The Farm Bureau of Ventura County - Students & Teachers - AG in the Classroom, Farm Tours, Farm to School, Junior Master Gardener, California School Garden Network, 4H and FFA

The Next Generation

Less than 2 percent of the U.S. population is directly involved in production agriculture. As a result, relatively few American children grow up with personal knowledge about where their food comes from and how it is produced. As adults, however, they will be expected to make countless decisions — either through their purchasing decisions or by casting ballots — about food, food production and agricultural policy.

Educators, parents and other mentors can play an important role in preparing students to become informed consumers, and helping them understand the implications of policy decisions for the farmers and ranchers who grow their food. Many resources and programs are available to help teachers and others increase agricultural literacy among members of the next generation.

Ag in the Classroom

The California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) provides lesson plans, fact sheets, publications and other materials designed to increase awareness and understanding of agriculture among California’s educators and students.

Click here for more information.

As a partner with the foundation, the Farm Bureau of Ventura County has funding available to sponsor agriculturally related student activities and field trips, to purchase ag literacy resources and to sponsor teacher attendance at the California AITC conference or other AITC events. Teachers who would like to apply for funding are invited to contact the Farm Bureau by e-mail or by calling us at (805) 289-0155.

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Farm Tours

The following Ventura County growers welcome field trips from local schools. Please contact the appropriate farm in advance to arrange a visit.

Deardorff Family Farms
P.O. Box 1188
Oxnard, CA 93032
(805) 487-7801

Friend’s Ranches
15150 Maricopa Hwy, Ojai, CA 93023
(805)646-2871

Keeline Wilcox Nurseries
6135 N. Rose Ave.
Oxnard, CA
(805) 988-0911

Limoneira Co.
1141 Cummings Road
Santa Paula CA 93060
(866) 321-9995

McGrath Family Farm
1012 W. Ventura Blvd.
Camarillo, CA 93010
(805) 983-1211

New Oak Ranch
9599 Ojai-Santa Paula Rd.
Ojai, CA 93023
(805)640-1189

Plants Plus Growers Nursery
8033 Posita Road
Somis, CA 93066
(805) 531-0141

Underwood Family Farms
3370 Sunset Valley Road
Moorpark , CA 93021
(805) 523-2957

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Junior Master Gardener

The University of California Cooperative Extension office in Ventura partners with local schools to offer the Junior Master Gardener program. Through the program, students, teachers and UCCE specialists collaborate on educational activities, including agricultural journalism projects. The local youth ag journalism project has produced two publications: Fields to Fridge and Fish on Your Dish.

Click here for more information about the Ventura County program. Click here to learn about the statewide Junior Master Gardener program.

California School Garden Network

The California School Garden Network includes a variety of state agencies, private companies, educational institutions and non-profit organizations all dedicated to the mission of creating and sustaining gardens in every willing school in California. The network serves as a central organization to distribute resources and support, with the goal of fostering school gardens to enhance academic achievement, a healthy lifestyle, environmental stewardship, and community and social development.

Click here for more information.

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4-H

The University of California’s 4-H Youth Development Program is in every county in the state. Although many of its program activities have an agricultural component, others do not, and the organization is open to all youth ages 9 to 19, whether they’re in small towns, big cities or anything in between.

4-H focuses on giving young people many opportunities to build confidence, learn responsibility, and develop skills that will last them a lifetime. It’s a place where youth make friends and share interests, ranging from building robots to raising rabbits, from designing web pages to landscape design. It’s a place where youth work together to make a positive difference in their community, and adult volunteers make a powerful difference in the lives of young people.

Click here for more information.

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FFA

Formerly known as Future Farmers of America, the National FFA Organization is a school-based program that fosters leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Agriculture teachers become advisors to local FFA chapters, which students join. Members participate and learn advanced career skills in 45 proficiency areas ranging from food science and technology to agricultural communications, wildlife management and production agriculture.

Click here for more information.

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Farm to School

The Community Alliance with Family Farmers Farm-to-School program brings fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables into school cafeterias across California. As a farmer-run organization, CAFF’s program is focused on creating distribution networks that can be used by school nutrition directors to purchase their produce from local farms easily and without increasing their standard food budget. The program also helps forge a connection between students and the local farmers who grow their food. Local participants in the Farm to School program include the Ventura Unified School District.

Click here for more information.

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