Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1176210
Fall 2019 Central Coast A Special Adver tising Supplement to Monterey Herald and Santa Cruz Sentinel 2019 Open Farm Tours A self-guided tour of 14 family owned farms in the Corralitos, Watsonville and Royal Oaks areas with tour hub and lunch at Alladin Nursery will be offered on October 12 & 13, from 10 am – 4 pm. The Tour Hub / Alladin Nursery is located at 2905 Freedom Blvd in Watsonville. Meet the farmers at the Open Farm Tours. All farms implement sustainable agriculture practices. Tour the farms at your own pace and learn what is involved in growing our food and how important sustainable farming methods are to the health of the Earth and our community. Register online and download a map to attend the tours at Open- FarmTours.com. Participating farms are: Prevedelli Farm, Blue Heron Farm, Live Earth Farm, Terra Sole Nursery, New Natives Nursery, Blossoms Biodynamic Farm, Thomas Farm, Dos Aguilas Olive Grove, Nelson Family Farm, Luz Del Valle Farm, Monkey Flower Ranch, Fruitilicious Farm & Sol Seeker Farm. All farms are located within a 10- mile radius. Online Google GPS directions make it easy to navigate. Engage in family farming activities like apple juicing, olive curing and U-Picks just to name a few. Learn about the sustainable agriculture methods used to grow our food and spend a day outside getting to know our farming community and each other. Stop by beautiful Alladin Nursery for a delicious farm fresh lunch featuring a fan- tastic assortment of locally sourced food plus desserts, artisanal beverages, beer & wine. Listen to live music and enter our raffle to win prizes donated by the farms and our sponsors. Open Farm Tours is a mission driven collaboration with the Agri-Culture 501C3 organization. Building com- munity through relational wealth by advo- cating for local family farms and a sustainable food system. Website: http://www.open- farmtours.com/ Register for tours at Eventbrite: https://www. eventbrite.com/e/open- farm-tours-2019-tick- ets65744410301 Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/openfarm- tours/ Monterey Mushrooms Awards 99 Academic Scholarships to Employees' Children Monterey Mushrooms presented 99 children of its employees with $239,000 in scholarship awards for the 2019-20 academic year. Some $217,000 was issued to recipients in the United States and another to $22,000 to recipients in Mexico. Dependent children of full-time employees are eligible to apply for a scholar- ship up to $3,000 and for up to four years. The Monterey Mushrooms scholarship program began in 1992. It was renamed the Carl Victor Fields Scholarship Program in 2004 to honor the company's past vice president of marketing who was pas- sionate about the importance of young people achieving their potential. Since incep- tion 2,217 grants have been awarded for a total of more than $3 million. Scholarships are awarded to students who pursue higher education degrees at accredited colleges, universi- ties and vocational/technical schools. To apply, the stu- dent shares their educational background, academic goals and aspirations, school ac- tivities, work experience and personal achievements. Shah Kazemi, president and CEO, is committed to giving the next generation of decision makers the tools needed to be successful in society and the workplace. "We don't just grow mushrooms; we grow people," Kazemi said. Savannah Barnes, schol- arship recipient said, "This scholarship helps me get the education I want and need without having to make financial decisions that may limit my goals." Ana Mejia, another scholarship recipient said, "Receiving this scholarship has boosted my self-confidence because it reduced my stress over the lack of money and has given me the opportunity to focus on a well-rounded college experience." Oliver Ramirez said, "This scholarship will help me pay for school tuition, and help me enjoy and focus on academic studies without pressure about debt. I would not be where I am if it was not for my parents and family that supported all my endeavors and interest, so I am truly grateful for them." Kazemi said, "The feedback and thanks we receive from the students and their par- ents is inspiring and we look forward to watching these young leaders succeed in the future." For more information about the company or their schol- arship program, visit www. montereymushrooms.com. Website Photo Recognized for Gift, Taylor Farms Bestows STEM Center Naming Honor on Dr. Willard Lewallen Taylor Farms CEO and Chairman Bruce Taylor on Tuesday, Oct. 8, redirected recognition for his company's $1.1 million gi to Hart- nell College by naming the college's STEM Center for retired superintendent-presi- dent Dr. Willard Lewallen. Just before workers on a scissor li tore away paper to reveal the building's new name, "Willard Lewal- len STEM Center," Taylor praised Dr. Lewallen for his wide-ranging accomplish- ments as the college's top executive, a tenure he called "seven years of bliss." "As honored as we are to put our name on the STEM building, we believe it's more appropriate to put your name on the STEM building," Taylor said. The 11 a.m. ceremony out- side the 54,000-square-foot center for science, technol- ogy, engineering and math on Hartnell's Main Campus in Salinas was planned to recognize and celebrate the gi by Taylor Farms, a Salinas-based fresh produce company. The $29 million building was completed in 2016 with bonds approved by district voters in 2002. Dr. Lewallen, who accepted the gi from Bruce Taylor soon aer he announced his retirement in January, had intended for the STEM Center to carry the Taylor Farms name, symbolizing the growing importance of the STEM fields in the agricultur- al industry. Jackie Cruz, vice president for advancement and de- velopment and the Hartnell College Foundation, said the college will formally recog- nize the Taylor Farms gi with a plaque on a rock to be placed outside the STEM Center. Hartnell's new superinten- dent-president, Dr. Patricia Hsieh, expressed gratitude for the Taylor Farms gi, which she said will be used to establish new pathways to a four-year degree and career readiness for stu- dents pursuing engineering and engineering technology. Dr. Hsieh, who took the reins from Dr. Lewallen last month, pointed to the Salinas Valley agricultural industry's demand for highly skilled workers to achieve technological innovation and stay competitive in a rapidly changing market. "Hartnell College has bright, talented and ambi- tious graduates," Dr. Hsieh said. "Taylor Farms and your peers in the fresh fruits and vegetables industry have the need – and the opportuni- ties. What a great partner- ship opportunity! There is so much we can do together." Taylor made similar points during his remarks, citing his recent tour of AeroFarms in Newark, N.J., growing leafy greens indoors on a large scale using LED lighting instead of natural sunlight. Adapting emerging technol- ogy will make Taylor Farms more competitive by making its employees more produc- tive, he said. "We think the [Hartnell] STEM program is the way to do that," he said. "We have great people, great resources right here." In his praise of Dr. Lewallen, Taylor pointed to such suc- cesses as Hartnell's steady increase in the number of stu- dents receiving degrees and certificates, which quadrupled over the past seven years. He also cited Hartnell's many community partnerships, including degree pathways in computer science and teacher education with California State University, Monterey Bay, and voter support for $167 million in bonds to fund a new Hartnell health sciences building, new college centers in Soledad and Cas- troville and expansion of the King City Education Center. Dr. Lewallen responded to the naming honor with emotion, saying he felt "over- whelmed by this incredible generosity and this honor." "Never in my wildest imagi- nation would I have imagined that my name would be on a building at Hartnell College," he said. Provided photos