WATSONVILLE—For years the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau (SCCFB) and the Agri-Culture organization have hosted the National Agriculture Day Spring Luncheon. However, due to the current COVID- 19 pandemic, the March 18 event was postponed, and its future remains uncertain.
Despite this, the two groups have announced the winners of the luncheon’s annual Poster and Poetry Contest, as well as the recipients of its current scholarship programs.
Zoe Alma Torres, a sixth-grader from Tierra Pacifica Charter School, won SCCFB’s poster contest. Her drawing, inspired by this year’s theme of “Grown in Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley,” features strawberries, honeycomb, flowers and leafy greens. Dimiana Sarah Trigg, a seventh-grader from St. Lawrence Academy, won the Poetry Contest with her poem “Of Our Blessings.”
The girls’ creations will be displayed on next year’s National Agriculture Day Placemat, which will be distributed to restaurants throughout Santa Cruz County.
Agri-Culture has selected five local students to receive awards from its 2020 Agri-Culture Scholarship Program. The four scholarships offered through the organization are for students entering or currently attending college and majoring in agriculture, animal science or culinary arts.
The Jimmie Cox Memorial Scholarship is an award for students entering or currently attending college and majoring in agriculture, went to Jessica Rodriguez-Reyes and Henry Danner.
Rodriguez-Reyes is currently a senior at Watsonville High School, where she has carried a 3.6 GPA. She was a member of both the French Club and Social Emotional Club. This fall she plans to attend Cal State Fresno where she will pursue a career in agricultural education.
Danner is currently in his first year at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, where he is majoring in animal science and preparing for a career as a veterinarian. He had a 3.7 GPA in his first quarter of college, and earned a spot on the Dean’s List. In high school, his peers selected Danner for the “Kindest Student Award.”
Jose Villanueva-Vigil was awarded the J.J. Crosetti, Jr. Memorial Scholarship. He currently in his second year at Cal State Fresno, majoring in plant science, and preparing for a career as a farm supervisor or pest control advisor.
Meghan Clifton won the Laura Brown Memorial Scholarship, a new award this year. Clifton is currently in her second year at Cal State Fresno, where she has a 3.56 GPA. She is majoring in agricultural communication and preparing for a career in marketing, public relations, sales or human resources.
For information, including updates on the rescheduling of the National Agriculture Day Spring Luncheon, visit sccfb.com and agri-culture.us.
