BRAWLEY FFA
South Coast Research Center Tour
Submitted by Luz Velarde Rios
Members of the Brawley FFA chapter are given many opportunities to grow out of their
roots. This year during State Convention, members were given the chance to tour South
Coast Research Center; located on 200 acres of deep of alluvial fan soil. Learning about
over 150 varieties of citrus on the facility. The intent of this educational tour is to help kids
learn more on what other cities are able to grow. As well as emphasizing how something
some little like a citrus, goes through a big process just to make it over to your table. Not
only was it all about education, but members were able to have lots of fun. There was lots of
great taste testing and a fun time picking fruit. Also including the super fun tractor ride over
the facility. Brawley FFA members sure did enjoy the time!
MENIFEE-HERITAGE FFA
Elementary School Visit
Submitted by Olivia Figueroa
As a chapter, Menifee-Heritage, constantly strives to become involved within our
community. Our members and officers do everything we can to reach out to those who
want to learn more about agriculture and to help out our community in any way that
we can. We invite elementary school students to visit our farm to have the opportunity
to learn about livestock animals, we go to middle schools talking about our Agriculture
program and classes available to them as high school students, and we go to our
local schools to install planter beds for the students to learn more about agriculture
and the skills of growing plants. We helped install planter beds at the Clearwater
Elementary School in Perris last year and had the opportunity to do it again at Val
Verde Elementary school. Installing the planter beds gives the students the chance
to have a hands-on experience. They have the opportunity to learn not only how to
install the planter beds, but they learn how to plant crops and care for them. Having
a small garden for the elementary students gives them an early start to learning about
agriculture and horticulture.
FIREBAUGH FFA
Sectional Meeting in
Firebaugh
This year the Firebaugh FFA Chapter had the opportunity of hosting
the West Fresno Madera FFA Sectional meeting. This meeting
was focused on the election of the 2019-2020 Sectional Officers.
This year Firebaugh FFA had two candidates running for office:
Amanda Cuen for Historian and Aiden Rodriguez for Sentinel. Each
candidate was slated against another member of the West Fresno
Madera FFA Section; they were asked a series of two questions
and had one minute to give a response. Both Aiden and Amanda
gave great responses to different agricultural topics. Unfortunately,
Aiden did not make the 2019-2020 officer team, but he put forth his
best effort. Amanda, on the other hand, is your newly elected 2019-
2020 West Fresno Madera FFA Sectional Historian.
{ Continued on page 14 }
California FFANEWS • PAGE 12 • Fall 2019