A week-long celebration of Ventura County Agriculture
Join us for Ventura County Ag Week
March 25-31, 2019
A Week-long Celebration of Agriculture in Ventura County
Totally Local VC Agricultural Foundation presents the third annual Ventura County Ag Week where we celebrate all that our local Farmers and Ranchers do. Ventura County Ag Week runs from Monday, March 25th through Sunday, March 31st along with National Ag Day on March 14th and California Ag Day on March 20th. We thought that, since the Agriculture Industry is so important to our local economy, it deserved to be celebrated for a whole week! And, we want you to join in the celebration.
We’ve planned a whole week’s worth of great Ag-related events for you. We’ve brought together a diverse group of agricultural-related organizations to guide this year’s Ventura County Ag Week. We’ll show everyone, young and old alike, the important economic role that agriculture plays in our community, the wide range of agriculture-based jobs available and the vital role each step plays from field to fork – all packaged into a full week’s worth of fun and informative events.
Ag Week 2019 Events
Ventura County Ag Week’s goal is to highlight the important role agriculture plays, not only to our county, but the world, as we honor all those that do so much to feed our community and the world. So, we’ve planned several events to do just that. Take a look!
Excellence in Agriculture Awards Luncheon
Celebrating our Agricultural Leaders from Field-to-Fork
Farmers, ranchers, chefs and Ag educators will be honored at the 2019 Excellence in Agriculture Awards Luncheon held at the Limoneira Ranch Visitors Center in Santa Paula. Guests will include a wide range of Ag Industry notables, City and County officials, chefs, educators and the general public. The festivities will kick off with our keynote speaker Ventura County Ag Commissioner Ed Williams. Enjoy a wonderful Farm-to-Fork lunch prepared by Chef Jason Collis of Plated Events. Tempt your sweet tooth at the build-your-own-strawberry-shortcake bar hosted by Reiter Affiliated Companies and the California Strawberry Commission.
| Date: | Monday, March 25, 2019 |
| Time: | 11:30 am – 1:30 pm |
| Cost: | $35.00 |
| Location: | Limoneira Ranch Visitors Center 1141 Cummings Road Santa Paula, CA 93060 |
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Meet-the-Farmer-and-Rancher Mixer Night
Mix, mingle and taste the flavors of Ventura County
Come, mix and mingle with local farmers, ranchers and all those that help support our area’s Ag industry. Taste the flavors and libations of Ventura County including chesses and tasty desserts while listening to the music of Karen 805. Bid at a silent auction hosted by the Ventura Chapter of (CWA) California Women for Agriculture. Join us at this wonderful mixer and show your appreciation of all that our local agriculture industry does for us all.
| Date: | Wednesday, March 27, 2019 |
| Time: | 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm |
| Cost: | FREE (No-host bar) |
| Music: | Karen 805 |
| Location: | McGrath Ranch & Garden 5100 Olivas Park Drive Ventura, CA 93003-7671 |
Student Tours and Classroom Talks
We teach the kids about Ag and take them to the farms
Totally Local VC Agricultural Education Foundation is partnering with leading farmers, ranchers and culinary experts to show students how agriculture not only plays a vital role in their lives, but also how it connects from the field to their careers. Activities include class talks and field trips to farms, industrial kitchens and Ag-related industries.
| Date: | Tuesday, March 19 and Thursday March 21, 2019 |
| Time: | Varies |
| Cost: | FREE |
| Location: | Schools and farms all around Ventura County |
Career Exploration Day
Connecting the dots in Ag careers from field-to-fork
Totally Local VC, Ventura County Ag Week, CWA and the Museum of Ventura County – Agricultural Museum, in partnership with some of the leading agricultural companies in the county, will host an Career Explorations Day. This career day will showcase the diverse career opportunies available in the field of agriculture, food science and Culinary Arts. The goal is to help students understand the many career opportunities in agriculture and how they connect from the field to the fork.
This is a private event with pre-scheduled school classrooms from throughout Ventura County.
| Date: | Friday, March 29, 2019 |
| Time: | 11:00 am – 2:00 pm |
| Cost: | FREE |
| Location: | Museum of Ventura County – Agricultural Museum 926 Railroad Avenue Santa Paula, CA 93060 |
Book Release & Signing, BBQ and Music
Oxnard Historical Farm Park
Bring the family and enjoy a day at the Oxnard Historical Farm Park. Learn more about Oxnard’s historic agricultural past when sugar beets filled the fields and lima beans ruled. Take part in a book release and signing with Jeffrey Wayne Maulhardt, author of A History of Oxnard, a hardcover coffee-table book published by HPN Books and The Oxnard Historic Farm Park with an original cover painting by Lisa Kelly. All proceeds from this limited edition book (only 400 printed) go to the Farm Park.
Enjoy a locally-sourced barbecue lunch at Cowboy John’s Smoking BBQ Food Truck. Music provided by Frank Barajas and the Corsican Bros.
| Date: | Saturday, March 30, 2019 |
| Time: | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm with a short talk at 12:00 pm by author Jeffrey Wayne Maulhardt |
| Cost: | FREE |
| Location: | Oxnard Historic Farm Park 1251 Gottfried Pl Oxnard, CA 93030 |
Thanks for casting your VOTE!
You helped us decide this year’s winners of the
Excellence in Agriculture Awards
Participating Restaurants
Labyrinth Winery
Harvest Café
Red Tandem Brewery
Boho Chic
Topa Topa Brewing Co
Join us for the fun!
Ag Week Goals
Help our future generations
One of our main goals for Ventura County Ag Week is to work with area schools to help educate and connect students to agriculture. This week, students will learn about the vital role agriculture plays in each step of the chain in the food we eat and the clothes that we wear.
Perhaps no other intervention in the lives of young people makes as much intuitive sense as the concept of mentoring and working in internship programs. Research shows that junior high, high school and college level student that take part in mentoring programs have higher grade-point averages, are more likely to attend
college or post-secondary training programs and these students are less likely to drop out of school, carry weapons, use drugs or engage in other high-risk behaviors.
So, throughout Ag Week, students from junior highs, high schools and colleges will have an opportunity
to hear firsthand from local farmers and chefs about the role agriculture plays locally and how they can participate as we visit schools through Ventura County. Activities will include class talks, learning about job opportunities in agriculture, field trips to farms, ranches, industrial kitchens and more.
Honor our Farmers and Ranchers
Ventura County is known as one of the top agricultural producers in the world. As such, our local Agriculture Industry plays an extremely important economic role in our community. During Ventura County Ag Week we honor all the hard work of our Farmers, Ranchers and all of the Ag and Culinary-related workers in our county.
The agriculture industry is essential to our economy. This way of life in Ventura County has been attracting farmers, ranchers and farm-related workers since the 1800s. Even with the oil boom in the 1920s, the construction of military bases in the 1940s, and the growth of freeways, subdivisions and technological
industries, agriculture has continued to be the number one employer in our county. Many of our founding farm families still remain today with the current generations carrying on their families’ legacy and relationship to the earth.
And just have some ag-related fun
Part of celebrating is having fun. So, we have a whole host of additional public events planned throughout Ventura County Ag Week.
Some of the great public events we have planned for you include a Meet-the-Farmer-and-Rancher mixer, a book signing and celebration of agriculture with a BBQ and music at a historical park, a Career Exploration Day to help students understand the many career opportunities in agriculture and we’ll top it off with an Excellence in Awards Luncheon honoring area farmers, chefs and educators.
Support the future of Ventura County Agriculture
Donate to the Totally Local VC Agricultural Education Foundation
All this and giving back, too
Proceeds from the Ventura County Ag Week 2019 will benefit the Totally Local VC Agricultural Education Foundation.
Over the past decade, Totally Local VC has worked as an advisor for agriculture and culinary arts programs at both high school and college levels. Together with area chefs and farmers, we have laid the foundation to empower students in taking the next step in their journeys to achieve their educational and professional goals.
In order to grow and continuously raise the bar on our academic initiatives, we formed the Totally Local VC Agricultural Education Foundation. We depend on the support from community members like you through funds raised from donations, sponsorships and events. With this support, we can expand our programs that prepare students for successful careers in agriculture, food science and the culinary arts. Your contribution is helping to build the agricultural leaders and chefs of tomorrow.
Totally Local VC Agricultural Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Celebrate Ventura County Ag Week 2019
We look forward to seeing you
Our Sponsors
Please show some love to the Sponsors that helped make possible this year’s Ventura County Ag Week.
Support Ventura County Agriculture
Donate to the
Totally Local VC Agricultural Education Foundation
Our great sponsors
