Leon, Woodlake FFA
    Brian Limon, Tulare FFA
    Beneda Loya, Woodlake FFA
    Hannah Mahony, Exeter FFA
    Emily Martinez, Woodlake FFA
    Alyssa Mendez, Woodlake FFA
    Jessica Millaris, Tulare FFA
    Alexis Morales, Woodlake FFA
    Clarissa Najera, Tulare FFA
    Dafne Pamplona-Quiroz, Dinuba FFA
    Emalee Pickens, VTEC FFA
    Nate Reeves, Woodlake FFA
    Alejandra Sandoval, Woodlake FFA
    Kailey Silva, Tulare FFA
    Samantha Traeger, VTEC FFA

    Tulare County is the leading dairy county in the nation and a top agricultural producer in California.  The Tulare County Farm Bureau represents more than 1,500 family farmers and is dedicated to promoting and enhancing the viability of Tulare County agriculture on behalf of its membership.

  • Cultivating Students & Garbanzo Beans at Reedley College

    Now is the time of year Central Valley growers are planting field crops like garbanzo beans.  Professor at Reedley college Tim Smith wanted to teach this first-hand to his plant science students at the community college.

    Reedley College professor Tim Smith instructs students on preparing planting equipment.

    Students filed out of the classroom and into the on-campus farm to really learn how it is done, and participate in the process.  Students learned the value of mechanized agriculture and learned how to operate planting equipment, and troubleshoot when something is wrong, like when seeds or fertilizer gets clogged up in the tubes.

    Smith teaches many of the agricultural courses at Reedley College.  He has taught over 200 students this fall, and about a third of them are progressing towards getting a PCA license and plan on working in California’s agricultural industry. “In this particular lab exercise, we really wanted to bring home the value of legumes in the industry and their relationship with rhizobium nitrogen-fixing bacteria,” Smith shared.

    This field has been planted in forage oats for the past 20 years, but will soon be covered in garbanzo bean plants.

     

    This legume crop with either be harvested with a combine later or be used as a green manure crop.  The important part is that it was a great hands-on learning experience for the Ag students at Reedley college.

  • Ag Students Learn to Bottle Wine

    Ag Students at Reedley College Learn how to bottle wine for the first time.

    The Plant and Soil Science program at Reedley College offers a wide variety of courses that lead to an Associates of Science Degree or Certification. Students enrolled in a plant and soil science course have the opportunity to engage in numerous industry experiences, including: wine making, field trips to local packing facilities and hearing from Ag industry speakers throughout the school year. The Plant & Soil Science program also provides job opportunities during the school year and the summer. Students in the Program run and operate equipment on the campus farm.

    Photo by Matthew Malcolm, American Vineyard Magazine