Exploring Careers in Agriculture: STEM CPA at Bonipak Produce

High school students from Mark Richardson CTE observing seedling transplanting at Bonipak Produce in Santa Maria.

This week, SEEAG had the exciting opportunity to visit the Mark Richardson Career Technical Education (CTE) Center in Santa Maria to deliver our STEM Career Pathways in Agriculture program. Nearly 50 students participated, exploring the diverse career opportunities within the agricultural industry.

The session kicked off with a fun personality assessment—the Holland Code test—helping students identify their strengths and match them with potential career paths. Whether business-oriented, artistic, or investigative problem-solvers, students discovered that agriculture offers a wide range of roles that align with different skills and interests.

To bring these careers to life, we shared video spotlights featuring local industry professionals who gave a behind-the-scenes look at their day-to-day responsibilities. One video, in particular, sparked excitement—Aram Nino, a robotics technician for FARM-ng, filmed his career spotlight at the very same school a few months ago. He demonstrated the Amiga – an agricultural robot he helps design and maintain – which the CTE Center is fortunate enough to have on-site for students to use.

The next day, students took their learning beyond the classroom with a hands-on farm tour at Bonipak Produce. Our tour guide, Julio, started the visit by introducing the planting division, where students got a firsthand look at Bonipak’s advanced automation in action. A short bus ride took them out to the planting fields, where they observed high-tech machinery at work. Julio explained what was being grown, how the automated transplanters operate, and where the equipment is sourced. Students were especially fascinated watching the transplanters place seeds into the soil with precision.

The tour continued with a closer look at some of Bonipak’s cutting-edge equipment, including tractors capable of seeding and applying pesticides simultaneously—covering up to 13 acres in just 8 hours. To top it off, Julio gifted students bags of cilantro, lettuce, and spinach seeds to take home and grow. Their teacher was thrilled to bring them back to the school farm, and Julio even shared a great gardening tip—when planting cilantro, sprinkle a handful of seeds in a horizontal line. This allows the plants to grow in clusters, making them easier to harvest.

For the second half of the field trip, students followed Chris, their next tour guide, into Bonipak’s soil division. Inside the soil lab, they learned how specialists test for pH levels, electrical conductivity, and potential pathogens to ensure optimal growing conditions.

This action-packed field trip provided students with a deeper appreciation for the technology, science, and innovation that drive modern agriculture. They left with valuable knowledge, hands-on experiences, and seeds to start their own growing journey!

A huge thank you to Bonipak Produce for welcoming our students and giving them an unforgettable glimpse into the world of agriculture.