| | Class 10 near the Firestone Vineyard, Los Olivos, Calif. |
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| | Strawberry field at DB Specialty Farms, Santa Maria, California. |
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| | Field of flowers in Lompoc, California. |
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Briefings on agricultural issues and numerous farm visits were some of the highlights of the study tour to Santa Barbara County, California, in late June, 2007, for Class Ten of the LSU AgCenter’s Agricultural Leadership Development Program.
After arriving in Los Angeles, the group traveled to Los Olivos for its first technical visit at the Firestone Winery. They were briefed on the entire process of winemaking, from the field to the wine cellar.
The next morning the group traveled to Goleta, where they met two avocado and lemon growers located on the Pacific coast. After discussing the issues these producers face, the group toured an avocado orchard during harvest. A trip to Carpinteria to Brand Flowers, which produces cut flowers in about one million square feet of greenhouses, was the next stop where the class toured their entire facility. In fact, the group saw cut-flower arrangements being bundled and shipped from the facility.
The next day began at DB Specialty Farms, which produces 670 acres of strawberries in Santa Maria. The group was able to tour strawberry fields during harvest and visit a cooler facility that markets strawberries under the Giant brand nationwide. The next technical visit was also in Santa Maria at Teixeira Farms, which produces lettuce, broccoli, celery and other vegetables on 4,500 acres. They employ approximately 1,200 people and market their product under the Freshkist name.
After the morning tours, the class was able to meet many members of the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau during lunch in Santa Maria. The meal was served in a picnic area in the picturesque White Hills Vineyard. Afterward, the class traveled to Lompoc to look at an open-field cut-flower operation that was literally a sea of color. The final visit of the day was also in Lompoc at a seed production facility.
The group began the next morning with a panel discussion moderated by Richard Gearhart, who teaches agricultural communications at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and co-anchors a television morning show in the same area. The class learned about water and land use issues facing California agriculture and how the Endangered Species Act can limit agricultural production. Finally, the class traveled to the Reagan Library in Simi Valley and finished the day in Santa Monica before returning to Louisiana.
The group was accompanied by faculty members Dr. Mike Futrell and Dr. Bobby Soileau and several spouses. In addition, Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau Executive Director Teri Bontager accompanied the group. Travel for Class Ten is underwritten by endowments in the LSU Foundation, including the Chalkley Family Endowment, the H. Rouse Caffey Endowment and the Ag Leaders of Louisiana Endowment.