Ceres will honor ag leaders, students

The Ceres Chamber of Commerce will honor four agriculture students Thursday, along with a few people who are well into accomplished ag careers.

The 31st annual Agribusiness Awards Luncheon will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Ceres Community Center, 2701 Fourth St. The keynote speaker will be Brandi LoForti, president of the Stanislaus County chapter of California Women for Agriculture.

The chamber will present $500 scholarships to high school students Andrew Dias, Gabriella Germann, David Montufar Jr. and Kailee Fox. The other awards will be a surprise – the Agribusiness Man and Woman of the Year, the Grant Lucas Memorial Award and the Agribusiness of the Year.

The luncheon is the main fundraiser for chamber scholarships at Ceres High School and Central Valley High School. The $25 tickets can be purchased at the chamber office, 209-537-2601, or at www.cereschamber.com. They will not be sold at the door.

Elsewhere on the Farm Beat:

Farmers, ranchers and forest managers can capture gases believed to be changing the climate with help from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The federal agency has allotted $4.3 million for efforts in California that include storing carbon in soil, improved handling of nitrogen, creating healthy forests and using energy efficiently.

Landowners can project the results of the various practices through an online service of Colorado State University, cometfarm.nrel.colostate.edu. For more information on the funding, visit www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov.

People who would like to harvest some fruit – and enjoy live music and many other activities – can come to the Pick and Gather at Riverdance Farms, near Livingston.

The 12th annual event will be June 4 and 5 at 12230 Livingston Cressey Road. It will feature farming demonstrations, storytelling, artisans, kids’ games, tractor hayrides, an alternative energy showcase and more.

The farm has organic blueberries, strawberries and cherries to pick. The Saturday portion includes the Merced River Fair, with science lessons, kayaking and other activities.

Saturday’s hours are 10 a.m. until dark or beyond for people who camp overnight. Sunday’s hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The cost Saturday is $10 for general admission and $5 for kids and seniors. Sunday is $5 general and $2 for younger and older patrons. Camping is an additional $15.

More information is at www.riverdancefarms.com, or at 209-761-0081 or 209-241-7130.

This story was originally published May 20, 2016 at 12:57 PM with the headline "Ceres will honor ag leaders, students."