SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Members and supporters of the California Future Farmers of America (FFA) returned to the Golden 1 Center for the third session of the 96th State FFA Leadership Conference in Sacramento, with a theme of “Stellar Supporters.”
At this session, members heard from the California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary, Karen Ross, who commended California FFA and agricultural education for building transferable soft skills within the future generation of agriculturists.
“Our world is in good hands because of FFA,” Ross expressed. “You are the most important part of the California agriculture family; you are the future.”
John and Gail Kautz, tremendous longtime supporters of California FFA, were inducted into the Blue and Gold Hall of Fame, an immense honor within the National FFA Organization. John and Kail are also honorees of the Seeds of Impact campaign, a current fundraising campaign organized by the California FFA Foundation. The James G. Boswell Foundation has pledged $1 million towards this $2 million fundraising campaign.
The prestigious Golden Owl Award, sponsored by Nationwide Insurance and the California Farm Bureau, was presented to Rick Neugebauer of McArthur-Fall River FFA. Neugebauer was selected among over 200 nominations from across the state.
Supporters who have made an immense impact on the association were recognized with their Honorary State Degrees, listed at the end of this article. Additionally, Distinguished Service Citation Awards, reserved for those few who provide assistance of an outstanding nature to the FFA organization, were also presented. These businesses are listed at the end of this article.
Thanks to the contributions made by sponsors and supporters, multiple senior FFA members were presented with scholarships to continue their education. Visit here to see a full list of all scholarship recipients.
Finally, State FFA Reporter Piper Lakey presented her retiring address titled, “The Difference.” Lakey reflected on her past experiences comparing herself to other talented individuals in her life and encouraged members to avoid doing the same.
“Never waste a moment wishing you were someone else,” Lakey said. “Focus on being the person that makes a difference to others.”
The fourth session of the 96th State FFA Leadership Conference will be held at the Golden 1 Center tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.
Honorary State Degree Recipients
- Dr. Vincent Yeung
- Dean Andy Thulin
- Matt Angell
- Irene Casotrena-Kruger
- Tyler Blagg
- Jake Parnell
- Wayne Zipser
Distinguished Service Award Recipients
- The Morning Star Company
- The Almond Board
- Twisted Twig Print and Design
- Blue Diamond Growers
- California Cotton Alliance
- John and Gail Kautz
- The James G. Boswell Foundation
