Press Release: 4th Annual Ventura County Farm Day Attracts Thousands - Ventura County Agricultural Education

Ventura, Calif. (December 8, 2016)—Last month, more than 20 Ventura County farms opened their doors and invited the public to experience a day of agricultural learning firsthand. This free, popular event attracted over 6,000 visitors who connected with their farming neighbors.

Those who attended typically selected two or three of the farms to attend. “Most people have a fascination with farms,” says Mary Maranville, Founder and Executive Director of Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG), the nonprofit that organizes Farm Day. “Farm Day was a way for the public to see how farms operate and gain an appreciation of the hardworking farmers who grow the food we eat.”

Participating farms, museums and farming operations included:

–Houweling’s Tomatoes and McGrath Family Farms in Camarillo;
–Chivas Skin Care and Otto & Sons Nursery in Fillmore;
–Apricot Lane Farms in Moorpark;
–Friends Ranch, Earthtrine Farm, East End Eden Farm and Ojai Olive Oil in Ojai;
–AGQ Laboratory, Agromin, Deardorff Family Farms, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Gills Onions and San Miguel Produce in Oxnard;
–UC Hansen Ag Center, Calavo Growers and Ventura County Ag Museum in Santa Paula;
–Rancho Camulos Museum in Piru;
–Petty Ranch and Rincon Vitova Insectaries in Saticoy;
–Alpacas at Windy Hill in Somis;
–Diamond W Cattle Company and Salad Bar Farms at Balboa Middle School in Ventura.

The culmination of the day’s activities was a farm-to-table barbeque at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura. Live country music was provided by Coldwater Canyon and Friends. Farm-fresh food was prepared by Young Farmers & Ranchers and Dearmore BBQ Catering, with locally-produced craft cocktails, beers from Institution Ale and wine from Summerland Winery.

Ventura County Farm Day sponsors included Farm Credit West, the Ventura County Ag Commissioner, Ventura County Coast and many more.

For more information on the annual Ventura County Farm Day, go to www.venturacountyfarmday.com or call 805-901-0213.

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About SEEAG

Founded in 2008, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) aims to help young students understand the origins of their food by bridging the gap between agriculture and consumption through its agricultural education programming. SEEAG’s “The Farm Lab: The Journey of Our Food From Field to Fork” program based in Ventura County teaches school children about the origins of their food and the importance of local farmland by providing schools with classroom agricultural education and free field trips to farms. Through this program, over 15,000 elementary school students in Southern California have increased their understanding of the food journey. For more information, visit www.seeag.org or email Mary Maranville at mary@seeag.org