14 APPEAL-DEMOCRAT YUBA-SUTTERAGLIFE Friday, March 8, 2019 THREF THREE What do you tell someone when they want you to explain what What do you say to young people about getting into production I teach applicable suills to the future of our industry. (Ele) I fabell all of my kids friends and kids I talk to that whatever they are the students at Wheatland high school a place to feel ke they belong. There are so many unfied jobs today and our industry has broadened What do you say to young people about getting into production urers in our area that are having a hard time finding people who can you do? tate the success of my students through applicable skills in welding technical and general farm equipment maintenance (Cody)We gve interested in, do it in the ag industry. I cannot think of any area of study in school that you cannot do as an occupation in the ag industry n new areas especially technology.Just within the last 10 years there are so manry new jobs createdI know of two equipment manufac and will operate their robotic welders We have a dozen or more local ag companies that are operating globally. I see so much potential for Do it! There is no industry ske the agriouiture industry, It is an industry that cares about one another and works to feed the world There will always be jobs in the agrioulture industry.(Elle) There is a high demand for people in the mechanical industry and by taking steps now i will lead our students to a stable successtud future. (Cody) The Ag industry is a very rewarding industry where your level of input equals your output and if you chose this industry you will see the tnal within BOB AMAREL REASON FARMS, MANAGING PARTNER What is your role in the I am the Managing General Partner in our partnership, I'm responsible for most of the strategic decisions. Our partnership however is realy co-lead by myself and my son, John. I bry to add a historical perspec- tve to the decisions we must make to keep our operation running fficiently and profitably. is is my job to constantly scan the harizon for deas to make our organization stronger. OHN AMARE REASON FARMS, PARTNER Courtesy photo What is your role in the organization? Matt takes to remain suc essi My daily responsibilities are operational I am invoved in all aspects of What's front and center on your radar? Right now it's the potential trade tariffs and possible trade war that are dlecting every crop we produce. The President is on the right track trying to get tair trade for all American products and unfortuately WHEATLAND HIGH SCHOOL AGRICULTURE INSTRUCTORS What's front and center on your radar? I would say front and center is the labor issue for any industry. Espe- cally, agriculture because we are unable to directiy pass the oost onIariculture happens to be the tip of the spear Right now, agricuilture S simple: lo v supply of labor means so ease in cost for the same task stands to lose the most but if he suceeds in getting fair trade we of growing food. Talk about your role in the We are the Wheatland High School agriculture teachers. We acilitate all the agricuilture courses at the high school. The courses include: ag biology, art and history of floral design, advanced fioral design, welding and tarm equipment repair, advanced welding and ag constnaction vil aso gain the most What keeps you awake at night? ture can count on a constant source of available labor to plant, prune We also are in charge of supervised agniculture experience projects which indde markanimals for te fair, ag mechanic pr cts, plant projects and faciitating communty partnerships and intemships Lastly, we are the advisors to the Wheatand FFA Chapter As advisors we help students gain leadership S What keeps you a I worry about the future of agriculture in this great state. Way too many of the legislators in Sacramento don't understand or even recognine the importance of agriculture in our state. They have made it very ear that ag is an expendable industry. I worry about our global food supply they fail to see the critical link Califomia ag is in the chain. Labor availability. We need to settle our immigration policy so agricul and pick our crops What do you see as the Melssa Taylor-Our role is shaping the minds of the uture of our ndustry in the near What do you see as the biggest opportunity for you or the community in the near future? I think a great opportunity for me as a farmer and our community is our students It we can show our students the importance and opportunities in agriculture. The reward for therm and our community would be substantial. Locally, we can really heip our labor shortage by engaging kids and getting them interested in ag.is our greatest resouroe and can provide a good quaity ofefor a lot of tamilies The future of agricuure is bright particulary in the truit and nut industries providing we get "lair trade policies from the rest of the world and a consistent labor force. We are the most efficient producers of those commodibies in the world and can compete with anyone pro- iding we have a level playing field. Since a raising tide floats all boats, E agriculture does we'll so will our community What's front and center on your radar? Currently, we are in the process of advancing the facilities, creating state of the art facilities and adding new courses What keeps you awake at night? The kids and their at home struggles that I can not solve. Elie Landers) How to get the kids to grow as an individual for the better- ment of themselves and learning to rise above their home lide. (A) What do you tell someone when they want you to explain what you do? you do? What do you tell someone when they want you to explain what ell them we grow the safest, best, most nutritious food on the planet I do whatever it takes to make our prunes, wahuts and almonds growWhat do you say to young people about getting into production l organize and direct employees tasks, fx equipment when it breaks or process agriculture? prepare and move equipment to the next orchard to complete next tasks I'm really hands on to all aspects of our operation, I have to be is not cooperative, the pay sometimes comes up short, but in the end a mechanic, welder, dispatcher, irrigator, equipment operator,IT guy truck driver,financial analyst, weatherman and the list goes on and on. Very rarety am I doing the same thing two days in a row and to tell wthe monetary rewards can be outstanding you the truth I don't get to drive a tractor for more than a couple hours belore I have to stop and go fix or solve another more important issue. What do you see as the biggest opportunity for you or the The new Agriculture Facility and the opportunity for the students of Wheatland High School to learn about agriculture. Wheatand Hgh School Agricuture department was awarded the Career Technical Education Facilities grant. The grant is a matching grant of $3 miion dollars. The ag program will now have $6 million dolars to update the ag weldng shops and build a state of the art agniculture science l bell them straight up that t's a lot of work, sometimes Mother Nature you are part of a very noble profession, that being the production of food and fiber of which without we would all perish and once in a