California Ag Network

Tag: National Ag Day

  • Food Brings Everyone to the Table—Celebrate Ag Day on March 23, 2021

    Food brings everyone to the table. And this year, our virtual Ag Day celebration will bring everyone together to recognize the importance of American agriculture.

    The program will include both live and pre-recorded segments with remarks from government leaders on the agriculture industry’s economic growth opportunities and how the future will be shaped by lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    A representative from the collegiate Ag Day student program will share their experiences and participants will get to hear the winning Ag Day essay as well as view the winning Ag Day video essay. 2021’s Outstanding Young Farmers will also be recognized during the event.

    The program begins on March 23, 2021, at 8:30 a.m. CST.  You can register to attend now.

    “Hosting a virtual Ag Day event has led to some creative ways to celebrate American ag,” said Jenny Pickett, President. “The program will include informal thank you videos to farmers from individuals and companies in the industry so even though we can’t gather in person, it will still have a personal feel and energy to it.”

    National Ag Day is organized by the Agriculture Council of America (ACA). ACA is a not-for-profit organization composed of leaders in the agricultural, food and fiber community, dedicating its efforts to increasing the public’s awareness of agriculture’s role in modern society.

    Find more information on Ag Day and helpful tools for spreading the word about the importance of American agriculture at www.agday.org.

  • Malcolm Media’s Matthew Malcolm Recognized in Nation’s Top AgGrad 30 Under 30

    On National Ag Day (March 24th), AgGrad announced winners of this year’s AgGrad 30 Under 30 Awards, a program that shows the future of agriculture is bright and aims at rewarding those making the extra effort to move this industry forward.  Our very own managing editor, Matthew Malcolm was honored among the top young agricultural professionals and influencers in the nation.  Matthew Malcolm has worked full-time for the Malcolm Media team since 2013, and has been doing a great job covering the news of California’s rich and diverse industry through Malcolm Media’s five agricultural publications, six digital news channels, and four grape, nut and tree fruit industry expositions.

    Eighteen judges were asked to select winners from peer and self-nominations based on contributions to agriculture, community, strength of innovation and significance of accomplishments. “These 30 individuals are at the forefront of agriculture and will one day be the leaders in agribusiness, innovation and technology, education and advocacy, entrepreneurship, sustainability and production,” says AgGrad Founder Tim Hammerich.

    Renée Vassilos, Director of Agriculture Innovation at The Nature Conservancy, and AgGrad 30 Under 30 Judge added, “From driving change within their local U.S.-based communities to supporting farmers and educators across the globe, the future is now with these incredible nominees!”

    Matthew Malcolm teaches local elementary school students about the importance of farming in California and how they can grow fruits and vegetables too in their yards. This is something he does voluntarily on the side in addition to managing editorial content in five agricultural publications.

    AgGrad 30 Under 30 2020 Winners by Category Include:

    1.  Production
    •       Brooke Beam, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Community Development Extension Educator in Ohio
    •      Casey Call, Head Grower at Plenty in California
    •      Jesse Wiggins, Sales at Wiggins Farms LLP in Texas
    •      Tony Lopes, Operations Team Leader at Tony L. Lopes Dairy, L.P. in California
    1.  Innovation & Technology
    •      Alacyn Cox, Product Support Rep at John Deere in Iowa
    •      Alexander Chuck, Chief Financial Officer at Pharm Robotics in California
    •      Ellie Symes, Founder and CEO at the Bee Corp in Indiana
    •      Tyler McGee, Founder and CEO at Tycom, Inc. in North Carolina
    1.  Entrepreneurship
    •      David Chan, COO and Founding Team Member at FarmTogether in New York
    •      Delaney Howell, Host of Market to Market and Founder of Ag News Daily and the Global Ag Network
    •      Matt Foley, Program Director at Invest Nebraska in Nebraska
    •      Mitchell Hora, Founder of Continuum Ag in Iowa
    •      Tyler Nuss, Purchasing Manager at Rivian in California and Co-Founder of The Modern Acre
    •      Zane Peterson, Owner and Manager of Peterson Timber, Inc in California
    1.  Education & Advocacy
    •      Benjamin Brown Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in Agriculture in Ohio
    •      Hannah Thompson-Weeman Vice President of Communications at Animal Agriculture Alliance in Maryland
    •      Matthew Malcolm, Managing Editor at Malcolm Media Ag Publishing in California
    •      Peter Bachmann, Vice President of International Trade Policy at USA Rice Federation in Washington D.C.
    •      Sarah Mock Freelance Writer Focused on Rural and Agricultural Issues in Washington D.C.
    1.  Agribusiness
    •      Cain Thurmond Senior Account Manager at CSX Transportation in Illinois
    •      Garrett Lister Risk Management of Cattle at Innovative Livestock Services in Kansas
    •      Jordan Bonham Rasmussen Farm Marketer at Cargill in Nebraska
    •      Lorryn Bolte Global Marketing Communications Specialist at Novus International, Inc. in Missouri
    •      Pedee Ewing Research Associate at Bayer in Idaho
    •      Rosie Thoni U.S. Public Relations Lead at AdFarm in Kansas
    •      Tristan Hudak Vice President of Ag Biotech, Inc. in California
    1.  Sustainability/Food Security
    •      Andrea Zinn Smallholder Farmer Finance & Agri Data Consultant in Costa Rica
    •      Anna Glenn Agriculture Instructor with Hope in Harvest Missions International in Liberia
    •      Keith Heidecorn VP Sustainability at Locus Agricultural Solutions in Ohio
    •      Sarah Hulick Grower Innovation at Full Harvest in California

    AgGrad was established in 2015 with the mission of “helping young professionals find their place in modern agriculture.” The company accomplishes this mission by providing blog posts, career profiles, job postings, “AgGrad Live” (a video program), and a weekly podcast called the “Future of Agriculture.” All is provided at zero cost to students and young professionals and supported by participating agribusinesses.  For more information or to receive the AgGrad 30 Under 30 publication, visit 30under30.ag.

  • USDA Celebrates National Ag Day with New Youth Website

    Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture joins the nation in celebrating National Ag Day, which highlights agriculture’s crucial role in everyday life, and honors the farmers, foresters, scientists, producers and many others who contribute to America’s bountiful harvest. As part of this effort, USDA is launching a new Youth and Agriculture website to connect young people and youth-serving organizations with Department-wide resources that engage, empower, and educate the next generation of agricultural leaders.

    “The future of agriculture in America depends on the investment and involvement of America’s young people,” said Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky. “Connecting with America’s youth on National Ag Day is a tremendous opportunity to show that careers in farming, the agricultural sciences, and veterinary medicine are rewarding, essential, and profitable.”

    The USDA Youth and Agriculture website features three key components of agriculture-focused youth engagement – classroom studies, experiential learning, and leadership training. Educators can find ways to include agriculture in the classroom and beyond. Young people can learn about USDA summer outreach programs, youth loans for business projects, and outdoor volunteering. Community leaders can get tips on starting leadership development clubs and education programs. The site also highlights USDA partners, such as 4-H, the National FFA Organization, Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS), Agriculture Future of America (AFA), and many others working with the Department to connect young people with opportunities in agriculture.

    For the career curious, the website provides information on internships and scholarships, USDA employment, and information on agriculture career fields, such as forestry, robotics engineering, biochemistry, and food sciences. Storytelling will help young people learn from peers about youth-led innovations and success stories in agriculture.

  • ‘Agriculture: Food for Life’ is the theme of National Ag Week

    Parlier, Calif., (March 31, 2017) – How are you celebrating American agriculture in your life? In advance of National Ag Week, March 19-25, and National Ag Day, March 21, Central Valley

    Third grade students from Fremont Elementary School joined classmates on their way to Kearney’s lettuce planting at last year’s Farm and Nutrition Day.

    third-grade students were “learning with lettuce” how to bring more agriculture into their lives last week. The UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center offers the free lettuce plantings every year at Farm and Nutrition Day in Fresno County and Kings County, typically around the time of National Ag Week.

    Students with the help of volunteers learned how to plant tiny lettuce seedlings into a pot of healthy soil to take home for transplanting later. In addition to helping the students connect their food to agriculture, the lettuce planting offered an engaging, hands-on experience growing healthy and nutritious food at home.

    National Ag Week is a nationwide effort coordinated by the Agriculture Council of America to tell the vital story of American agriculture and remind citizens that agriculture is a part of all of us. National Ag Day encourages every American to:

    • Understand how food and fiber products are produced.
    • Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.
    • Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy.
    • Acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food and fiber industry.

      Central Valley students eagerly lined up to get started on their lettuce planting fun.