Luncheon benefits ag education in Modesto
More than 300 people turned out Thursday to raise money for programs that teach farming and related skills at Modesto high schools.
The 20th annual Ag Aware luncheon, sponsored by the Modesto Chamber of Commerce and Garton Tractor, featured a keynote speech by Louie Brown, chairman of the California FFA Foundation.
He said FFA, formerly known as Future Farmers of America, trains members to think critically, solve problems and present themselves well.
“They’re teaching you the types of skills that every employer is looking for from every person they hire,” Brown told the FFA members in the crowd.
The luncheon, held at the Modesto Junior College West Campus, supports ag education and the closely tied FFA chapters at Beyer, Davis, Downey, Enochs, Gregori, Johansen and Modesto high schools. They are among the 7,665 chapters and more than 600,000 members across the nation, many of them living in cities and suburbs.
Brown judged dairy cattle as an FFA member in Hanford and now is a Sacramento-based attorney and lobbyist, working mainly on agricultural issues. He helped with last year’s opposition to Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to end a $4.1 million grant program for ag education. The governor not only reversed himself, Louie Brown said, but urged that ag education be the model for other career training.
The audience also heard from current FFA members, including Gregori senior Marisa Bearden. She hopes to become an ag teacher after attending California State University, Chico.
“My love for agriculture has grown, and the passion I have for FFA compares to nothing else,” she said.
The event took place in the Agriculture Center for Education Pavilion, a large, barnlike building where FFA members sometimes compete. It came a few hours before another fundraiser for ag education – the 101st annual meeting of the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau, held at the SOS Club in Modesto.
Bee staff writer John Holland can be reached at jholland@modbee.com or (209) 578-2385.
This story was originally published April 16, 2015 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Luncheon benefits ag education in Modesto."