California Ag Network

Tag: SEEAG

  • SEEAG Expands Ag Education Efforts in Santa Barbara

    Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) expanded its reach by opening a new Santa Barbara County office and adding student and community learning programs during the 2024-25 school year.

    SEEAG is a nonprofit organization with a mission to connect youth and communities to the farm origins of their food and inspire the next generations of agricultural ambassadors.

    During the last school year, 4,225 students took part in 515 hours of STEM education. Nearly 500 high school students participated in SEEAG’s first year of STEM Career Pathways in Agriculture, a three-part experience including hands-on STEM-in-Ag labs, career guidance workshops and field trips to local agri-businesses.

    Elementary-age students in 72 schools from 27 School districts, from West Hills toSanta Maria, participated in immersive learning experiences in classrooms and on farms through SEEAG’s Farm-to-Food Lab. SEEAG’s Youth Wellness Initiative organized seven Produce Pop-Ups where 7,700 pounds of donated produce weredistributed to students and their families, with priority to students at Title 1 schools. Besides receiving seasonal fruits and vegetables, families received nutrition handouts, recipes and reusable shopping bags.

    In addition to SEEAG’s annual Farm Day in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, where farms, ranches and agricultural organizations open their doors to the public, the nonprofit introduced Farm Day Every Day in 2025. From January through May, Farm Day Every Day took place on designated Saturdays, enabling community members to tour five Ventura and Santa Barbara county farms. Over 12,000 Central Coast residents and visitors engaged with local farms firsthand through Farm Day events.

    “In a time when people are more disconnected from their food than ever before, agricultural labor and resource issues are growing, and too many community members on the Central Coast lack access to the fresh produce grown around them, SEEAG’s role is more critical than ever. SEEAG educates, inspires, and empowers youth and communities to become stewards of a more equitable and sustainable agricultural future,” says Caitlin Palus Case, SEEAG executive director.

    For a report on SEEAG’s 2024-25 activities, click here. To learn more about SEEAG or to make a donation, go to https://www.seeag.org.

  • SEEAG’s First Annual Spring Celebration Seeking Sponsors

    Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is seeking sponsors for its First Annual Spring Celebration. The event will honor the farms and people of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties who create the food we eat. The celebration is Saturday, May 10 at the Stow House in Goleta from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

    Those attending will enjoy a curated farm-to-table brunch prepared by Seasons Catering featuring fresh, locally sourced ingredients from SEEAG’s Ventura and Santa Barbara farm partners.

    Each year, SEEAG’s team educates and inspires over 15,000 students and community members throughout both counties about the value of local agriculture and how food is grown. “We are able to provide all our programs completely free,” says Caitlin Paulus-Case, SEEAG executive director. “That’s only possible because of the generous donations we receive.”

    The actual cost of SEEAG’s Farm-to-Food Lab, a 3-part program for second graders, is $65 per student. For its STEM Career Pathways in Ag, a 3-part program for high schoolers, the true cost is $86 per student. Its Farm Day/Every Day year-round farm tours program for all ages costs $38 per participant. “Every dollar raised makes it possible to keep these programs accessible to all,” says Paulus-Case. “They give everyone the opportunity to learn about our local food systems and the benefits of eating healthy.”

    Spring Celebration attendees will be able to visit booths to learn about each of SEEAG’s programs, take home fresh-cut bouquets and seedlings, and bid on locally crafted auction items.
    Sponsors already signed up include the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation, Gene Haas Foundation Gills Onions, AgWest Farm Credit, Montecito Bank & Trust, The Land Trust For Santa Barbara County, LightGabler LLP and Duda Farm Fresh Foods.

    Five levels of sponsorship are available. SEEAG is also accepting auction items and locally grown food products to be part of the food presentation by Seasons Catering.
    To learn more about sponsorship and donation opportunities, go to https://www.seeag.org/spring-celebration or contact Liz Shura, SEEAG’s Director of Business Operations, at liz@seeag.org, 805-892-8155.

    About SEEAG
    Founded in 2008, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that aims to help young students understand the origins of their food by bridging the gap between agriculture and consumption through its agricultural education programming. SEEAG’s “The Farm Lab” program teaches schoolchildren about the origins of their food and the importance of local farmland by providing schools with classroom agricultural education and free field trips to farms. Through this and other SEEAG programs, over 100,000 elementary school students in Central and Southern California have increased their understanding of the food journey. For more information, visitwww.seeag.org or email Caitlin Paulus-Case, caitlin@seeag.org.

  • Mary Maranville Steps Down As SEEAG CEO; Caitlin Case Named Executive Director

    Mary Maranville, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is stepping down from the leadership role effective June 30. Maranville will become SEEAG’s major gifts grant writer. Caitlin Case, formerly SEEAG’s marketing director, has been named executive director.

    Maranville started SEEAG 16 years ago. During that time, SEEAG has taught over 100,000 elementary school students in Central and Southern California about the origins of their food and healthy eating. SEEAG provides classroom learning as well as field trips to its Farm Labs at area farms. “The students I taught in 2008 are 24 years old now. My hope is, as adults, they remember their field trips and will be strong supporters of our farms and agriculture,” says Maranville.

    Mary Maranville

    SEEAG also hosts Santa Barbara Farm Day and Ventura County Farm Day, annual events where the public can visit local farms and other agricultural-related entities. All school programs (including field trip transportation) and public events are free.

    “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have led such a dynamic and impactful get-it-done organization. Our SEEAG team and board are simply an extraordinary group of passionate and dedicated individuals,” says Maranville. “Caitlin has been with SEEAG since 2015, serving as an Intern, development associate, education director, and, most recently, director of marketing. Her experience, expertise, wonderful personality and leadership will allow SEEAG to thrive and make a meaningful difference in the lives of the students and growers we serve in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.”

    “I am humbled to lead alongside the many passionate and talented individuals who have brought this organization to where it is today,” says Case. “I look forward to cultivating the next chapter of SEEAG’s growth through collaboration and creativity with our SEEAG staff, board, donors, educators and the public.”

    For more information about SEEAG, go to www.SEEAG.org.

  • SEEAG Seeks Sponsors and Participants for 2024 Farm Day Events

    Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG), the nonprofit that organizes Santa Barbara County Farm Day and Ventura County Farm Day, is looking for farmers, agricultural-related businesses, and others to become event sponsors and participants. The 2024 Santa Barbara County Farm Day will be on August 24, while Ventura County Farm Day will be on November 2.

    “Farm Day has grown to become the largest community agricultural education and outreach program in California,” says Mary Maranville, SEEAG’s founder and CEO. “Over 15,000 people visit our agricultural venues during our two Farm Days.”

    Each year on Farm Day, sponsoring farms and ag-related businesses open their doors to the public. They offer tours, tastings, and produce and product giveaways. Other sponsors have booths at the Farm Day Hub and are included in Farm Day marketing campaigns.

    “Farm Day visitors come away from the tours with a deeper appreciation and understanding of agriculture’s importance as they learn about what goes into planting, growing, and harvesting our food. By sponsoring and participating in Farm Day, you’re demonstrating your commitment to connecting the public with the agricultural community,” says Maranville.

    Current Farm Day sponsors include Driscoll’s, Gene Haas Foundation, County of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Foundation, Edwin and Jeanne Woods Family Foundation, AgWest Farm Credit, California Giant Berry Farms, Church Brothers Farms, Mission Produce, The Land Trust of Santa Barbara, Al Lowe Construction, Duda Farms, Engle & Gray, Innovative Produce, Santa Maria Berry Farms and Scott Family Foundation.

    For Farm Day participation and sponsorship details, visit www.SantaBarbaraCountyFarmDay.com and www.VenturaCountyFarmDay.com or contact Liz Shura at 805-892-8155, liz@seeag.org.

    About SEEAG

    Founded in 2008, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that aims to help young students understand the origins of their food by bridging

    the gap between agriculture and consumption through its agricultural education programming. SEEAG’s “The Farm Lab” program teaches schoolchildren about the origins of their food and

    the importance of local farmland by providing schools with classroom agricultural education and free field trips to farms. Through this and other SEEAG programs, over 100,000 elementary school students in Central and Southern California have increased their understanding of the food journey. Each year, it hosts Santa Barbara Farm Day and Ventura County Farm Day where the public can visit local farms and other agriculture-related entities. For more information, visit www.seeag.org or email Mary Maranville at mary@seeag.org.

  • SEEAG Reaches Over 15,000 Students on Importance of Local Ag

    Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG), a nonprofit organization that aims to help young students and the community understand the farm origins of their food and the importance of local agriculture, spread its message to more than 15,000 students and community members in 2021.

    “One of SEEAG’s goals is for the public to better appreciate our local farmers, ranchers and farmworkers who grow the food we eat,” says Mary Maranville, SEEAG founder and CEO. “The food supply chain from farms to our tables is a journey we don’t often think about, but we should.”

    SEEAG’s Farm Lab at Petty Ranch in Saticoy welcomed over 1,600 second graders, including low-income, Title 1 students, for a hands-on farm experience. “In addition to the wonderful experiential education benefits that Farm Lab gives students,” says Maranville, “it also gets kids outside off their devices and tech, which improves their mental health and wellbeing.”

    Another 1,300 students in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties took part in SEEAG’s Child Wellness Initiative designed to educate and inspire children to eat healthy by adding locally-grown fruits and vegetables to their diet. Each student received a bag of fresh produce, recipes and other educational material. Another 200 middle and high school students attended SEEAG’s STEM Career Pathways in Agriculture presentations to learn about technical careers in the industry.

    “SEEAG wants to cultivate the next generation of agricultural ambassadors and farmland stewards,” says Maranville. “We’re hoping that learning about the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables will create life-long healthy eating habits. We did much of our instruction remotely during the first part of 2021. We were able to return to in-classroom instruction in October.”

    After a year off because of the pandemic, SEEAG held its Ventura County Farm Day and Santa Barbara County Farm Day in 2021. More than 12,000 people attended, visiting growers and other agricultural sites to see firsthand how food is grown, harvested and transported to local markets. Visitors experienced a day of agricultural activities, farm tours, tastings, and fruit and produce giveaways.

    “SEEAG was able to engage with a large number of kids and adults even during a challenging year,” says Maranville. “We are currently expanding our STEM Career Pathways in Ag outreach to middle and high school students throughout Ventura and Santa Barbara counties and our Ventura County Child Wellness and Santa Barbara County Child Wellness elementary school presentations.”

    All SEEAG programs are free to schools and participants. It provides free bus transportation for students attending SEEAG’s Farm Lab.

    Major 2021 donors included Haas Automotive Foundation, Gill’s Onions, Sprout’s, Ed and Jeanne Woods Family Foundation and Wood-Claeyssens Foundation.

    For more about SEEAG, go to www.SEEAG.org.

    About SEEAG

    Founded in 2008, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is a nonprofit organization that aims to help young students understand the origins of their food by bridging the gap between agriculture and consumption through its agricultural education programming. SEEAG’s “The Farm Lab” program based in Ventura County teaches schoolchildren about the origins of their food and the importance of local farmland by providing schools with classroom agricultural education and free field trips to farms. Through this and other SEEAG programs, over 60,000 elementary school students in Central and Southern California have increased their understanding of the food journey. For more information, visit www.seeag.org or email Mary Maranville at mary@seeag.org.

  • Gene Haas Foundation Donates $25,000 to SEEAG, Supporting STEM Careers in Ag

    The Gene Haas Foundation has made a $25,000 grant award to Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) to support SEEAG’s STEM Career Pathways in Agriculture programs. The programs are provided at no cost to schools and are designed to teach middle and high school students about technology and science-driven agricultural careers.

    SEEAG staff members give presentations at schools throughout Ventura County providing an overview of agriculture, ag career opportunities and the latest technologies and innovations that are impacting the industry. Online presentations are also available.

    “Most of us don’t think of agriculture as a cutting-edge industry, but science and technology play a key role in producing the huge quantities of food needed to feed a hungry world,” says Mary Maranville, SEEAG founder and CEO. “SEEAG educates, inspires and empowers local students to consider careers in agriculture. The generous Haas Foundation donation will help SEEAG spread the word about the myriad of ag career opportunities including those right here in Ventura County.”

    Science, technology and math-based ag careers include horticulture, food safety, biology, seed and pollination science, food chain management, accounting, industrial engineering and farm administration.

    “By supporting organizations such as SEEAG and their focus on youth STEM programs, we understand this is the first step in educating and empowering our youth to a future in manufacturing careers,” says Kathy Looman, director of education and Gene Haas Centers naming rights. “In 2021, the Gene Haas Foundation provided more than $18.5 million in grants towards education and another $3 million to the communities Haas businesses are located. Bringing the total grants awarded since inception to about 4,500 organizations and schools to more than $120 million. We are committed to continuously supporting these same schools and organizations as well as adding additional organizations and schools annually.”

    For more information about SEEAG’s career pathways programs and to sign up for a presentation, go to https://www.seeag.org/steamcareersinag or contact Seth Wilmoth, program educator, at Seth@seeag.org.

    About SEEAG

    Founded in 2008, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is a nonprofit organization that aims to help young students understand the origins of their food by bridging the gap between agriculture and consumption through its agricultural education programming. SEEAG’s “The Farm Lab” program based in Ventura County teaches schoolchildren about the origins of their food and the importance of local farmland by providing schools with classroom agricultural education and free field trips to farms. Through this and other SEEAG programs, over 60,000 elementary school students in Central and Southern California have increased their understanding of the food journey. For more information, visitwww.seeag.org or email Mary Maranville at mary@seeag.org.

    The Gene Haas Foundation

    The Gene Haas Foundation was established in 1999, by Haas Automation, Inc., Founder and CEO Gene Haas, to support the needs of the local community, through grants to such local charities as the Boys and Girls Clubs, Food Share, Rescue Mission, and others. Seeing a growing need for skilled manufacturing employees industry-wide, the Foundation expanded its mission to include support for manufacturing training programs throughout North America and beyond. By providing scholarship grants, sponsoring individual and team CNC competitions, and partnering with the very best CNC training programs in the world, the Foundation helps expand the availability of high-quality manufacturing technology training worldwide. For more information visit https://ghaasfoundation.org.

  • 3rd Annual Santa Barbara County and 9th Annual Ventura County Farm Days

    After a year of virtual events, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) will be holding its annual Santa Barbara County Farm Day and Ventura County Farm Day in-person this fall. Santa Barbara Farm Day is September 18. Ventura County Farm Day is November 6. This year’s Farm Day theme is “Know The Essential Hands That Feed You.”

    Every year, growers in each county provide open tours of their farms to the public. Visitors learn about the origins of their food and how agriculture contributes to the country’s nutritional well-being. Activities during Farm Day are geared to all age groups and include farm tours and product samples.

    Members of the public drive themselves at their own pace from farm to farm on Farm Day. This year, SEEAG is introducing a new Google Maps integrated Farm Day Trail Guide. The guide will enable users to create a custom itinerary based on their personal interests. The guide will also feature curated trails featuring tours that will focus on science and new farming technology; other trails will highlight farming history.

    Santa Barbara County Farm Day is now in its third year. Ventura County Farm Day is celebrating its ninth year.

    “We are grateful for the support we receive from growers in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties,” says Mary Maranville, SEEAG founder and CEO. “Without so many growers participating, Farm Day couldn’t happen. Farm Day is such a great opportunity for growers and the public to connect. How produce appears on grocery shelves is a mystery to many. Farm Day provides a greater understanding and appreciation of growers and farm workers.”

    Growers already signed up to take part in Santa Barbara County Farm Day are …

    Sponsors include Bobalu Berry Farms, Brokaw Nursery, Coastal Ag, Community Bank of Santa Maria, Edwin and Jeanne Woods Family Foundation, Plantel Nurseries, Reiter Affiliated Companies, Ventura County Agriculture Commissioner, Ventura County Credit Union and Wells Fargo.

    For more about SEEAG, Santa Barbara County Farm Day and Ventura County Farm Day, go to www.seeag.org.

    About SEEAG

    Founded in 2008, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is a nonprofit organization that aims to help young students understand the origins of their food by bridging the gap between agriculture and consumption through its agricultural education programming. SEEAG’s “The Farm Lab” program based in Ventura County teaches schoolchildren about the origins of their food and the importance of local farmland by providing schools with classroom agricultural education and free field trips to farms. Through this and other SEEAG programs, including its Child Wellness Initiative in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, over 60,000 elementary school students in Central and Southern California have increased their understanding of the food journey. For more information, visit www.seeag.org or email Mary Maranville at mary@seeag.org.