California Ag Network

Tag: Scholarship

  • Recent Fresno State Alumni Creates Meat Science Scholarship Endowment

    Fresno, Calif., (February 23, 2018) – Six recent Fresno State graduates have started the Ag One Meat Science Laboratory Scholarship Endowment to support students who work in the unit and produce an array of popular meat products sold at the Rue and Gwen Gibson Farm Market.

    The former meats lab student employees graduated in 2013 or later and pledged a combined $25,000 to the Ag One Foundation.

    Four of the donors — Macc Rigdon, Chad Bower, Chance Reeder and John Woodcock — earned bachelor’s degrees in meat technology. Josh Hasty earned a master’s degree in meat sciences, and Kyle Mendes earned a bachelor’s in agricultural education.

    Bower, Hasty and Reeder are also former managers of the student-run facility, and five of the alumni were also part of the campus meat science judging team.

    “‘To whom much is given, much is expected’ is a quote that has rung loud in my ears since the first time I heard my ag teacher say it,” Hasty said. “In the Fresno State meat lab, we were given more than we could ever give back. The lessons that we learned and the friends that became family continue to shape us long after graduation. We loved our time working there and simply wanted to help another group of kids experience what we did. Plus, as Anne Frank put it, ‘No one ever went poor by giving.’”

    Their Fresno State educations have encouraged Bower and Rigdon to pursue doctoral degrees at the University of Nebraska and the University of Georgia, respectively. Hasty received his doctoral degree from Colorado State in 2017. Mendes is currently working on his master’s degree at the University of Florida.

    Hasty is a senior food scientist at Cargill in Wichita, Kansas. Reeder is a plant superintendent for the Yosemite Meat Company in Modesto. Woodcock is a food microbiology technician for Food Safety Net Services in Fresno.

    The Fresno State meat science laboratory is a full-service, USDA-inspected meat processing facility that employs seven Fresno State students and three volunteers. Faculty member Dr. John Henson serves as the unit adviser and teaches classes with Dr. Amanda McKeith that cover animal selection, food safety, meat evaluation, muscle biology production systems, technology and equipment.

    The campus meat lab is the nation’s only university meat lab that specializes in Italian dry products such as a red wine and garlic salami and a spicy Calabrese salami. Students currently develop and market 30 different varieties of pork, lamb and beef sausages, jerky and snack sticks, and add new products regularly.

    Fresno State meat products are sold on campus at Bulldog Stadium and Save Mart Center, as well as China Peak, Cravings Wood Grill, Michelangelo’s Italian Pizzeria and Rocket Dog restaurants.

    “As an alumnus and former University meat lab employee, I find the passion, dedication and generosity of these six young people both humbling and inspiring,” Henson said. “It is satisfying to know that their time at Fresno State has played a part in fostering a love of hands-on education that will be shared by other students who take equally great pride in producing high-quality products for our community. I can think of no greater compliment as an educator than helping develop young people with this type of character, and I am very proud of the professionals that they have become.”

    The campus meat science laboratory is one of 22 student-managed units that are part of the 1,000-acrea University Agricultural Laboratory.

    Established in 1979, Ag One has raised more than $19.5 million to benefit, promote and support the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology and its programs. In that span, more than 3,700 students have received more than $2.7 million in scholarships and grants. In the 2017-18 academic year, Ag One will provide nearly $600,000 to deserving students and programs.

    To discuss potential partnership opportunities, contact Alcidia Freitas Gomes at alcidia@csufresno.edu or 559.278.4266.

     

     

  • E.M. Tharp and World Ag Expo® “We Believe in Growing” Scholarship Winners Announced

    Tulare, Calif., (February 16, 2018) – World Ag Expo® and E.M. Tharp, Inc. have teamed up again to provide the “We Believe in Growing” scholarship, which supports local high school students who will be attending four-year universities to major in an agricultural field. This year’s winners, Aalexias Woolf and Abbigail Prins, will each receive $2,500 scholarships to be renewed up to four years, totaling $10,000 per student.

    “We are thrilled to join again with World Ag Expo® to support agricultural education,” said Casey Tharp, Vice President of E.M. Tharp, Inc. “There is so much ambition and talent within our younger generation. I am optimistic about the future of agriculture, because of students like Aalexis and Abbigail.”

    Aalexias Woolf, a student at North High School in Bakersfield, CA, plans to study Agriculture Education at California State University, Fresno this upcoming fall.

    Being raised around livestock and animals, Aalexias dreamed of becoming a veterinarian until she reached high school, where she fell in love with agriculture education. Aalexias has been heavily involved with the FFA organization, and was selected this year to act as a delegate for California FFA at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, IN.

    “The agriculture community is a small, tight-knit community,” said Woolf.” Participating in the agriculture program at North High School has given me opportunities that I never thought were possible…I am incredibly grateful for the chance to be involved in the agriculture industry and look forward to the chance to continue my education and career in the field.”

    Abbigail Prins, a student at Mission Oak High School in Tulare, CA, plans to study Animal Science at Washington State University. Abbigail was crowned District 9’s first Alternate Dairy Princess, and has won the California Junior Holstein Association’s Dairy Bowl for the past four years.

    “The career goal that I’ve set, is to become a Dairy Geneticist,” said Prins, “Through this profession I hope to make the dairy and agriculture industries more efficient, by producing more yield with fewer resources…The biggest impact I want to make, is to make the lives of dairy farmers easier, all while still producing a perfect product.”

    To be considered for the scholarship, students from across the Central Valley submitted letters of recommendation, high school transcripts, ACT or SAT scores and must expect to graduate from high school during the 2017-2018 school year.

    The winners will be recognized at the World Ag Expo Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, February 13, 2018 starting at 7:30 a.m. in the Conference & Dining Room of the Heritage Complex. Media is invited to attend the breakfast and awards ceremony. Please reach out to Jennifer Fawkes at media@farmshow.org with questions or interview requests.

  • Friends of the California State Fair Awarding Over $46,000 In Scholarship Funds

    Sacramento, Calif., (November 22, 2017) – The Friends of the California State Fair Scholarship Program is now accepting scholarship applications for the 2018 – 2019 academic year.

    The program offers 14 categories of scholarships ranging from $1,000 – $2,500 each with varying eligibility requirements. Categories include: agriculture, art, academic excellence, business, culinary/hospitality/event management, education, international relations, trade school, viticulture and enology.

    Applicants may apply for one scholarship category of their choice per year and will be evaluated based on academics, community service, quality of essay and recommendation. Top scholarship winners in select categories may be invited to compete for the $5,000 Ironstone Concours Foundation Scholarship. Scholarships are not renewable; however, students may reapply each year as long as they continue to meet the eligibility criteria.

    The Friends of the California State Fair Scholarship Program is a collaboration between the Friends of the California State Fair, the California Exposition & State Fair, the California State Fair Agricultural Advisory Council, the Ironstone Concours Foundation, Blue Diamond Growers and Western Fairs Association. International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS), an independent scholarship management company, hosts the online application process and disburses awards for the program.

    The deadline to apply is March 2, 2018. Learn more at CAStateFair.org/scholarship. For questions about the Friends of the California State Fair Scholarship Program, please email scholarship@calexpo.com.

  • Rabobank Creates Scholarships In Memory Of Tony Degroot

    Fresno, Calif., (August 17, 2017) – The Ag One Foundation announced the creation of two Fresno State student scholarships sponsored by Rabobank N.A. in memory of Tony DeGroot, one of the area’s most respected and innovative dairy farmers.

    Each scholarship will provide one year’s full tuition and a $500 book stipend for a student in the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at Fresno State.

    DeGroot passed away at age 80 in September 2015 in a plane accident while on a fishing trip in Alaska.

    He owned DeGroot Dairy near Hanford, which started in 1966 with 100 acres and 400 cows. The farm grew to 2,500 acres and 4,500 cows while raising its own youngstock. In addition, he developed a Dutch Warmblood horse breeding operation, D.G. Bar Ranch, which is well known in the dressage community.

    The farm is now run by DeGroot’s son, Tony DeGroot Jr.

    “The Tony DeGroot Memorial Scholarship honors Tony for his significant contributions to our community, industry and Rabobank,” said Bob Dingler, Rabobank executive vice president and food and agribusiness director. “He served for many years on Rabobank’s Ag Advisory Board and advocated for the bank to be involved in advancing the dairy industry through research and supporting education. We and his family decided that there is no better way to honor a man, who we all considered a friend and mentor, than to start a Jordan College scholarship in his name.”

    DeGroot immigrated to the United States in 1956 from the Netherlands and began a career as a baker near Rochester, Minnesota before developing a lung condition known as Baker’s Disease. His doctors recommended that he relocate to the Southern California coast in 1959, but the condition eventually returned, so he moved inland to the Central Valley where his farming and dairy career began.

    DeGroot was known in the industry for his progressive instincts, and he more than doubled the farm’s milk-per-cow productivity in the span of 25 years.

    His milking parlor developed a new milking system that used two pulsators simultaneously and mimicked the natural suction of nursing calves, streamlining the process and using less energy.

    His farm grew beets as a rotational crop in alkaline-rich areas to reduce soil salt levels, and the beets were incorporated into corn silage piles for feeding. He also incorporated microbial protein amino acids into cattle feed to assist milk protein synthesis and to cost effectively reduce the amount of protein needed in cattle diets.

    In 2015 he was honored with the Betaseed Feed Beets’ first Pioneer Award.

    The DeGroot endowment is among more than 100 that are managed by the Ag One Foundation. Started in 1979, Ag One has helped provide 3,700 students with more than $2.7 million in scholarships and grants.

  • Californians Win National 4-H Youth in Action Awards

    Sacramento, Calif., (February 22, 2017) – California 4-H members Bryanne Sanchez and Samuel Sugarman are winners of the 2017 national 4-H Youth in Action Awards, National 4-H Council announced February 21, 2017.

    California 4-H members Bryanne Sanchez, left, and Samuel Sugarman are winners of the 2017 national 4-H Youth in Action Awards. Each will receive a $5,000 scholarship and serve as a 4-H spokesperson.

    Sanchez, of Imperial, was selected as winner of the 4-H Youth in Action Award for Healthy Living for the true leadership she has demonstrated as an advocate for healthy lifestyles in her community and across the state. In an effort to address the 62 percent obesity rate in her county, Sanchez annually hosts the Imperial County 4-H Color Me Green run. The race, which also includes a local business health fair, gave away more than 90 boxes of fresh produce to runners and their families in 2017.

    Sugarman, of Encinitas, was selected as winner of the 4-H Youth in Action Award for Agriculture for his true leadership through agriculture education and his free Farm Tour Program. Sugarman created the Farm Tour Program to connect youth in his community with animals and nature. Over the past five years, Sugarman led hundreds of farm tours, educating youth about sustainable agriculture, where food comes from, and respect for animals and the earth.

    “As a teen leader, I hosted lots of project meetings at my farm and saw how beneficial it was for urban children to interact with the animals,” Sugarman said. “When children grow up disconnected from their food, from animals and from the earth, they miss opportunities to develop qualities of stewardship, compassion, patience and gratitude.”

    As a California 4-H State Ambassador, Sanchez organized a “Text Talk Act” campaign to bring awareness to mental health issues. She also organized the educational component of the California State Leadership Conference’s All 4-Health Fair, working with organizations to present about various healthy living topics.

    “I believe I am a 4-H true leader because I am empowering youth throughout California to make healthy lifestyle decisions,” Sanchez said. “It started with recognizing the need in my own county – a drastic 62 percent obesity rate – and developing ways to combat the problem. I recognized that I have the power to enact change by educating others, and I plan to do so for the rest of my life. I want everyone to realize there is no better time than now to start living healthy.”

    Sanchez and Sugarman will each receive a $5,000 scholarship for higher education. Sanchez will serve as spokesperson for 4-H Healthy Living programming and Sugarman will serve as a spokesperson for 4-H Agriculture programming. The 2017 4-H Youth in Action Pillar for Healthy Living is sponsored by Molina Healthcare and the Pillar for Agriculture is sponsored by Bayer. They will be officially recognized at the National 4-H Council Legacy Awards in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, March 21, 2017.

    Other 2017 4-H Youth in Action Pillar winners include Georgia 4-H’er Amelia Day for Citizenship and Ohio 4-H’er Ava Lonneman for STEM.

    The 4-H Youth in Action Awards began in 2010 to recognize 4-H’ers who have overcome challenges and used the knowledge they gained in 4-H to create a lasting impact in their community. This award highlights youth in each of 4-H’s core areas of Agriculture, Citizenship, Healthy Living and STEM. These four pillars represent the fields in which 4-H youth excel on a national level and align with the mission mandates of National 4-H Council. To learn more about Youth in Action, please visit http://4-h.org/parents/4-h-youth-in-action.