“Everyone relies on agriculture”
By Katie Wipfli
It’s a part of our everyday lives. And here in San Joaquin County, we are immersed in the rich farmland and agriculture industry that surrounds us.
San Joaquin County is known across the world as one of California’s largest producers of agricultural commodities. According to the San Joaquin County 2021 Crop Report, the gross value of our county’s agricultural production was $3.19 billion. Fruit and nut crops continued to be the largest category with a total value of $1.73 billion, an overall increase of 7.68 percent. As shared throughout the report, growth continues in a variety of commodities in our region.
The San Joaquin County Office of Education, or SJCOE, recognizes the importance of the agricultural industry and its impact on our local economy. Further, the SJCOE believes that our county’s students must have access to opportunities that expose them to agriculture education and agriculture-centered events and activities.
With a passion for moving agriculture education forward in San Joaquin County and across the state, the SJCOE has developed a new position dedicated to this work, the director of agriculture and environmental technology. Part of the SJCOE’s college and career readiness department, this position is the first of its kind in the state. It supports all high school agriculture programs and teachers who aspire to incorporate agriculture into their classrooms. This includes creating agriculture-based lessons, starting a school garden and promoting agricultural literacy.
The position has also allowed for more support of Future Farmers of America, or FFA, programs throughout the county. The SJCOE hosted the Delta Valley FFA Sectional opening and closing, has provided judges for public speaking competitions and supports agriculture advisory committees. In addition, through a grant, FFA jackets have been awarded to students, and a 2023 summer Ag Career Exploration program is being developed.
Despite the new position, this passion for agriculture education at the SJCOE is nothing new. For the past 17 years, the SJCOE has supported AgVenture, a San Joaquin County-sponsored program for third grade students to increase awareness of agriculture and healthy living. AgVenture coordinator Krista McCoon, a dedicated committee and thousands of volunteers make this experiential learning opportunity a reality, serving nearly 10,000 students each year. These in-person opportunities are complemented with year-long virtual programming suitable for all ages, serving students, teachers and the public. These experiences, both in person and digital, provide participants with an adventure in agriculture they wouldn’t have otherwise.
Most recently, in 2022, the SJCOE hosted the AgCareers Summit in partnership with AgVenture and the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation, or SJFB, to expose students to a wide variety of career opportunities in agriculture and throughout San Joaquin County. Volunteers from various agriculture careers attended and shared their career paths with almost 300 high school juniors and seniors. This event is now annual and will be held again in September 2023.
As agriculture education continues to grow in San Joaquin County, partnerships such as these are imperative. And with the new director of agriculture and environmental technology position, these partnerships have strengthened tremendously, with the SJCOE now having a seat on the SJFB Agricultural Education Advisory Committee and the SJFB Foundation for Agricultural Education.
Agriculture is one of the largest industry sectors in California. Students must have opportunities for work experience that will equip them with the skills needed to succeed in agricultural careers. The SJCOE Apprenticeships Reaching Career Horizons program, which is paving the way for youth apprenticeships in California, is an opportunity for students who are 16 and older to enter an apprenticeship training program. The earn-and-learn experience provides students with paid, on-the-job training while they take related supplemental instruction classes. Currently, standards have been submitted to the Division of Apprenticeship Standards for the position of assistant farm manager. Once approved, this will allow high school juniors or seniors to be hired as registered apprentices and begin gaining work experience and training in agriculture-related occupations.
Imagine if every student in our county had the opportunity to experience hands-on learning opportunities that inspired them to dream about their futures in high-demand careers like agriculture! In the SJCOE’s College and career readiness department, we’re working toward doing just that, helping students imagine the career possibilities of the future, while connecting them with opportunities that will equip them with the knowledge and tools to become skilled members of our workforce.
Katie Wipfli is the director of agriculture and environmental technology at the San Joaquin County Office of Education. Katie is passionate about agriculture and agriculture education. She is an active community member, serving on numerous boards and committees. She enjoys spending quality time outside with her husband and twin boys.
