February E-News

The Jordan College unveiled a state-of-the-art citrus packing line on Feb. 8 which was donated by Bee Sweet Citrus, one of the state’s industry leaders. Jim Marderosian, Bee Sweet Citrus founder and president, spoke at the event with Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro, Jordan College Dean Sandra Witte and others. A demonstration of the packing line showcased the equipment, valued at $600,000, which was also provided by six area manufacturers. The packing line can inspect, clean, wash, dry, sort, box, label and seal fruit harvested from the 1,000-acre campus farm. Located in the Bee Sweet Citrus Laboratory on campus, the equipment will provide industrial technology, food science and plant science students with hands-on instruction for mechanical systems and industrial maintenance as they apply to food processing and safety. More| View the time lapse video of equipment installation

 

On Feb. 16, Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro and Mrs. Mary Castro joined Dean Sandra Witte, Associate Dean Kathie Reid-Bevington, Ag One President John Migliazzo and Jordan College faculty and staff at the World Ag Expo in Tulare. During their visit to the expo, the Fresno State group started the day at the California Ag Leadership Breakfast, then met with several Jordan College alumni and friends who exhibited at the Farm Show including: Jim Martin and Larry Isheim from CalWest Rain; Don Parreira from Ultra Gro Plant Food; Marsha Vucovich from Fresno Equipment Company; and Andrew Cummings from TG Schmeiser/Nikkel Iron Works. Dr. Witte and Dr. Castro gave an on-air interview for the Ray Appleton Show on KMJ radio and enjoyed serving Fresno State ice cream with Jordan College Ag Ambassadors in the Ag Careers & Education Center.

 

Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro updated the community on the University’s 2016 successes during his State of the University address Jan. 24 at the Save Mart Center where he announced the formation of a new President’s Commission on the Future of Arts and Humanities that will be charged with considering the establishment of a new performing arts center. More than 700 community leaders, alumni and staff attended the second year of the annual event, during which Castro highlighted Fresno State’s rise in national rankings and strides to support student success. More | Video of President Castro's Speech | 'Get Involved' Video

 

Many thanks to the founders of the “My Job Depends on Ag” movement, Steve Malanca and Erik Wilson, who donated $7,000 to support student scholarships in the Jordan College. The donation was presented to Dean Sandra Witte and President Joseph Castro at the Fresno State Ag Fest Men’s Basketball Game Feb. 4, where President Castro also announced that the university will match this donation to double the scholarship amount. The Jordan College was highlighted throughout Ag Fest, including a livestock petting zoo outside of the Save Mart Center, promotional videos throughout the game, and faculty, staff and students who participated in several on-court promotions. View photos from Ag Fest | More about My Job Depends on Ag

 

Dean Sandra Witte joined past Ag One President Bob Enos along with Ag One Executive Director/Senior Director of Development Alcidia Freitas Gomes, Associate Director of Development Shannon Fast, Associate Director of the Institute for Food and Agriculture Dr. Bill Erysian and volunteers at the second-annual Tulare-Angra do Heroismo Sister City Foundation soup dinner on Jan. 28. Attendees enjoyed traditional Portuguese dancing performed by  Tulare High School students who also engaged Dean Witte and other guests in the cultural experience. The Tulare-Angra do Heroismo Sister City Foundation is a partner in the student exchange program between Fresno State and the University of the Azores for students majoring in agriculture. More

 

Dr. James (Jim) Moller of Minneapolis has pledged with his wife, Carol, $250,000 to support agricultural mechanics in the Jordan College. Jim wishes to honor his father, Leonard, for his love of agriculture and of working with his hands. Among his many talents in life, Leonard owned a machine shop in downtown Fresno where Jim grew up watching his father work on equipment, which included helping local farmers. With this gift, Jim and Carol are able to make an immediate impact on agricultural mechanics students by helping to upgrade their equipment and laboratory.

 

 

Jim Kuhtz, Jr., his wife Beverly and their family visited Ag One to meet the recipient of their Ag One - James C. Kuhtz scholarship award. The family established the endowed scholarship in 2001 to honor the patriarch of their family, Jim Kuhtz, Sr. following his passing earlier that year. Jim, Sr. revolutionized dairy herd management with his herd analysis program, Dairy Mating Service, a tool which continues today. The James C. Kuhtz scholarship fund provides a yearly support to a deserving student with a demonstrated interest in the dairy industry. This year’s recipient is Jacen Quesada who is pursuing a career in dairy science and currently works at the dairy production unit at Fresno State.

 

The Fresno State Sigma Alpha sorority is hosting the "Walk for Rosemary" charity walk fundraiser at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 18 to support its member and senior agricultural education student Rosamaria Meza in her battle with Ewing’s Sarcoma cancer. The 5K campus walk is scheduled to start at the Free Speech Area next to the Library, and those interested are asked to sign up in advance. More info

Planting seeds of success…

• Congratulations to senior Hunter Berry, a Fresno State Agricultural Business senior from San Jacinto, who finished top four nationally in the American Farm Bureau Federation FUSION discussion contest in Pittsburgh!
  
• Fresno State's viticulture and enology program was well represented at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium at the Sacramento Convention Center late January.
• New Fresno State Dairy Science professor, Dr. Kyle Thompson, and the Dairy Club are hard at work preparing for the reintroduction of the Dairy Club banquet scheduled for May 6, 2017 at the International Agri-Center in Tulare. Mark your calendars and stay tuned!
• The Jordan College Advising and Career Development Center hosted the “Harvesting the Leaders of Tomorrow” career fair on Feb. 2 in conjunction with the USDA. Students engaged with more than 40 ag companies and USDA/federal agencies.
• The Department of Viticulture and Enology also hosted an internship and career fair on Feb. 8.
• Dr. Anil Shrestha is serving as the Interim Chair of the Department of Viticulture and Enology, learn more about Dr. Shrestha.
• President Castro, Arts & Humanities Dean Dr. Saul Jimenez-Sandoval & sheep unit manager John Cordeiro recently spoke to 230 Portuguese language students from Tulare Union High School, Tulare Western High & Mission Oak High School and members of the SOPAS-Society of Portuguese-American Students cultural club. 
• Plant Science student wins California Weed Science award.
  
• Center for Water Technology receives $500,000 grant for energy innovation. 

Meet our staff 

Sadie Hemsath – Assistant Director of Development
Sadie graduated from Fresno State in 2012 with a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Communications. During her college career she was a news intern for University Communications and worked part-time at the Fresno County Farm Bureau. Following graduation, she worked at the Kern County Farm Bureau before joining the Ag One/Jordan College Development team in September 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

Kristine Lor – Accounting and Administrative Professional
Kristine graduated from Front Range Community College in 1995 with an Associate's Degree in Business Administration. She moved from Denver to Fresno in 2009 and has worked in accounting for many years. She started at Fresno State in the Accounting Department before joining the Ag One/Jordan College Development team in March 2015.

Stay tuned for next month’s issue when we’ll introduce the rest of our wonderful staff!

 

 

 

Important Dates 

 

• March 9, 2017 – Stanislaus County Alumni and Friends Dinner, Modesto
• March 15, 2017 – Recruit Down the 99 and Beyond Career and Internship Expo, 1:30 – 5 p.m., Fresno State
• March 22, 2017 – Common Threads Awards Luncheon, Tulare
• April 27, 2017 - Ag Business Club Banquet; for more information, contact the Ag Business Department at559.278.2949, stephenn@csufresno.edu
• May 1, 2017 – Turf Day Golf Classic, Belmont Country Club
• May 6, 2017 - Dairy Club Banquet, Tulare
• June 14, 2017 - North Bay Alumni and Friends Dinner, Santa Rosa
• July 14, 2017 – Community Salute honoring the Borba Family, Fresno Convention Center Exhibit Hall

 

 Become an Ag One Member!

If you’re not already a member, please consider joining Ag One and receive 10% off selected items like wine and olive oil at the Rue and Gwen Gibson Farm Market!