Totally Local VC Agricultural
A week-long celebration of Ventura County Agriculture
Join us for Ventura County Ag Week
March 9-15, 2020
A Week-long Celebration of Agriculture in Ventura County
Totally Local VC Agricultural Foundation presents the fourth annual Ventura County Ag Week where we celebrate all that our local Farmers and Ranchers do. Ventura County Ag Week runs from Monday, March 9th through Sunday, March 15th which coincides with National Ag Day and California Ag Day. 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 2020 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 2020 Excellence in Agriculture Awards Luncheon held at the Museum of Ventura County – Agriculture Museum 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 a keynote speaker followed by a wonderful Farm-to-Fork lunch prepared by Chef Michelle Kenny from La Dolce Vita Restaurant. For desert, tempt your sweet tooth at the build-your-own-strawberry-shortcake bar.
SOLD OUT!
| Date: | Tuesday, March 10, 2020 |
| Time: | 11:30 am – 1:30 pm |
| Cost: | $35.00 individual, $500 table sponsor |
| Chef: | Chef Michelle Kenny – La Dolce Vita Restaurant |
| Location: | Museum of Ventura County – Agriculture Museum 926 Railroad Ave Santa Paula, CA 93060 |
Ventura Chef Association Tasting Event
Pairing local chefs with culinary students
Local chefs will pair with culinary students for this wonderful tasting event. Watch chefs create dishes using local produce and more and taste the appetizers they prepare. Information tables will have student internship, apprenticeship and mentorship applications, certifications and scholarship info available.
| Date: | Wednesday, March 11, 2020 |
| Time: | 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm |
| Cost: | FREE |
| Location: | Heritage Square 715 South A St Oxnard, CA 93030 |
| Appetizers: | Food samples from local chefs and restaurants |
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 cheeses and tasty desserts while listening to the local musicians. 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: | Thursday, March 12, 2020 |
| Time: | 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm |
| Cost: | FREE (No-host bar) |
| Location: | Heritage Square 715 South A St Oxnard, CA 93030 |
| Music: | Karen 805 |
| Appetizers: | La Dolce Vita Restaurant |
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: | Monday March 9th through Friday March 13th |
| 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
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO CONCERNS ABOUT THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS COVID-19.
Teachers and vendors have all been notified about the cancellation. With so many students planning to attend, we felt it was the responsible thing to do. We will reschedule this event for a later date.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California public health experts have determined that gatherings with 250 or more people should be postponed or canceled across the state. Smaller gatherings can proceed only if organizers implement social distancing of 6 feet per person.
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 13, 2020 |
| Cost: | FREE |
| Location: | Museum of Ventura County – Agricultural Museum 926 Railroad Avenue Santa Paula, CA 93060 |
History of Oxnard Farming, BBQ & 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. View vintage tractors, bean threshers, farm implements and spring crops, too.
Enjoy a locally-sourced barbecue lunch at Cowboy John’s Smoking BBQ Food Truck. Music provided by Karen Eden and Cary Park.
| Date: | Saturday, March 14, 2020 |
| Time: | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm |
| Cost: | FREE |
| Location: | Oxnard Historic Farm Park 1251 Gottfried Pl Oxnard, CA 93030 |
Other activities happening throughout the week include a Farm-to-Fork Food and Drink Tour and local restaurants, wineries and brewers will feature their Farm-to-Fork and Glass specials.
Thanks for casting your VOTE!
You helped us decide this year’s winners of the
Excellence in Agriculture Awards
Participating Chefs & Purveyors
One of our Ag Week highlights is the Eat Local – Hug a Farmer week–long promotions. Participating locally–owned restaurants, wineries, brewers and purveyors will be highlighting their locally–sourced menu items and tasting rooms. Here is a list of the restaurants, chefs and purveyors providing these special highlights throughout the week. Just click on their listing to be taken to their website.
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 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. Other activities happening throughout the week include a Farm-to-Fork Food and Drink Tour and local restaurants, wineries and brewers will feature their Farm-to-Fork and Glass specials.
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 2020 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 2020
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.
Gold Sponsors
Supporting Sponsors
Partnering Organizations
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Totally Local VC Agricultural Education Foundation
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