In This Issue: Sacramento Scene Sacramento Scene: End of Service on the Horizon for Champions of AgEd CATA Update CATA Governance at the CATA Summer Conference News & Views Duromonde Receives Outstanding Early Career Teacher Award The Power of Planning an Agriculture Tour Dates and Locations of CDE/LDE State Finals Announced Agricultural Education Master Calendar Now Available New Resource: The Regenerative Agriculture Journey Activity Book Upcoming Opportunity: California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom Conference The History of Agricultural Education in California (Part II)

Sacramento Scene: End of Service on the Horizon for Champions of AgEd By: Matt Patton, CATA Executive Director

The California Legislature returned from summer break on August 1 and has until the end of the month to pass bills within the legislative cycle. All bills passed by both houses then land on the Governor's desk. August 31 at midnight is the deadline for all bills. Then the Governor has three courses of action on all bills that have passed both houses: he can sign the bill into law; he can allow it to become law without a signature; or he can veto the bill. The Governor's veto can be overruled by a two-thirds vote of the Assembly and Senate (County Supervisor's Resource Guide).   Fall will be the end of service for a record number of legislators. Congressional opportunities, redistricting, and expiring term limits have contributed to the Legislative "Great Resignation" of 2022. After the November election of the 120 legislators in California, 33 will be new. Among those leaving the capital are many friends of agricultural education. Assembly Member O'Donnell, Education Chair and champion of Career Technical Education (CTE), will return to the classroom to teach Civics in Long Beach. Former Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes of Rancho Mirage may run for Congress. Andreas Borgias, a Republican from Fresno, and Jordan Cunningham of San Luis Obispo will not seek another term. Adam Gray, an Assembly Member from Merced, is running for Congress, and Jim Cooper from Elk Grove won an election to become the Sacramento County Sheriff. Assembly Member Frank Bigelow from Madera is also not seeking reelection. Another notable exit is Keely Martin Bosler, who is stepping down as Director of the Finance Department. Those are just a few of our friends that have or will leave their state leadership positions in the coming months.   As the legislative session winds down, a few notable bills are still being tracked by the California Agricultural Teacher's Association. Click here to read more.

CATA Governance at the CATA Summer Conference By Matt Patton

Below are summaries of the actions and initiatives discussed during the pre- and post-conference CATA Governing Board meetings at the CATA Summer Conference in June. Complete minutes will be posted on the CATA website for those interested in more detail.    Pre-Conference CATA Governing Board Meeting Summary It was reported that registration at the 2022 CATA Summer Conference was at an all-time high, with more than 950 participants attending. In addition, the awards banquet hosted by the Central Region was sold out with a 70-person waitlist.    Judy Aschwanden was presented and accepted as a candidate for the State CATA Treasurer position. Mrs. Aschwanden's name was forwarded to the Awards/Nominations/Bylaws committee.    During the meeting's Curricular Code (CC) section, the Governing Board reviewed the proposed changes submitted for numerous contests.   List C of the Curricular Code was scheduled to open, and submissions from Ag Mechanics, Ag Pest Control, Agricultural Welding, Agronomy, Floriculture, Job Interview, Marketing Plan, and Agricultural Communications were all submitted and accepted.    The contests submitted out of rotation included Agriscience, Best Informed Greenhand, Forestry, General Rules, Livestock, Marketing, Meats, Milk Quality and Dairy Foods, Soil and Land, and Vegetable Crops, and Veterinary Science. Read More Duromonde Receives Outstanding Early Career Teacher Award Congratulations to Anthony Duromonde, an agricultural educator at Livingston High School. Mr. Duromonde was selected as the Region I Outstanding Early Career Teacher by the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE). The Outstanding Early Career Teacher Award is a means of encouraging young teachers to remain in the profession and to recognize their participation in professional activities. NAAE members who are in their third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh year of teaching at the time they apply are eligible for this award.   As a result of winning the award, Duromonde will receive round-trip airfare to the NAAE convention in Las Vegas, along with hotel accommodations and registration to the conference, where he will be honored.     Duromonde attributes his success to a supportive community. “I’m blessed to work at a fantastic school and have some of the best students. But, I couldn’t do what I do without the support of my department, the Livingston community, the high school staff, and my friends and family,” reflected Duromonde.   Please join CATA in honoring Anthony Duromonde for this tremendous accomplishment.

The Power of Planning An Agriculture Tour

This month, the State Officer Team embarked on a 3-day agriculture tour in the Central Valley. On their tour, they made ice cream, milked cows, and explored 500-acres of nursery stock. The tour helped the team better understand the industry they will represent for the next nine months, according to California FFA Sentinel, Morgan Oliveira. “This tour helped us better understand agriculture in our state. It also helped us understand the challenges in the industry, and hear the producer’s perspective. It was experiential in every sense of the word, and we learned so much from the hands-on opportunities,” recounted Oliveira. All students can benefit from the immersive experience of an agriculture tour. It’s a powerful way to combat the increasing gap in agricultural literacy, introduce students to local agriculture, introduce the community to our students, and possibly inspire a student to choose a career path. This month’s edition of NAAE’s The Agricultural Education Magazine features an article by Jillian Ford, PhD candidate at North Carolina State University, summarizing her experience planning a multi-day agriculture tour. Read the complete article here.

Dates and Locations of CDE/LDE State Finals Announced

The 2022-2023 State Finals schedule is now available for all Career and Leadership Development Events.

Schedule

Agricultural Education Master Calendar Now Available!

The 2022-2023 calendar is now available in the AET for downloading.

New Resource: The Regenerative Agriculture Journey Activity Book

This 8-page resource is an excellent complement for courses like soil science, ag and the environment, and ag biology. Middle and high school students will discover how science has shaped the way we farm through engaging activities. Topics include regenerative agriculture, soil, animal welfare, and more. A new resource from The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture (AFBFA) developed in partnership with Danone North America. Download your free copy.

Upcoming Opportunity: California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom Conference

This year, Ag in the Classroom’s annual conference will be held at the Ventura Beach Marriott from September 22 to 24. Join other educators who share your passion for agriculture! The conference is designed for K-12 educators, administrators, and volunteers to learn and share how to incorporate food and fiber into all curricular areas. Conference highlights include keynote speakers, hands-on workshops, and a variety of agriculture tours. Scholarships are available. More information available here.

The History of Agricultural Education in California (Part II) By Charles Parker

This is part two of a series reflecting back on the major milestones of agricultural education. DID YOU KNOW? 1917 – Some states had associations of students studying vocational agriculture when the first National Vocational Education Act was passed by Congress. 1920 (July 13) – California Agricultural Teachers Association was formed. 1920 – Student programs began to be organized locally under Junior Farm Centers or Junior Aggies. 1922 – University of California at Davis included the first statewide judging event for vocational agriculture students as part of its annual “Picnic Day.” 1923 (September) – Arrangements made with officials of the California State Fair in Sacramento for a “camp” and a program of judging and other activities. Occasion was named “Camp Lillard” after Dr. Jerry Lillard, the first State Supervisor of Agricultural Education. 1926 – A Statewide organization for vocational agriculture students was formed called “Federation of California Junior Aggies.”

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