2016 September E-News

The 2016 Fantasy Vacation raffle was once again a fun and exciting drawing.  The raffle is one of Ag One's efforts to provide financial support to deserving students, as well as supporting the many programs in the Jordan College. Thank you to everyone who supported through sponsorships, donation and raffle ticket purchases. Every year, one lucky Fantasy Vacation winning ticket is drawn at the Ag Boosters BBQ. This year's Fantasy Vacation winner is Mr. Bryan Bone of Bryan Bone Farms, out of Bakersfield, CA.  Bryan will get to choose from our Fantasy Vacation offerings, which include: the Azores Islands, Canyon Country USA, Costa Rica, Dalmatian Elegance - Croatia,  and the ever popular Ireland. Congratulations Bryan! 

On September 9, world-renowned animal welfare expert, Dr. Temple Grandin spent the day with Jordan College students, visited our University Agricultural Laboratory animal units and spoke at the Fresno State Satellite Student Union, presenting on animal welfare and consumer concerns. Her visit was sponsored by the Fresno State Animal Welfare Club in the department of Animal Science and Agricultural Education and included a book signing. Other sponsoring organizations included the California Poultry Federation, Fresno State Poultry Science Club, Associated Students, Inc., the California Autism Center and Ag One. Grandin was the subject of an HBO biography in 2010 that chronicled her success in becoming an innovative animal behaviorist while overcoming her struggles with autism. She has been named to the Time 100 list of the world’s most influential people in the heroes category. View our 2016 - Temple Grandin Visit photo album on Flickr. 

September 4th through the 17th, 7 stuents and 2 professors from the University of the Azores visited California and spent time with Fresno State faculty, staff and students for their two-week travel-learn program, learning about agriculture in the state and Central Valley. Fresno State's partnership with the University of the Azores focuses on an exchange program for students and faculty to experience agriculture in both countries and creates educational and research opportunities for program participants at both institutions. The next exchange will occur in the spring semester. Jordan College students along with professors John Cordeiro (Animal Science) and Sonet Van Zyl (Viticulture) will experience agriculture in the Azores. Watch the video documentary on our new partnership with the University of the Azores.

On July 28th, Jordan Agricultural Research Center Entomology Lab Sponsor, Bayer CropScience, spent the day meeting with faculty, staff and college leadership in the first semi-annual meeting to develop a strategic plan for the partnership. The college and Bayer are working to further their already strong relationship; an effort that focuses on talent development in order to provide internship and job opportunities for current students, continued research on pests effecting agriculture in the Central Valley, collaboration with students and faculty to address key issues facing agriculture, and other opportunities that have yet to be defined. In an ongoing effort to discover additional ways to partner, the college spent a half-day visiting the Bayer research farm in Fresno (one of four that Bayer operates across the nation), to engage our plant science faculty and staff directly with key research and project opportunities. Get more information from our press release on the endowment gift to from Bayer to the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology program. 

On August 18 and 19 Fresno State's Institute for Food and Agriculture partnered with industry to host the first Advanced Olive Milling Seminar at Fresno State. The event brought together over 40 olive millers from across the state, college leadership, and University Agricultural Laboratory staff to the new Jordan Agricultural Research Center for a two-day seminar. Attendees exchanged information about processing practices for one of the state’s top emerging agricultural products through technical forums, discussions and tastings. A mobile milling unit also demonstrated traditional processing methods and a new ultrasonic method using olives from the campus farm’s 18.5-acre orchard. A final evaluation session was held in the Jordan Agricultural Research Center’s Olam Sensory Evaluation Laboratory. 

Each year, generous alumni David Hill ('75) and Parke Halvorson ('71) continue a fun tradition at the Ag Boosters BBQ (co-hosted by Ag One and California Women for Agriculture). David and Parke each donate a hand-crafted, custom-made item to the event that generates thousands of dollars each and every year. At this year's BBQ, David's highly coveted and well decorated birdhouse sold for $3,550, while Parke's beautiful hand-made wine barrel ice chest sold for $2,100. The friendly competition these two alumni have each year, has brought significant support to Ag One, student and programs in the Jordan College. We thank David and Parke for their amazing talent and treasure! 

Planting seeds of success…

 

Growth continues in the Jordan College with 9 new faculty added to teach in the the 2016-17 academic year. The college welcomes these new faculty in animal sciences and agricultural education (Dr. Katy Tarrant, Dr. Kyle Thompson, Dr. Avery Culbertson), agricultural business (Dr. Jiaochen Liang, not pictured), child, family and consumer sciences (Dr. Rhett Billen, Dr. Andrea Roach), food science and nutrition (Dr. Shabnam Pooya, Dr. Sara Shinn) and plant science (Dr. Gurreet Brar). Also pictured is Dr. Serhat Asci who joined the Agricultural Business department in 2015. 

On August 2, Fresno State’s Department of Viticulture and Enology hosted area grape growers, managers, winemakers and winery personnel at its annual Grape Day event. Grape Day, sponsored by American Vineyard Magazine, featured research updates and seminars on grape and wine topics by Fresno State faculty and a special presentation by Senior enology student Elizabeth Ramey.  The event was held at the Department of Viticulture and Enology and included a tour of Fresno State’s vineyards and of the new 30,000-square foot Jordan Agricultural Research Center.

  

Important Dates