Fresno Madera Farm Credit and CoBank have jointly announced a $30,000 donation to Central California Food Bank’s Feeding Families Fund Drive. The donation will provide over 180,000 meals to rural residents of Central California, many of whom have limited access to full-service grocery stores and have been severely impacted by the rising cost of food. 

If the FARMS Advanced group that participated in a career day at Fresno Madera Farm Credit is indicative of the quality of high school students in the program, the future of California agriculture is in good hands.

Thirty years ago, a Yolo County walnut farmer named Craig McNamara thought it would be a good idea to invite city kids to a farm and educate them about where their food comes from. To that end, the Winters farmer helped found the FARMS Leadership Program, which today is a key component of the programs offered by the Center for Land-Based Learning (CLBL).

Fresno Madera Farm Credit’s spring member appreciation BBQ held on June 23, at Holland Park West, recognized and celebrated agricultural producers from across Fresno and Madera counties as well as the exceptional ag youth groups serving the local communities. 

Every summer, people around the country enjoy luscious fruits like apricots, table grapes, kiwis, peaches and plums. And since California is the nation’s largest producer of each of these commodities, there’s a good chance those fruits were grown right here in the Golden State.

Anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

That is the core of Common Threads, an awards program that recognizes women in agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley and Northern California for their service to agriculture and to their communities.  

Roberto Lopez, a senior at Oakdale High School in Stanislaus County, is a strong believer in the value of FFA. Lopez is the president of both the school’s FFA Chapter and the organization’s central region, encompassing the area between Yolo and Merced counties. 

The California Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) program is designed to identify, grow and develop young Farm Bureau members and provide them with opportunities and experiences to help them become effective leaders in the agriculture community.