Focus Agriculture Class XXVI, 2015

Focus Agriculture is Agri-Culture’s “first-in-the-nation” educational program. It is an opportunity for community leaders to participate in a nine-session intensive program acquiring knowledge about a broad spectrum of agriculture. The once-a-month day-long seminars, including farm tours and hands-on experience, cover such topics as:

• Production and labor
• Ethnic groups in agriculture
• Government relations and politics
• Regional diversity of commodities produced
• Environment and technology
• Marketing and foreign competition
• Farm tours and hands-on experience

Agri-Culture will grant each class member $1,500 toward the tuition expense. The class member will pay the remaining $500. One hundred dollars will be refunded if the participant has achieved 100% attendance for all sessions.

Twenty-one graduates for Class XXVI

Robin Boyle – Director of Marketing and Sales, California Certified Organic Farmers
Shannon Brady – Philanthropy Director, Palo Alto Medical Foundation/Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center
Jimmy Dutra – Councilmember, City of Watsonville
Marcus Frost – Director of Development and Communications, Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History
Rebecca Garcia – Councilmember, City of Watsonville
Javier Gomez – Representative, State Assemblymember Luis Alejo
Celeste Gutierrez – Project Specialist, Santa Cruz County Office of Education
Eileen Hill – Associate Director, Cabrillo College Foundation
Sarah Hulick – Communications and Extension Specialist, Driscoll Strawberry Associates
Meg Janes – Tax Manager, Plantronics, Inc.
April Jernberg – Soil Conservationist, United States Department of Agriculture
Maritza Pozzi-Loyola – Private Event Director, Seascape Golf Club
Jacob Martinez – Executive Director, Digital NEST
Sheila McDaniel – Land Use Planner, Santa Cruz County Planning Dept.
Rachel Montoya – Controller, Sambrailo Packaging
Josh Morgan – Manager, Café Cruz
Jimmy Panetta – Prosecutor, Monterey County District Attorney’s Office
Brian Spector – Principal, Spector Corbett Architects, Inc
Jon Sisk – SVP- Director of Real Estate/Construction, Santa Cruz County Bank
Tom Takano – Educator
Alec Wasson – President, Idea Farming, Inc.