Photo courtesy of the Santa Barbara County Farm Day,.
SANTA MARIA — Over 120 high school students will be volunteering during the 8th Annual Santa Barbara County Farm Day, Saturday, September 19, at farms and agricultural organizations throughout the county.
The teens, many of them enrolled in agricultural-related school programs, will greet and check in visitors at each of the participating 18 Farm Day sites. They will also help distribute thousands of pounds of fresh produce at Bonipak in Santa Maria at its Bonipak Farm Day Street Fair held in conjunction with Farm Day.
“Volunteering at Farm Day enables students to see that there is so much more to agriculture than the harvesting portion,” says Tyler A. Dickinson, an agriculture teacher at Pioneer Valley High School in Santa Maria. Dickinson coordinates the Farm Day volunteers. “They learn firsthand how farms operate. It broadens their perspective. They see career opportunities within the ag industry and the importance of the work that literally feeds the world.”
Santa Barbara County Farm Day is organized by Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG), a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. Its mission is to educate students and the greater community about the farm origins of our food and agriculture’s contribution to our nutritional well-being.
Farm Day visitors select the sites they want to visit from a trail map (https://sbcfarmday.org/map) and then travel at their own pace. Farm Day is free and includes farm tours, kid-friendly activities, and produce giveaways. Hours are 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Dickinson says he’s already seen students pursue degrees and careers in agriculture. “Two former students are working at SEEAG, teaching the next generation about the importance of agriculture and the opportunities available within the industry,” he says.
Students take part in training sessions prior to Farm Day. They will receive school credit for their Farm Day volunteer work.
“We appreciate the volunteers, donors and sponsors that make Santa Barbara County Farm Day a success,” says Caitlin Paulus Case, SEEAG’s executive director. “They are the reason we are able to hold events such as Santa Barbara County Farm Day at no cost to the public.”
Santa Barbara County Farm Day sponsors include Allan Hancock College, AgWest Farm Credit, Bejo Seeds, Bonipak Produce/Betteravia Farms, Cal Coast Machinery, California Giant Berry Farms, Community Bank of Santa Maria, Driscoll’s, Engel & Gray, Grower-Shipper Association, Plantel Nurseries, Santa Barbara Foundation, Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, The Land Trust for Santa Barbara, Wish Farm Family Foundation and Wood-Claeyssens Foundation.
For more information about Santa Barbara County Farm Day and to register, visit https://sbcfarmday.org or call 805-892-8155. By registering, you receive updates on new sites and a QR code for quick entry to all locations.