FARM BEAT: DMV to launch commemorative plate celebrating agriculture

You won't need mud on your tires or hay bales in your pickup bed to show other motorists that you support farming.

You can do it with a commemorative license plate to be launched this month by the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

Proceeds will go to FFA, 4-H and other agricultural education programs in the state.

Mark Nower, an FFA adviser at Gregori High School, said the income will help the program deal with reduced funding from other sources.

"They are using this to bring awareness to agriculture, especially in the San Joaquin Valley," he added.

This is the first time in 11 years that the DMV will offer a new set of commemorative plates. Various versions raise money for conservation, veterans, the arts and other causes.

The DMV required at least 7,500 pre-orders before approving the ag plate. Supporters got about 8,300 through a campaign led by the FFA, formerly the Future Farmers of America, and the California Agricultural Teachers Association.

"They worked their tails off to get this thing done," Jim Aschwanden, executive director of the association, told the San Jose Mercury News.

The plate features a yellow sunburst over green row crops, with the words "Food, fiber, fuel, flora." That covers everything from tomatoes and cotton to firewood and roses.

"I think once people see it, more of them are going to say, 'That's something I want to support,' " said Joe DiGrazia, an ag teacher at Turlock High School.

The FFA serves about 67,000 students in high schools and colleges around the state. About 255,000 California children and teens take part in 4-H.

Both programs offer career and leadership training for their members, many of them not from farm families.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture helps promote the new plates.

"We need new farmers in California because the average age of a farmer in our state is nearing 60, but the need to fill other jobs connected to farming is profound," spokesman Steve Lyle told the Mercury News.

Have an idea for the Farm Beat? Contact John Holland at jholland@modbee.com or (209) 578-2385.

AG LICENSE PLATE

• WHEN: The new “California Agriculture” license plates will be available for sale March 18 at www.dmv.ca.gov. People who pre-ordered plates will receive them in the mail in early March.

• HOW MUCH: It’s $50 upfront and $40 a year to renew for plates with standard license numbers. Personalized plates are $98 upfront and $78 a year to renew. The charges are on top of vehicle registration fees.