THANK YOU TO OUR 2023 FAMILY OF DONORS!
Agromin • Al Lowe Construction, Inc. • Alexandra & Paul Allen • Allan Hancock College • Alpacas at Windy Hill, Cindy Harris • Apricot Lane Farms, John Chester • Babe Farms • Bank of the Sierra • Barbara Rudin • Beardsley & Son • Bejo Seeds, Inc • Benevity Fund Donation • Betteravia Farms (Bonipak) • Bill & Elise Kearney • Bob Nelson • Bobalu Berry Farms • Brokaw Nursery LLC • CA Department of Food & Agriculture(CDFA) • Cal Coast Machinery • Cal Poly • Cal Poly Corporation • California Fresh Market / El Rancho Marketplace • California Giant, Inc. • Camarillo Rotary Foundation • Canteen Vending • Cara Wilmoth • Coastal Ag • Coastal Vineyard • Community West Bank • County of Ventura • County of Ventura Ag Commissioners Office • Cushman Family Foundation LTD • Diane and Kieran Adam • DiBuduo & DeFendis Insurance • Dignity Health - Marian Regional Medical Center • Driscoll's • Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc. • Ed & Julie Williams • Edwin and Jeanne Woods Family Foundation • Ellen Brokaw/Brokaw Nursery
Emerson Collective • Engel & Gray, Inc. • Farm Credit West • Fence Factory Ventura •. Foundation for Santa Barbara City College •. Frank McHugh-O'Donovan Foundation, Inc. • Haas Foundation •. George Leis • Gills Onions • Good Farms • Grower-Shipper Association of SB and SLO Counties • Guy Walker • Home Motors • Innovative Produce • Jason Cole • JB Dewar, Inc. •. Jim Stollberg • JONES CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT • Kaiser Permanente • Karen & Douglas Kirk • Kurt Johanson • Laurie Bennett • Library System & Services Mayo Newhall Foundation •. Melvin Duke • Mike & Heidi Whitcomb • Mission Produce • Montecito Bank & Trust • MUFG Union Bank Foundation Grant • Netafim. • Nutrien Ag Solutions • Otto & Sons, Inc • Oxnard Farm to School • Patrick Sheehy • Phil McGrath • Plantel Nurseries, Inc • Primus Labs/Azzule • Pyramid Flowers • Rancho Laguna Farms, LLC • Reiter Affiliated Companies • Rincon-Vitova Insectaries, Inc. • Robin Wallace and Tim Snowber • Ron Whitehurst • S&S Seeds CA LP • San Luis Obispo Farm Supply Company
Santa Barbara Foundation • Santa Maria Berry Farms, LLC • Santa Maria Valley Chamber • Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians • SB Foundation, Grunzweig Family Fund • Schwab Chartiable • Sow a Heart • State of California Department of Food and Agriculture • Sunkist Growers • The Abundant Table • The Albertsons Company Foundation • The Port of Hueneme • The Waldron Giving Fund • The Whittier Trust Company, Finch Family Foundation • The Wood-Claeyssens Foundation • Tina Grunzweig • Titan Frozen Fruit • Tolman & Wiker Insurance, an AssuredPartners Agency • Toyota Santa Maria • TriCal • UC Hansen Agricultural Research & Extension Center • Ventura County Agricultural Assoc. • Ventura County Credit Union •. Ventura County Foundation • Ventura County Office Of Education, Pacific High School • Visit Oxnard • Wells Fargo Commercial Banking • Wells Fargo Foundation • Western Growers • Williams-Corbett Foundation • Wish Family Farms Foundation • Wood-Claeyssens Foundation
SEEAG’s BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Taylor Ranch
Owner
Brett Burkey
Steve Gill
Gills Onions
President & Owner
Sales & Field Manager
Plantel Nurseries
Chris Waldron
Patrick Sheehy
Grower & Community Member - Driscoll’s
Field Representative
Titan Frozen Fruit
Sandra Gonzalez
Melinda Beardsley
Beardsley & Son, Inc. President
Regional Office Manager Driscoll’s
Vanessa Murillo
Heidi Whitcomb
Community Member
A MESSAGE FROM SEEAG’S FOUNDER
MARY MARANVILLE
I believe there is nothing more important than feeding your family, and cultivating the next generation of agricultural ambassadors and farmland stewards!
The highlight of my year is when I get to visit our Farm Lab field trip site at Petty Ranch when the students are there learning. It is during these field trip I witness their exuberance from being outside among fig, lemon and avocado trees, eager to learn as much as they can about the magic behind the farm ecosystem and how different sciences work together in unison, providing an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. This is the heart of SEEAG's mission.
So, I am proud to announce that in the 2023/24 school year, SEEAG reached and educated over 10,000 students through four unique youth education programs and well over 14,000 community members through SBC and VC Farm Days, SEEAG’s community education and outreach program. SEEAG teaches our youth about the farm origins of their food through structured STEM lesson plans, which includes soil and plant science, water, entomology and the food supply chain, as well as the nutritional importance of fresh foods and the many career opportunities in agriculture. We are proud to share what we achieved in 2023 in this report, and look forward to another great year ahead.
2023/2024 YOUTH IMPACT: VC & SBC
9,796 STUDENTS
"I have always enjoyed coming to the Petty Ranch for the SEEAG lessons, but the changes to your presentations you made this year were top-notch!
My students came back to school brimming with information and were so excited to get their bag of lemons, the broccoli sprout, and other information. So well done - you can tell that a lot of planning, organization, and development was given to provide the perfect type of agriculture and soil, water, insect, and food science lessons to 3rd graders. Plus, all the presenters were fabulous!"
- Aspen Elementary School, Ventura County
Our continued expansion of Farm Lab into the Santa Maria and the addition of new team members, we were able to see more students than ever before, totaling 285 Farm Lab field trips and presentations.
3,674 STUDENTS EDUCATED
The Youth Wellness Initiative traveled over 1000 miles to visit 26 different school districts, and distributed more than 3,100 pounds of fresh, locally grown produce to students for free. We also held 6 wellness fairs, reaching hundreds more students and their families.
3,829+ STUDENTS EDUCATED
The STEM Career Pathways in Agriculture Initiative educated over 1,200 students about the limitless opportunities at their fingertips in the agricultural industry through in-depth classroom presentations.
1,200 STUDENTS EDUCATED
The S.T.E.M is G.R.E.A.T. Initiative launched in 2022 with support from the CDFA, which taught close to 300 promising young women about the variety of agricultural careers that are available, empowering them with resources and tools to take the next steps into the industry (pictured right).
650 STUDENTS EDUCATED
26 DISTRICTS - 87 SCHOOLS - 100% FREE
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles USD
Broadous Elementary
Welby Way Elementary
Santa Barbara County
Carpinteria USD
Aliso Elementary
Goleta USD
Isla Vista Elementary
Hope Elementary SD
Hope Elementary
Lompoc USD
Crestview Elementary
Los Olivos SD
Los Olivos School
Orcutt USD
Alice Shaw Elementary
Joe Nightingale Elementary
Private
Santa Ynez Christian Academy
Selah Homeschool Resource Center
Santa Barbara USD
Cleveland Elementary
Santa Maria Bonita SD
Arellanes Elementary "
Battles Elementary
Bill Libbon Elementary
David Sanchez Elementary
Miller Elementary
Tunnell Elementary
Ventura County
Briggs Elementary SD
Briggs Elementary
Conejo Valley USD
Acacia Elementary
Aspen Elementary
Cypress Elementary
EARTHS Magnet
Walnut Elementary
Westlake High School
Weathersfield Elementary
Fillmore USD
Fillmore High School
Hueneme ESD
Fred L. Williams Elementary
Hueneme Elementary
Parkview Elementary
Richard Bard Elementary
Mesa USD
Mesa Elementary
Mupu Elementary
Moorpark USD
Moorpark High School
Ocean View SD
Mar Vista Elementary
Oxnard Elementary SD
Curren School
Elm Street Elementary
Harrington School
Juan Lagunas Soria
Kamala School
Oxnard Union HSD
Frontier High School
Hueneme High School
Oxnard High School
Pacifica High School
Rio Mesa High School
Pleasant Valley SD
Las Posas Elementary
Tierra Linda Elementary
Private*
Ace Charter High School
Ascension Lutheran School
Bridges Charter School
City Christian School
New Harvest Christian
Our Lady of the Assumption
Vista Real Charter High School
Rio SD
Rio Rosales Elementary
Rio del Mar Elementary
Rio del Norte Elementary
Rio del Sol STEAM Academy
Rio Lindo Elementary
Rio Plaza Elementary
Rio Real School
Rio del Valle Middle School
Rio Vista Middle School
Santa Clara Elementary SD
Santa Clara Elementary
Santa Paula USD
Barbara Webster Elementary
Glen City Elementary
Grace Thille Elementary
Isbell Middle School
Simi Valley USD
Atherwood Elementary
Wood Ranch Elementary
Somis USD
Somis Elementary
Ventura USD
Anacapa Middle School
Citrus Glen Elementary
Junipero Serra Elementary
Lemon Grove School
Montalvo Elementary
Pacific High School
Pierpont Elementary
Portola Elementary
Ventura High School
OVER 14,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS PARTICIPATED
IN FARM DAY EVENTS IN 2023!
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2023
OVER 6,200+ PARTICIPANTS!
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 4, 2023
OVER 7,000+ PARTICIPANTS!
SEEAG IN THE NEWS IN 2023
OUR TOP STORIES
SEEAG and Farm Day were published over 150 times in 2023 in dozens of publications across print and digital media. Check out some of our favorite stories below.
Amigos805 - “11th Annual Ventura County Farm Day - Meet The Hands That Feed You”
EdHat- “Rancho De Los Olivos hosts SEEAG Farm-To-Table Happy Hour”
Fox 11 News- “In Depth Farms”
Morning Ag Clips- “Christmas Tree Fundraiser: Proceeds Fund SEEAG’s Ag-Education For Kids”
PRLOG.org- “Gills Onions Matches $15,000 for May Double Your Impact Fundraiser”
Santa Barbara Noozhawk - “Santa Barbara County Farm Day Attracts Bumper Crop of Visitors”
The Patch - “SEEAG Introduces Visionaries Circle LEAGUE²”
Ventura Breeze- “Plantopia Earthday Event”
TOP 5 OF 2023
The STEM is G.R.E.A.T. program saw 650 students in 2023/24 with significant support from the CDFA, the Gene Haas Foundation, and our local community of growers. The STEM is G.R.E.A.T. Initiative provided agricultural career education and opportunities for underrepresented high school students within Ventura County entering the STEM field, especially women of color.
We continued to expand Farm Lab in Santa Maria with the help of our friends and supporters at Allan Hancock College. Over 900 students engaged in hands-on agricultural and food literacy education in northern Santa Barbara County during the 2023/24 school year.
Santa Barbara County Farm Day educated over 6,000 people about the origins of their food and enabled them to meet the hands that feed them - a record attendance!
Thank you to all of our 2023 participating locations!
Allan Hancock College
Babe Farms
Bonipak Produce
Central West Produce
Driscoll’s
Engel & Grey, Inc.
Gold Coast Packing
Las Cumbres Ranch
Mark Richardson CTE Center and Agricultural Farm
Plantel Nurseries
Rancho Laguna Farms
Rancho Los Potreros / Chamberlin Beef
Reiter Affiliated Companies
Roblar Farm
Sunrise Organic Farm
Ventura County Farm Day educated over 7,000 people about the origins of their food and enabled them to meet the hands that feed them.
Thank you to all of our 2023 participating locations!
The Abundant Table
Agromin
Alpacas at Windy Hill
Apricot Lane Farms
Driscoll’s
Duda Farm Fresh Foods
Farmivore
Good Farms
McGrath Family Farm
Oxnard Historic Farm Park
Petty Ranch
Prancer’s Farm
Rancho Camulos National Historic Landmark Museum
Sa’aliyas Ranch
Turning Point Foundation’s Growing Works
VCAAA Senior Nutrition Farm
Ventura County Agriculture Weights & Measures
In the 2023-2024 school year, SEEAG saw more students than ever before - over 10,000 across Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties! Thanks to our dedicated team of educators, SEEAG supporters, local school and teachers, we were able to reach 2,000 more students than last school year. More than 60% of these students attended Title 1 schools, and 0% of students, teachers, or schools paid a cent to participate in our programs.
MONEY WELL SPENT
We have conservatively managed our expenses while exponentially growing our programs, so that each dollar goes the farthest it can towards making an impact in the lives of children and adults throughout the Central Coast. These financials reflect the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
