February 2019 Enews

Honor the Durrers at this year’s Stanislaus County Alumni and Friends Dinner

Tickets are still available for the 16th annual Ag One - Stanislaus County Alumni and Friends dinner at Durrer’s Barn in Modesto. This year it is our pleasure to honor Louie and Leo Durrer for their involvement and many contributions to education and agriculture in our community. Proceeds from the event will be added to the Ag One – Stanislaus County Alumni and Friends Scholarship endowment fund. Please join us in honoring the Durrer’s and celebrating with their family. Read More

 

Common Threads Awards celebrating women in agriculture

Please join us in recognizing this year’s honorees Kathy Briano, Visalia; Tina Carreiro, Lemoore; Giovanna DePaoli, Strathmore; Marcia Shafer, Parlier; and Margaret Mims, Fresno at the upcoming Common Threads Awards Luncheon on March 27. Ag One, the Jordan College and the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation continue the tradition to annually honor the lives of outstanding Valley women. For more information or to purchase your tickets.

 

Portuguese Soup Festival and Book Presentation – 4th Annual Celebration

The Jordan College thanks the Tulare–Angra Sister City Foundation for its ongoing support and celebration of the Portuguese-Americans here in our Valley and Fresno State. On January 26, the Foundation hosted a dinner of traditional Portuguese soups, bread and desserts. During the program, Jordan College Dean Sandra Witte expressed gratitude for the partnership that is strengthening our programs and offering new travel-learn and internship experiences for our students. The dinner festivities were followed by a book presentation, “The Tenth Island” by author Dianna Marcum, who shared her beautiful and life-changing experiences in the Azorean islands with the guests.

 

Bulldoggers Rodeo Annual Banquet – Roping in Success

The Fresno State Bulldoggers Rodeo team held their annual banquet on February 2 at the Clovis Rodeo Grounds. The sold-out dinner dance was preceded by a golf tournament earlier in the day, and featured a great meal, auctions and a live band. Over 400 people kicked up their boots and reined in a good time, raising $50,000 to support the student-athletes on the rodeo team. Special announcements that night included acknowledging the students who have achieved Academic All American status, high GPA student recognition and congratulations to the Men’s Team – currently No. 1 in the West Coast Region, and the Women’s Team – No. 5. The dean also announced the opportunity to match a recently committed pledge of up to $500,000. If you are interested in supporting the team, please visit their support web page 

 

Generous donors support Ag Mechanics and the University Ag Laboratory

As they close their well-known and beloved shop to retire after 45 years in business, Pinedale Lawnmower Center, owner Manuel Rodriquez and his wife Alice donate thousands of parts, pieces of equipment and shelving to support the Agricultural Mechanics program and the University Agricultural Laboratory (the Farm). Their gift will help supply items that are regularly used in class and labs dedicated to small engines, student projects and areas on the school’s farm. See the Video.

 

Portuguese Lecture Series, Launch of Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute

The Jordan College, along with the College of Arts and Humanities and the College of Social Sciences, through the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute at Fresno State, proudly welcomed Vasco Alves Cordeiro, president of the Government of the Azores, on Feb 13. His visit included a combination of events to launch the institute’s lecture series sponsored by the Luso-American Development Foundation.

Mark your calendar for the next lecture “Portuguese-Americans in Valley Agriculture: Family, Heritage and Commitment.”  A panel of alumni and friends will tell their personal stories of immigration and agriculture. Panelists are Fred Fagundes, Owner/Partner, Fagundes Farms and Dairies (Chowchilla); Richard Machado, President, Agrian (Fresno); Tony Nunes, Owner, Nunes Dairy (Merced) and his daughter Kristine Nunes, Underwriter-Zenith Insurance Company (Fresno); Maria Silveira, VP of Labor Relations, Foster Farms (Livingston) on March 13 at 6 p.m. in Agriculture building room #109. For more information on the institute’s schedule of events, please contact Denis Borges at dborges@mail.fresnostate.edu or Ag One. See Photos here 

 

 

State of the University given to college and University stakeholders

On January 29, President Joseph I. Castro and other cabinet members delivered the State of the University to Jordan College and University stakeholders. The morning began with breakfast, followed by a program that highlighted our president’s medalists, academic success, athletic updates and the trajectory of Fresno State. 2018 was a bold year filled with many accomplishments. Guests were given a copy of a special publication created for the program. To download a copy of the State of the University newspaper. 

Leaving a legacy for future Bulldogs

Fresno Stata alumni John and Sally Savona, who felt a lifelong passion for being Bulldogs, have become members of the University’s Heritage Society. A recent tour of the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology facilities and meeting faculty, staff and students, led them to include a generous donation to the agricultural program in their estate plans. “We want to share some of our prosperity and provide for the future, and what better place for education than our alma mater – it’s where higher education help start our careers and lives. Agriculture feeds the world and the students being served by the Jordan College are carrying on the extremely noble profession that is constantly evolving and becoming more technical. The Jordan College plays an important part in preparing students for those careers,” John said.

 

Fresno State and APC co-host diary Calf Health Workshop

On January 23, the Fresno State Dairy Science Program co-hosted a Dairy Calf Health Workshop with industry leaders in functional proteins and calf health, APC. Representatives from Iowa including Dr. Joy Campbell, Senior Director of Research & Development; Wiley Houchins, Vice President of Business Development; California Regional Sales Managers, Kelsey Vant Voort and Michael Gomes; and consultant Dr. Steve Hayes joined our Fresno State Professor of Dairy Science, Dr. Kyle Thompson for the workshop. Together, they presented a one-day seminar for industry, staff and students on managing the first 24 hours of calf health, the critical first several weeks of life, and positioning calves for healthy growth and weaning. Additional round table breakout sessions were included throughout lunch. We thank APC for bringing their expertise and sharing their industry support for our dairy science program.

 

The Jordan College hosts California Ag Leadership Graduation

California Agricultural Leadership Foundation class 48 celebrated its graduation at Fresno State and with representatives including President Castro, Dean Witte, and Dr. Alex Alexandrou among others, on February 9. The commencement ceremony was the culmination of the intensive 17-month program dedicated to leadership theory, strategic agility, effective communication, motivation, critical thinking, change management, emotional intelligence and other skills that contribute to improved performance, and immersion into complex social and cultural issues. Congratulations to the graduates of class 48 for your dedication to the future of agriculture. Read More

 

Fresno State at the World Ag Expo

The Jordan College visited the 2019 World Ag Expo on February 14, starting the day with the California Ag Leadership Alumni breakfast. President Castro, Dean Witte, faculty and staff made visits throughout the farm show, handed out Fresno State ice cream in the Education and Women in Ag building, and had radio spots with Ray Appleton on KMJ and ESPN radio. Former Ag One Foundation president Don Parreira and Bill Vogt of Ultra Gro represented Ag One and the college as alumni on ESPN radio as well.

 

Unified Grape Symposium identifies emerging trends and innovation

The Jordan College dean, faculty and staff attended the Unified Grape Symposium in Sacramento this year to be a part of the nearly 14,000 attendees from all over the globe, including exhibitors from nearly 30 countries. This three-day conference has, for the last 25 years, become the hub for where grape industry leaders and professionals meet to discuss the latest news and share strategies for staying abreast of changing markets, technologies and regulations. In addition, the Jordan College’s Department of Viticulture and Enology hosted an alumni social where Dr. Stephan Sommer, the new director of the Viticulture and Enology Research Center, was introduced. Read More

 

Welcome Baby Hemsath

We are delighted to announce that Sadie Hemsath (Ag One program specialist), her husband Josh and proud big brother J.D. welcomed baby Brody Robert on Monday, February 11. While Sadie is away on maternity leave through May, please contact Shannon Fast or the Ag One office (559.278.4266) regarding any upcoming events.

 

Planting Seeds of Success

• The annual Harvesting Leaders of Tomorrow Career Fair was held on January 30 at Fresno State’s Satellite Student Union featuring over 50 employers from agricultural-related companies and government agencies serving nearly 400 students who attended.
• Get mooo’ving on your tickets and sponsorships for this year’s annual Fresno State Dairy Club banquet to be held on March 16. Students from the dairy science program are hosting a fundraising dinner to support the program. Tickets are $75 and sponsorships are available. The dinner program will include a social hour, three-course meal and auction. For more information, contact club president, Makayla Toste at FresnoStateDairyClub@gmail.com. Or download the invitation.
• The department of Industrial Technology released their 2018/19 newsletter. Stay tuned for the next newsletter your ext newsletter to be released in May of 2019. 

Important Dates

March 7         Stanislaus County Alumni and Friends Dinner

March 8-9      Bulldoggers Collegiate Home Rodeo                                   

March 16       Dairy Club Banquet

March 17-23  National Ag Week

March 18-21  Basic Farm/Rural Appraisal Trainings

March 27       Common Threads Awards Luncheon

April 13          FFA State Field Day Judging Contest Finals

May 2            Northern San Joaquin Valley Alumni and Friends Reception

May 13          Turf Day

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