Ag education gets state support

Gov. Jerry Brown proposes to keep a $4.1 million grant program that helps high schools teach farming and related skills.

Meanwhile, the same cause has started to get money from the sale of agriculture-themed license plates to California drivers. Programs in San Joaquin and Calaveras counties got some of the first money.

The governor supported the Agricultural Education Incentive Grant program for the 2015-16 fiscal year at the behest of supporters who said it is crucial to ag ed and the related Future Farmers of America. The money is in the proposed budget released earlier this month.

A year ago, Brown left the money out as part of his effort to greatly reduce the number of school programs with specific funding. The administration noted that school districts were getting more money overall and could put some into ag ed if they valued it. The grants were restored through a separate bill.

“Last year students, parents, teachers and whole agricultural communities rallied to protect FFA,” Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, said in a news release. “While we still want to keep an eye on the numbers going forward, it appears that this year FFA is safe and sound.”

The license plates started to be sold in 2013 through the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Buyers pay an extra fee to support FFA, 4-H and other ag education efforts.

The $215,670 in grants announced last week includes $150,000 in general support for FFA. Smaller grants included:

▪ $10,700 to the San Joaquin Farm Bureau for its Ag in the Classroom program. The money will go to a series of tours for kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers, who then will share what they learned about food sources with their students.

▪ $22,960 to Calaveras High School FFA for its Ag Mentorship Project. A local farmer will host visits and help fix up the campus farm. The students also will help out at elementary school gardens.

▪ $25,000 for the educational farm at the Orange County Fair and Event Center.

▪ $7,010 for farm tours in the areas served by Woodland College and Butte College to showcase ag careers.

More than 9,000 of the plates have been sold so far. They feature a yellow sunburst over green row crops, with the words “food, fiber, fuel, flora.”

“The projects being funded are great examples of how to connect students and consumers to agriculture and the many career possibilities within the food and agricultural system,” said Karen Ross, food and agriculture secretary for Brown, in the announcement.

This story was originally published January 18, 2015 at 7:57 PM with the headline "Ag education gets state support."