Mark Your Calendars for National Agriculture Day Spring Luncheon

The Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau in conjunction with the organization, Agri-Culture, will again host the National Agriculture Day Spring Luncheon. It will be March 16 at the Agricultural History Project’s Codiga Center and Museum at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.

Steve Tjosvold, environmental horticulture adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension, will speak on the subject, “Of Crops and Kids," and Michael Olson, host of KSCO radio’s "Food Chain" program, will be the master of ceremonies.

A highlight of the National Agriculture Day Spring Luncheon will be the presentation of the Al Smith Friend of Agriculture Award. Al Smith was the founder of Orchard Supply Hardware and donated 3,000 acres in the North Coast—Swanton Pacific Ranch—to Cal Poly. The ranch has row crops, timber and even a one-third-scale railroad, which was Smith’s hobby. The award is presented annually to an individual, business or organization not involved in production agriculture but has done much for the industry. 

This year’s Al Smith Friend of Agriculture Award will be presented by last year’s honoree, Catherine Barr, executive director of the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Market.

Also, the farm bureau and Agri-Culture will co-sponsor a poster contest for kindergarten through grade six and poetry contest for grades seven-12 in Santa Cruz County and Pajaro Valley schools. The winning entries will be displayed during the luncheon. Deadline for entries for both contests is Feb. 24.

A placemat featuring the 2010 poster contest winner, Emma Sofia Ilstrup, a second-grader at Westlake Elementary Schoola in Santa Cruz, will be showcased on the tables at the luncheon. Also on the placemat will be the winning poetry entry by Nikki Resendez, a sophomore at Monte Vista Christian High School. Approximately 16,000 placemats will be distributed free to restaurants throughout Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley. This year’s contest winners will be introduced at the luncheon.

Another feature of the National Agriculture Day Spring Luncheon is the presentation of the Jimmie Cox Memorial Scholarship. The selection of the Jimmie Cox Memorial Scholarship is based upon the student’s scholastic record, agricultural potential, special activities, personal histories, letters of recommendation and financial need. The scholarship is a $2,000 award for a student entering or already enrolled in college and majoring in agriculture. The deadline to apply is Feb. 25; applications are available at agri-culture.us/programs/scholarships.

The luncheon costs $35 per person. Make reservations at sccfb.com/events/national-ag-day-luncheon. If you or your company would like to sponsor the luncheon or the placemat, please contact the farm bureau office as soon as possible at 831-724-1356.

For more information about the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau, visit sccfb.com.