Contest Winners Presented at Annual Celebration
A record crowd attended the National Agriculture Spring Luncheon held March 14 at the Santa Cruz County Fair Heritage Hall in Watsonville. The Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau and the educational organization Agri-Culture coordinate the annual event.
The 2018 Al Smith Friend of Agriculture award was presented at the luncheon to Santa Cruz County Bank for the company’s strong support of local agriculture. The award was announced and presented by Ted Burke, Owner, and Shadowbrook Restaurant, who was the 2017 award recipient.
This award is named after Al Smith who was the founder of Orchard Supply Hardware and who donated 3,000 acres (Swanton Pacific Ranch) on our north coast to Cal Poly.
This ranch has row crops, timber and even a one-third-scale railroad, which was Al’s hobby. The Al Smith award is on a piece of redwood with a train depicted on it. It is presented annually to an individual, business or organization not involved in production agriculture but has done much for the industry.
Also presented at the luncheon were the winner of the 2018 National Ag Day Poster and Poetry Contests. Balam Landaverry, 2nd Grade, Holy Cross School, won the poster contest. And Kayley Batt, 7th Grade, Monte Vista Christian School, won the Poetry Contest and read her poem at the event. Attached is a list of all winners.
It was announced at the luncheon Meghan Clifton was selected as the 2018 recipient of the Jimmie Cox Memorial Scholarship.
Master of Ceremonies for the event was Farm Bureau President Thomas Broz. Thomas spoke about the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau’s “2018 – Year of the Membership.”
Other notables in attendance include County Supervisor Zach Friend; Scotts Valley Councilmember Stephany Aguilar, Watsonville City Council members Felipe Hernandez and Trina Coffman-Gomez, and Georgia Acosta, Trustee, PVUSD.
Santa Cruz County Bank
2018 Al Smith “Friend Of Agriculture” Winner
Santa Cruz County Bank (SCCB) first opened its doors on Feb 3, 2004 with one location in Santa Cruz. Today, SCCB has five banking offices throughout the county in Aptos, Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville.
As an agricultural lender, Santa Cruz County Bank has supported innovation within the agricultural industry, from organics to logistics, helping numerous farmers and agriculture industry business owners grow and prosper.
SCCB has been a long-term supporter of the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau and Agri-Culture through Sponsorship and Participation over the years in the Progressive Dinner, National Ag Day luncheon, Down to Earth “DEW” Luncheon, Golf Tournament and Focus Agriculture.
Santa Cruz County Bank is a top ranked USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) lender in the state of California, and approved USDA B&I (Business and Industry) and FSA (Farm Service Agency) lender.
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2018 National Agriculture Day Contest Winners
Poster Contest:
- 1st Place: Balam Landaverry, 2nd Grade Holy Cross School Santa Cruz
- 2nd Place: Mateo Ballard 2nd Grade Holy Cross School Santa Cruz
- 3rd Place: Ava Cowden, 2nd Grade Holy Cross School Santa Cruz
Honorable Mention
Ximena Molina, 3rd Grade Watsonville Charter School of the Arts Watsonville • Adan Fernandez, 3rd Grade Watsonville Charter School of the Arts Watsonville • Isaiah Villalobos, 3rd Grade Watsonville Charter School of the Arts Watsonville • Jack Yoshimura, 2nd Grade Holy Cross School Santa Cruz • Esperanza Diaz-Estrada, 2nd Grade Holy Cross School Santa Cruz
Poetry Contest:
- 1st Place and Overall Winner: Kayley Batt, 7th Grade “A Fruit’s Lifetime” Monte Vista Christian School Watsonville
- 2nd Place: Evan Doane, 7th Grade “The Harvest” Monte Vista Christian School Watsonville
- 3rd Place: Ethan Robinson, 7th Grade “Santa Cruz Lady Bug Monte Vista Christian School Watsonville
Honorable Mentions
Ahna Uchida, 7th Grade “The Farmers Market” Monte Vista Christian School Watsonville • Collen Murata, 7th Grade “A Spider on a Farm” Watsonville High School Watsonville • Alyssa Parra, 7th Grade “Pajaro Valley” Monte Vista Christian School Watsonville • Cassidy Blomquist, 7th Grade “Santa Cruz Day” Monte Vista Christian School Watsonville • Wyatt Hill, 7th Grade “My Hometown Agriculture” Monte Vista Christian School Watsonville