Forty teachers-all from California-came to KCFB's
2003 Teacher's Ag Seminar, according to Jeanie Varga, event Chair. Teachers
spent three days immersed in agriculture.
Varga said there was an increased presence from the Southern
California area. "I look for an even firmer outreach to those schools,
since we have such enthusiastic spokes people recruiting for next year,"
she said.
Seminar guests heard from growers and experts in fields
related to ag, including: almonds and pistachios, cotton, grapes, honey, dairy
and citrus. They took a bus tour to the Western Stockman's Market to learn
about beef cattle, then tried some for lunch.
The group toured Bolthouse farms, learned about the YF&R,
water issues, organic farming and G.P.S. uses in ag.
The Tuesday night BBQ gave the guests and their hosts a
chance to meet each other and win some great prizes.
Highlight of the seminar is the one-on-one tours with
individual farmers, growers and cattlemen.
Teachers from Bakersfield's Valley Oaks Charter School took
the long drive into Walker Basin to meet the Rankin family. Linda Dane, Mike
Owens, Michelle Duncan and Stacy Culbertson toured the 31,000-acre cattle ranch
and Guest Ranch. Hosts Rebecca, Glenda and Bill Rankin showed the group around
the valley that houses their ranch.
The Rankin family has owned the property since 1863. They
augment their cattle business with a Guest Ranch facility that's open six
months out of the year. The double-duty business stresses how much business
sense a farmer must have to survive.
Dane said their group joined the seminar because "we
have a farm behind our school and we have an agriculture program for our
students." They wanted to learn more. Their school works with home
schooling families and is located between the Kern County Museum and the Ice
House in Bakersfield.
Varga thanked the Ag Seminar Sponsors for their help: Kern Ag
Foundation, KCFB, Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Elizabeth Panke, Kern
County Cattlemen and Cattlewomen, Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California, Farm Credit West ACA, Kern County Water Agency, Lake Family
Foundation, Arvin-Edison WSD, Bellridge WSD, Buena Vista WSD, Grimmway Farms,
North Kern WSD, Rosedale-Rio Bravo WSD, Semi-Tropic WSD, South Kern Machinery,
SSJ-MUD, Tejon Ranch and the YF&R.
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