California Ag Network

Tag: Charity

  • Veteran Students, Horses Partner in Care at UC Davis

    Davis, Calif., (January 10, 2018) – UC Davis student and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Edgar Garcia brushed the hair along a horse’s neck, back and sides. Here, grooming was more than preparation for riding — it was an age-old ritual bonding human and horse in trust and care.

    UC Davis student Edgar Garcia spends time with Chance after participating in an earlier trial run for a new program that pairs military veterans with horses at the campus Equestrian Center. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis)

    Garcia is one of the early participants in a new program that pairs student veterans with horses to help them get involved in campus life and enjoy much needed relaxation.

    “Horses make you forget about everything,” said the senior majoring in evolutionary anthropology. “I was so relaxed.”

    Enjoying companionship: UC Davis is introducing the Hooves for Heroes program this month following a brief trial last fall. After attending four weekly lessons on horse handling to begin this Thursday (Jan. 11), a veteran will be able to spend time independently with a horse. The animal gets extra grooming and can graze on a lead outside the paddocks. Each enjoys the other’s companionship.

    Meg Drescher, a coordinator at the Equestrian Center, said Campus Recreation and Unionsand the university’s Veterans Success Center are teaming up to offer the program. She said horses are increasingly being used to foster mental and emotional health for veterans.

    Participants in the trial run for Hooves for Heroes receive instruction in handling horses. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis)

    “It’s good for people to get to spend time with animals and horses,” she said. “It’s not just physical wellness — it’s whole-being wellness.”

    The new program will be held at the 25-acre campus Equestrian Center, which offers horse boarding, riding lessons and equestrian team activities. Students experienced in horsemanship will do the teaching, and the veterans’ partners will be good-natured lesson horses, some on loan from a summer riding camp.

    Challenges for veteran students: Garcia offered insights about the challenges veteran students face. He drew on his own experience as a veteran who was an aviation mechanic in the Marine Corps for eight years and his roles as president of the Davis Student Veteran Organization and as a student adviser at the veterans center.

    The 31-year-old — who worked as a security executive and earned two associate degrees before transferring to UC Davis — said veterans might have trouble transitioning to academic life, or feel out of place among mostly younger classmates and those who have different perspectives about the military. Veterans might also be coping with other issues such as brain injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder.

    One of about 200 veterans enrolled at UC Davis, J. Alota is studying for a master’s degree in health informatics after 22 years and five deployments with the Air Force left him unable to meet the strenuous physical demands of his former nursing career.

    UC Davis veteran students J. Alota, with his back to the camera, and Edgar Garcia groom Shinto in the trial run for the Hooves for Heroes program. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis)

    He also copes with PTSD and a traumatic brain injury, he said, and enjoyed brushing and talking to the horses in the fall trial.

    “It feels like there is nothing else going on in the world but me and the horse.” he said. “It’s a peace.”

    Hooves for Heroes is akin to the equestrian facility’s long-established Guardian Angels program that trains campus and community volunteers to spend time with horses.

  • Local Ag Retailer To Deliver A Major Gift To Community Food Bank

    Reedley, Calif., (December 29, 2017) – Gar Tootelian, Inc. (GAR) is spreading the Christmas cheer in a major way this holiday season. GAR will present a $286,495.50 check to Community Food Bank as the beneficiary of this year’s Feeding Families Fund Drive. The event will take place on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 at 9:00am at the Butler Pentecostal Church of God Neighborhood Market in Fresno. The Fourth Annual event raised $190,000 and GAR matched all the donations with 50 cents on the dollar to reach the grand total of $286,495.50. The money will provide over two million meals to the hungry residents of Central California.

    “The Valley is the most bountiful growing region in California and it is also the most generous. Every year, people dig a little deeper to help give hope to families struggling with hunger. Our thanks to all the generous donors who participated in GAR’s Fourth Annual Feeding Families Fund drive. It is truly inspiring to be part of a community that is so generous,” Karen Musson, Managing Partner at Gar Tootelian, Inc.

    In September, GAR organized the daylong event with Community Food Bank, Farm Credit, KMJ Radio, KMPH Fox 26 and The Market to give hope for valley residents recovering from wildfire losses and families and children struggling with hunger. The day’s finish was highlighted with three unexpected and generous gifts of $10,000 each to break last year’s total. The Annual one-day Fundraiser has raised over $650,000 and provided nearly five million meals over its four years. In October, GAR was named the 2017 Community Food Bank Donor of the Year for its effort.

    Gar Tootelian, Inc. is a locally owned and operated family business established in 1949 and is an industry and community leader. Community activities and sponsorships include: the Fresno Grizzlies Farm Grown Community Fund, the Fresno Chaffee Zoo’s Valley Farm, Valley PBS Valley’s Gold and Education through Agriculture, the Center for Land Based Learning FARMS Advanced and California Ag in the Classroom. In 2011, GAR raised $1.65 million to expand the Clovis Medical Center Emergency Room in honor of Central Valley Farmers and their Families.

    GAR’s Industry honors and recognitions include: 2017 Community Food Bank Donor of the Year; Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) 2016 National Agricultural Retailer of the Year; 2015 Environmental Respect Award (ERA) for North America by CropLife and DuPont; and the 2013 Baker Peterson & Franklin’s Fresno Chamber Agricultural Business of the Year. The all-female owned company provides water, nutrition, regulatory and crop care advice and products to more than 1,500 Central Valley growers.

  • UC ANR Supporters Give Over $85,000

    Davis, Calif., (December 4, 2017) – Thanks to everyone who participated, UC ANR’s #GivingTuesday campaign was a tremendous success.

    “We surpassed our goal of $60,000, raising $85,168,” said Mary Maffly Ciricillo, director of Annual Giving and Individual Gifts. “This is close to a 24 percent increase over last year’s Giving Tuesday total of $68,322.”

    As an added incentive to potential donors, ANR received over $37,000 in donations toward match challenge funds supporting all of UC ANR programs.

    The California 4-H Foundation alone brought in over $32,000. Compared to 2016, there was a 250 percent increase in giving to UC ANR programs – including Master Gardeners, Master Food Preservers, IPM, the REC System, and county offices – totaling over $15,000.

    The number of gifts received also rose, from 224 gifts in 2016 to 318 gifts this year. “We even received a gift designated to urban horticulture!” Ciricillo said.

    In addition to raising money, the #GivingTuesday social media campaign helped raise the visibility of ANR programs. The Master Gardener Program team made a video of the unselfies posted on social media by their supporters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI_tVcNhBcQ.

    “We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in t
    his fundraising effort and hope we can continue to build on our success for the next #GivingTuesday,” Ciricillo said. “These private funds will help us expand UC ANR’s reach.”

    Below is a list of funds donors selected to receive Giving Tuesday their gifts:

    • 4-H Foundation UC Donor Funds
    • 4-H Undesignated
    • Alameda County Master Gardener Fund (Endow)
    • Alameda County UCCE – Master Gardeners
    • ANR – California Naturalist Scholarship Fund
    • ANR – Giving Tuesday Match Fund
    • ANR – Master Food Preservers Fund
    • ANR – Master Gardener Annual Giving Fund
    • ANR Informatics and GIS Fund
    • California Institute for Water Resources
    • Central Sierra – UCCE
    • Colusa County UCCE – Master Gardener Program
    • Contra Costa County UCCE Fund
    • DREC – Desert REC FARM SMART Fund
    • El Dorado County UCCE – Master
    • El Dorado County UCCE – Rangeland Fund
    • Elkus Ranch Fund
    • Fresno County UCCE
    • HREC – Hopland REC – Fund
    • IPM – Program Fund
    • Kern – 4-H Program – Various Donors
    • KREC – Kearney REC – Fund
    • Los Angeles County UCCE – Master Gardeners
    • Los Angeles County UCCE Fund
    • LREC – Lindcove Field Station
    • Marin M
      aster Gardeners Opportunity Fund
    • Merced County Agriculture Extension and Research Endowment
    • Merced County UCCE – Master Gardener Fund
    • Nutrition Policy Institute General Fund
    • Orange County UCCE – Master Food Preserver Fund
    • Orange County UCCE Fund
    • Plumas County UCCE – Project Learning Tree
    • REC System
    • Riverside County UCCE – Master Gardeners
    • Sacramento County UCCE – Master Gardener Fund
    • San Joaquin County UCCE – Master Gardener Fund
    • San Mateo – 4-H Program – Various Donors
    • San Mateo County UCCE – MG Greenhouse
    • San Mateo County UCCE Fund
    • San Mateo/San Francisco UCCE – Master Gardener Fund
    • San Mateo/SF UCCE – Master Food Preserver
    • Santa Barbara County 4-H – Various Donors
    • SFREC – Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center Fund
    • Sonoma County UCCE – Citizen Science Projects
    • Statewide Master Gardener Endowment Fund
    • Statewide Program – Nutrition, Family and Consumer Sciences Program
    • Sutter-Yuba Counties UCCE – Master Gardeners
    • UC California Naturalist Program
    • UCCE Master Gardeners of Orange County
    • Urban Horticulture
    • Ventura County Master Gardeners
    • Ventura County UCCE – Master Gardener Fund
    • Ventura County UCCE Fund

     

  • Mechanized Agriculture Lab Renovations Made Possible By Moller Family Gift

    Fresno, Calif., (November 22, 2017) – The Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at Fresno State showcased initial renovations to its mechanized agriculture laboratory on Tuesday, Nov. 14 that were made possible by a $250,000 gift by Dr. James Moller and his wife, Carol Moller.

    The event was attended by University President Joseph I. Castro, Jordan College Dean Sandra Witte, faculty, staff, students, alumni of the mechanized agriculture program and James Moller.

    The donation was made in memory of Moller’s father, Leonard Moller, who owned and operated the Acme Machine Shop in Fresno until 1973. The shop was originally started by Herman Moller in the 1920s, and he later co-owned it with his son, Leonard.

    James Moller, a University of Minnesota professor emeritus of pediatrics and medicine, grew up in Fresno near the original Fresno State campus. On a visit in September 2016, he saw the laboratory’s traditional but outdated welding and mechanical equipment during a tour led by mechanized agriculture faculty member Ken Heupel.

    “Educational institutions, especially state universities and colleges, have pressing financial concerns, and Ken quietly expressed the program’s obvious needs,” Moller said. “The surroundings reminded me so much of my father’s machine shop that I could visualize him there, and it really touched me. Even though I moved away 60 years ago, I wanted to express my appreciation for the educational opportunities that I was afforded as a third-generation Fresnan while helping to create better opportunities for future students, many of whom are training to be educators and key members of the Central Valley ag industry.”

    The gift has already provided for a revamped welding area this fall with new multi-processing booths, racks, gas line manifolds, work tables, a computer numerical control (CNC) plasma cutting table and a freshly-painted interior.

    Future planned improvements will include new tungsten inert gas (TIG) welders, a hydraulic shear, hydraulic brake, drill press, iron worker, band saw and chop saw equipment, engine stands and metal material storage units.

    The mechanized agriculture program in the Plant Science Department is overseen by John Williams, a 2008 Fresno State agricultural education graduate and former student of Heupel’s. Williams has served as a part-time faculty member since January 2015, and he was elevated to full-time faculty after Heupel’s retirement in August.

    Heupel had directed the program since 1997, and his 51-year vocational teaching career also included 25 years at Merced College and six years at Manteca High School.

    “Thanks to Ken’s hard work and vision, our curriculum is essential in preparing students to safely operate and maintain a wide variety of modern production agriculture equipment,” Williams said. “Students from ag education, plant science, viticulture, industrial technology, ag business and our campus farm develop skills from the hands-on labs that will be essential for the rest of their careers.”

    Fresno State is the only California State University campus that offers a mechanized agriculture emphasis for agriculture education majors. Its curriculum includes six classes in small gas and diesel engines, power equipment safety, advanced farm machinery, tractor topics, mechanized agriculture skills and basic agricultural machinery. A permanent fabrication class is also planned so students will get experience building and designing equipment and projects.

    The laboratory also provides students with applied learning experience by helping conduct Future Farmers of America high school state judging contests in farm power and machinery, small gas engines and mechanized agriculture.

    To discuss potential partnership opportunities to fund further research or academic programs, contact Alcidia Freitas Gomes at alcidia@csufresno.edu or 559.278.4266.

  • Blue Diamond Joins FFA in Giving the Gift of Blue

    Galt, Calif., (November 20, 2017) – On November 9, the California FFA Foundation announced an exciting new partnership with Blue Diamond Growers. On Giving Tuesday, Blue Diamond Growers will match every FFA jacket donation up to 200 jackets, significantly aiding the California FFA Foundation in reaching their 400-jacket goal.

    On Tuesday, November 28, the California FFA Foundation will celebrate Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving, fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. This is the second year the California FFA has participated in Giving Tuesday with a focus on providing jackets for FFA members. For every $75 donation on Giving Tuesday, the California FFA Foundation will provide a member with their very own FFA jacket, and a tie or scarf. This year Blue Diamond Growers will generously match that donation.

    This partnership represents Blue Diamond Grower’s ongoing commitment to FFA and agriculture education, having served as a longtime sponsor of proficiency’s and other awards. Blue Diamond Growers represent 100 years of agricultural history in Northern California, with over 3,000 family growers helping to produce eighty percent of the world’s almonds.

    Click here to learn more about the California FFA Foundation’s Giving Tuesday efforts or to make a donation.

    Source: California FFA Foundation, News Release, November 9, 2017

     

  • Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation Establishes Housing Support for Ag Workers Displaced by Fires

    Santa Rosa, Calif., (October 23, 2017) – With firefighters gaining control of fires throughout Sonoma County, the Grape Growers Foundation (SCGGF) announced today it is partnering with the Sonoma County Farm Bureau to establish a housing recovery fund for ag workers and their families who were displaced from their homes by last week’s devastating fires.

    The fund will serve to assist ag workers who lost their homes in the fires by helping to fund the re-establishment of new households.

    “Obviously, the fires have impacted everyone who lives in Sonoma County in a variety of ways and for our ag workers, the impact was particularly severe. Knowing that a home provides a family with stability and comfort, we are committed to getting all of our displaced ag employees into temporary housing as quickly as possible,” said Karissa Kruse, president of Sonoma County Winegrowers, who is also serving as the executive director of the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation.

    The fund has benefited from initial investments from local grape growers and supporters including $25,000 from the John Jordan Foundation and Jordan Vineyard & Winery and $25,000 from American Ag Credit.

    “Fortunately, the Grape Growers Foundation was established years ago to improve the lives of Sonoma County’s agricultural employees and their families while ensuring Sonoma County remains a place where agricultural workers will continue to live and work,” said Kruse. She added, “While the Foundation is taking a long-term focus on ag employee housing, we need a short term solution now due to the extent of this calamity.”

    For anyone interested in contributing to the housing fund, visit: www.scggf.org to make a contribution. SCGGF is a 501(c)(3) organization.

  • 122 Tons of Food – California Ag Comes Through During Farm to Food Bank Month

    Sacramento, Calif., (October 5, 2017) – California agriculture joined together in September to raise donations for the state’s annual Farm to Food Bank Month. More than 245-thousand pounds of food–in excess of 122 tons–were donated to the California Association of Food Bank’s Farm to Family Program for needy families in Southern California – from holiday turkeys to olive oil and rice; and tens of thousands of pounds of fresh produce.

    CDFA secretary Karen Ross gathered last week in Orange County with leaders in the food bank sector to honor that commitment and to remind farmers and ranchers that the need is year-round, and therefore donations can be, as well.

    California Ag has shown strong support for the Farm to Family Program statewide, increasing contributions to 214 million pounds–more than 100,000 tons–in 2016

    However, hunger continues to be a substantial problem in California. More than two-million children in our state live in food-insecure households. All told, one in eight Californians struggles with hunger – roughly 5.4 million people. The fact that this occurs in a state with such an enormous bounty of food makes the problem even more glaring.

    The generosity of California agriculture during Farm to Food Bank Month is very much appreciated, and it will be a lifeline for a number of needy Southern California families, but it’s clear there is still a great deal of work to do.