Agricultural Business Student Research Spotlight: Andrew Bertuccio

Even though Fresno State students started finals week today, soon-to-be #FresnoStateGrad Andrew Bertuccio won't have to worry about that since he only took one class this spring.

The only thing remaining for his Jordan College Honors Cohort class is a research paper for his study related to almond orchard real estate value trends in the area.

The 3.99 student has also been busy this spring working full-time for Yosemite Farm Credit, which he started last December after a pair of internships for the company.

Learn more about the Merced native and first-generation college graduate in this recent interview.

 

Q: Why did you choose to become a Bulldog?

Bertuccio: "I chose to attend Fresno State primarily due to the excellent reputation of the Jordan College of Agriculture Sciences and Technology."

Q: Talk about any research you been involved with on campus, and how will it benefit your career path and others?
 
Bertuccio: "For my Jordan College Honors Cohort project I researched the impact of almond plantings and land values in the San Joaquin Valley. General data sources included county level crop reports and “Trends in Agricultural Land and Lease Values" annual reports from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers."

Bertuccio: "I picked this topic after completing an agricultural real estate appraisal internship at Yosemite Farm Credit. I found the substantial increase of almond plantings and simultaneous rise in land values as interesting. I figured that by establishing a correlation between these variables it could potentially allow for a better understanding of economic decision making in the San Joaquin Valley’s agricultural real estate market."

Bertuccio: "During this research, I learned a lot about other parts of the San Joaquin Valley and their land allocations. Growing up in Merced County I have a good understanding of the way our land has historically been allocated, but it was interesting to learn about the differing crop makeup throughout other counties."

 

Q: Which faculty members had the biggest influence on you while at Fresno State?
 
Bertuccio: "Dr. Serhat Asci provided me amazing support beginning my freshman year by offering me career advice, writing letters of recommendation, and being an awesome teacher and research mentor. I have worked with him on this research topic after he derived a land allocation model to establish the correlation between almond plantings and land values. He also provided a great amount of guidance on other aspects of the project."

 

Q: What was your background in agriculture before you started at Fresno State?

Bertuccio: "Prior to Fresno State, I worked for my family’s custom hay business where we operate bale wagons and retrievers to stack and transport hay for ranchers and dairymen. This instilled in me the value of hard work and the importance of agriculture."
 
 
Q: Have you received any scholarships related to campus, the Jordan College and/or Ag One?  
 
Bertuccio: "I have received the Ag One – Max and Verda Foster Memorial Scholarship and the Ag One – S & J Ranch Scholarship. I also received the Smittcamp Family Honors Scholarship."

 

Q: Have you participated in any other outreach activities/events that benefited the community?
 
Bertuccio: "My volunteer experience in Fresno includes time spent at the Poverello House and Valley Animal Center."

 

Q: Have you been involved with any professional conferences?
 
Bertuccio: "I enjoyed attending the 36th Annual Agribusiness Management Conference “California Agriculture: The View in 2025”, and ASFMRA Outlook 2020 Agribusiness Conference Webinar."

 

Q: What's your potential next career step, and how do you plan to use your degree with eventually?
 
Bertuccio: "I recently started my career as a credit analyst with Yosemite Farm Credit, an agricultural lender serving farmers in the San Joaquin Valley. I had completed two internship programs in their appraisal department and in the lending area. These programs were extremely beneficial to me, and gave me crucial knowledge and hands-on experience with the agricultural finance field, the economics of San Joaquin Valley agriculture and the role of the farm credit system." 

Bertuccio: "My research experience will also certainly benefit me during my career. The knowledge of San Joaquin Valley agriculture and the knowledge of land values and factors that affect value are essential when analyzing collateral for our loans."