Alumni Profile

1. Juliana Mazzera
2. Jennifer Clark
3. Allyson Welch
4. Ryan Loney
5. Kamiryn Subega
6. Cristal Verduzco
7. Maren Mochizuki
8. Michael Jiminez
9. Austin Hubbel
10. Carolyn M. Jones, PE

Juliana Mazzera

Alumnus, 2006-2007 San Joaquin SLEWS Program and Bear Creek High School (Stockton), University of California, Santa Barbara (current)

During my final year at Bear Creek High School I not only enrolled myself in the AP environmental studies class but also took part in the SLEWS program, both of which became a life changing and career path altering experience. The SLEWS program helped me decide what I would major in at UC Santa Barbara and a potential career path for myself in the future. SLEWS helped me develop an undeniable passion for the environment, sustainable farming, conservation, and endangered animals in our local areas. I can honestly say that without my involvement in SLEWS I would not know what I wanted to do in my life right now and would not have opened my mind and heart to so many things that have to do with our environment.

Susie Douglas was the first to appear in our classroom and describe the SLEWS program and exactly what we would be taking part in. The whole idea seemed like something that would be difficult for a tiny high school class to accomplish, but after the presentation was done I really could not wait until the first day. Finally that day came, and with my tore up jeans, Bear Creek sweatshirt, and ratty old sneakers I stood out in front of the school and waited to board the school bus that would take us to our destination. When we were on our way it seemed as if it had taken forever to arrive, but when we did all of our mentors were there to greet us. Everyone that led us on our mission to replant elderberry plants and other trees at El Rio Farms were so enthusiastic about everything and had fun every step of the way. That’s when I decided that I wanted to be like those people, my mentors, doing something that I was passionate about, eager to teach, and taking a hands on approach to what you do in life.

I completed the SLEWS program in my senior year of high school, passed senior project, graduated, and was admitted into the environmental studies program at UC Santa Barbara. And although my first year at the university did not go as planned, I hope to transfer to UC Davis and work in the agriculture science and environmental studies and policy department. I hope to eventually make a career out of the program that I choose to major in and make a difference just like the mentors for SLEWS program did. To anyone that has second guesses about taking part in such a program should do it, I guarantee you will never regret it. It’s a life changing experience that everyone should take part in; I’m grateful I did and would do it all over again.

Jennifer Clark

Alumnus, Sonoma FARMS Program 2004-2005, Sonoma Valley High School, 2006, Santa Rosa Junior College (AA), 2008, Chico State University (Current)

My whole life I have been a part of the agricultural community. I grew up with my family’s herd of beef cattle and the pigs, sheep and horses we kept at home and participated in many different agricultural organizations. My childhood was spent doing 4-H projects which led into FFA and which then introduced me to the FARMS program. All these activities opened my eyes to the many different opportunities agriculture has to offer. These early experiences with agriculture have made me who I am today. These opportunities have also influenced many aspects of my life and have been especially influential when it came to choosing a lifestyle for myself. By participating in FARMS and similar groups I have decided to pursue my passion and become an ag teacher. I want to be able to offer other students the experiences I have enjoyed so much. I enjoy working with young adults and I am passionate about the ag industry so I think this would be a good career choice for me. By being an ag teacher I hope to help educate my students about agriculture so that those people can continue to inform others.

That’s why programs like FARMS are so important. For me, I always knew that I wanted to be in the agriculture field, but for many of my friends going to events offered by the FARMS program, I watched them become interested and intrigued by what they were learning about including our environment and how many different aspects agriculture has to offer. Since participating in FARMS I have continued being active in the agriculture community. I worked for two years at McClelland’s Dairy where I learned all about production agriculture. Even though I didn’t do a lot of physical labor with the cows, I learned a lot about an organized and successful business in agriculture which was a great opportunity for me. I have just finished my Associate Degree at the Santa Rosa Jr. College and now I’m a student at California State University, Chico, majoring in ag education with an animal science concentration and working on a minor in ag business. My ultimate goal is getting my teaching credential and a master’s degree. Because of the positive outcome of programs like FARMS, this year I took on being the 4-H market lamb leader in my hometown of Sonoma. It was a very good experience and I had a great time working with the kids and their projects. At SRJC I participated in Ag Ambassadors for four semesters and became a member of the local Young Farmers and Ranchers group. I have made many memories participating in agricultural groups and made some friends that I will keep for a lifetime. I highly encourage others to take on programs like FARMS because you never know what kind of opportunities it will present to you.

Allyson Welch

Alumnus, 2002-2003 Sacramento Valley SLEWS Program, Dixon High School Alumnus, June 2007, UC Davis College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences

Ever since I was wee, I knew that I wanted to do something with my life that helped the environment. Of course, as I grew, the ideas of what I actually wanted to be changed and evolved. When I participated in the SLEWS program as a high school student I had ideas of becoming a wolf biologist. Eventually, I made my way through college, acquired a degree in wildlife biology, and came face to face with the problem of finding a job. Luckily for me, I had participated as both an intern and mentor with SLEWS so when I found a naturalist position at an outdoor education school in the Santa Cruz mountains, I knew that I had found a great fit. SLEWS helped me realize that teaching people about the environment is something I would like to do. I take great enjoyment teaching students about things like habitats, cycles, and conservation. And I believe that SLEWS provided me with a great foundation for what I'm doing and what I hope to do with the rest of my life.

Ryan Loney

University of California, Davis

Alumnus, 2005-2006 Sacramento Valley SLEWS Program, Rodriguez High School

My participation in the SLEWS program was a wonderful experience that helped me not only decide what I would like to study in college, but what I would like to do in life. SLEWS allowed me to pursue my passion for the environment and science outside of the classroom in a meaningful and productive way. Coming from an agricultural family, working with a shovel and dirt meant doing a chore. The experience I had with SLEWS was not by any means a chore, but a learning experience that took me outside of the classroom with knowledgeable mentors who wanted to help me and my classmates restore habitat in our backyard.

Working with SLEWS allowed me to be a part of the change that I want to see in the world, instead of just reading about it in a textbook. My participation in SLEWS has inspired me to take part in SEED (Students for Environmental Science at Davis), which is an internship program at UC Davis where I am currently an undergraduate studying Environmental Science and Policy. After interning with the program last year I decided to accept an offer to coordinate the internship program until I graduate. We currently work with hundreds of elementary school students every year and introduce important environmental education topics into their curriculum. I would highly recommend SLEWS to both teachers and students, as it is a very fun and educational experience!

Kamiryn Subega

Middle College High School

Alumnus, 2005-2006 San Joaquin FARMS Leadership Program 2005-2006

During my sophomore year in high school, my science teacher asked who was interested in the environment and sustainability as part of agriculture. Having taken a Natural Resource class, I was extremely interested. Six students joined the FARMS Leadership program.

I could not help but fall even more in love with nature and all that it stands for. I enjoyed meeting other students with similar interests. It really opened up my eyes to many of the concerns facing agriculture and the whole environment. The FARMS Leadership program was a gateway to so many other groups dedicated to the environment like Adopt-A-Watershed and our Youth Action Media project (YAM). It gave me the push I needed to do my part to help the earth become sustainable. Even now as a senior, I have based my Senior Project on environmentally healthy products and ways to conserve our current resources.

Without my science teacher, Susie Douglas and FARMS, I don’t think I would be where I am today. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I had and hope future generations have the same chance to learn about their valley through FARMS. Even if it only reaches a small audience, that audience will spread the knowledge to others, and I am proof of that. I am even going to take my learning into a summer job monitoring the health of plants on a wine grape farm. I give my hand to FARMS and hope someday; I too, can coordinate such a great program.

Cristal Verduzco

California Polytechnic State University

Throughout my senior year of high school, I was part of the Environmental and Spatial Technology program. All students in this program are required to work on a physical community based project year round. As we were in the process of researching our interests, Susie Douglas showed up to our classroom and spoke to us about FARMS Leadership. The agriculture aspect of the program automatically caught my eye and that of some of my friends. We decided to apply for the program and could not wait for our first field day.

As the year progressed, we had the opportunity to visit a variety of farms and learn about conservation. The field days that still remain fresh in my mind are the two in which we visited the Verberg Dairy and the day we explored career opportunities in agriculture. The Verberg Dairy captivated me because of its conservation potential. This dairy uses a system of tailwater ponds that allow it to recycle its manure. These ponds not only provide a very effective way of managing waste, but also allow the dairy to use the water to fertilize their crops.

My family has always been involved with agriculture. My grandparents farmed in Mexico, my mother has worked in the fields for most of her life and most of my uncles continue to make a living from farming to this day. I shared my interest in the field with my family members but most of them seemed to think that the agricultural industry was dying down. I was told there was no money to be made but money is not what interests me. Having a career day in FARMS turned out to be a very important part of my future. It reassured me that there are great opportunities out there in agriculture and that I could make them part of my life.

Like every other senior in high school, I was having trouble deciding which college to apply to and especially what major to choose. As application deadlines approached, I set my heart on Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and a degree in agricultural business. Thanks to a decent GPA and a bunch of extracurricular activities I was accepted into my dream university.

This fall I will be entering my sophomore year in college and currently I am a summer intern for the NRCS service center in Stockton, California. I am very happy with the path I have chosen for my future and I definitely believe that being involved with FARMS made all of this possible. I made wonderful connections through the program and I am sure that they will play a great role in my future plans.

My biggest goal, at the moment, is to become the agricultural commissioner for San Joaquin County. I believe that I can make this come true and when I do, I will not forget to think back to the days I spent working with my friends on our FARMS project and how it inspired me to dedicate my life’s work to agriculture.

Cristal Verduzco

California Polytechnic State University

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Maren Mochizuki

Staff Research Associate, UC Cooperative Extension, Ventura County

I was a FARMS Leadership Program participant from Terra Linda High School in San Rafael (Marin County) during the 1996-1997 year. I am writing to tell you how important and inspiring my experience with the program was and how much it has shaped my life to date.

As I recall, it was the second year of the program and Terra Linda was the only suburban school participating. I always had an interest in food, food production, and environmental issues, but learning about sustainable agriculture was the first time I was exposed to the potential intersection of these interests in the realm of study, a career, even a philosophy.  I enjoyed all of our field days even more than just missing some school and getting free lunch; I learned so much, especially during my overnight stay with the Turkovich family and touring their operation.

We Terra Linda students always felt a little out of place among the other local participants who came from family farms, studied agricultural sciences, or at least had a more rural upbringing. This was most apparent at the end-of-the-year project presentations, where I was mortified after watching several student presentations of what seemed to me to be sound scientific research in sustainable agriculture. I remember almost being embarrassed to present our project – environmental education lessons in elementary school classes where the extent of quantification was having the kids count beneficial insects on fava bean stalks. Compared to the “research” our peers presented, it seemed, to our chagrin, that we had totally misunderstood the expectations of the program.

And then, Craig McNamara did an amazing thing that I will never forget. After all the presentations were finished, he congratulated everyone and told us all what a good job we did. But in particular, you told everyone that they should aspire to what we Terra Linda students did, to reach other students, to teach a little about what we’d already learned in the program to the next generation. Thus, our background was not a hindrance, but actually helped us design a project that was both rewarding and original.

Since that time, I have continued to study sustainable agriculture, first as an environmental studies major and politics minor with an emphasis in agroecology at UC Santa Cruz. I led the campus environmental group for two years and continued to create environmental education lessons and visit classes. My senior project involved native plant restoration as a pest management technique for Pierce’s Disease in winegrapes in Napa and Sonoma counties. Particularly during my MS work in Horticulture at Cornell University, I again felt my background was lacking to pursue this advanced degree in agriculture; once more I was the clueless suburbanite in the FARMS Program. But I was always heartened remembering that FARMS presentation day, when I learned that having a different background often leads to a unique approach to a problem.

I finished my MS in May of 2005 and have had my research on conservation tillage for cabbage published. I couldn’t wait to come back to California and in November of 2005 started as a research assistant with Cooperative Extension in Ventura County. I really like the variety of this job and so far have helped with projects on strawberries, broccoli, lettuce, palms and other ornamentals, and avocados.  Thank you for creating such an important and influential program.

Maren Mochizuki

Staff Research Associate, UC Cooperative Extension, Ventura County

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Michael Jimenez

FARMS Alumni from Middle College High School, 2005-2006

I started out going because I thought it would be fun to go to a farm and see what it was like. Midway in, I guess I started to realize what was happening around me. I learned of the issues with farmland and the how our Delta was being affected, how our water supply isn’t what it used to be, and yet everyone wants to divert some. Then, I started to notice other people talking about it too-- on the news or when political issues came up. I just started to see it more and more, like when you own a red car and you tend to notice all the other red cars on the road. It was just an awakening for me, which I really appreciate. So now, when I am able to vote, I can vote for the measures that matter instead of being a blind voter in the city. If people weren’t informed, I’d say our Delta would have already been gone, or owned by some company for personal use. I’m just glad to know what is going on in my home.

Michael participated in the inaugural FARMS Leadership Program in San Joaquin County in 2005-2006. Since then, he has been part of a small group of high school students making a film on the San Joaquin Delta, which is part of a youth-led effort facilitated by Adopt-A-Watershed. This project includes many additional activities in which teens are participating in to help the Delta. This film will be shown at the first-ever San Joaquin Film Festival in June 2008.

Michael Jimenez

FARMS Alumni from Middle College High School, 2005-2006

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Austin Hubbel

Fresno FARMS Leadership Alumni

After participating in the FARMS Leadership Program I found that I had acquired many critical thinking skills that to this day help me when facing problems at work, in school and in the real world. The best example of this is with my participation on the National Champion Ag Mechanics team and when I was competing for my National Proficiency Award. I am proud to say that FARMS contributed to my success in both areas. I am a true believer and supporter of the FARMS Leadership Program.

Austin Hubbel

Fresno FARMS Leadership Alumni

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Carolyn M. Jones, PE

Agricultural Engineer, NRCS - Napa Field Office

In 1994, my vocational agriculture instructor (FFA advisor), Rich Engel, asked a few of us from Woodland High School if we’d like to participate in the Sustainable Production Education Program (SPEP).  With a “why not” attitude, a group of half a dozen of us started working on agriscience projects – mine being about earthworms.  One day I look back on nostalgically was our visit to Craig McNamara’s walnut orchard.  We helped him monitor cover crops for beneficial insects and build owl boxes.  We also got to check out the walnut sorting machinery and meet the farmyard dogs.  Another integral part of the program was the overnight visit with a farming family on their working sustainable farm.  I stayed with a goat and fruit producer southwest of Winters.  I’m glad I got the introduction to sustainable agriculture and conservation prior to college and, anyway, it looked great on my college application.

At SPEP (now FARMS Leadership Program), my eyes were opened to the link between farming and environmentalism and that they aren't exclusive of one another.  That farmers and ranchers, the original stewards of the land, work within the native environment and that if they work WITH the native elements of the environment, they can enhance habitat that may have otherwise been degraded and also improve production on their ground through use of owls for rodent control, earthworms to improve soil quality, and cover crops that enhance beneficial insect populations for pest control and pollination.  

Since then, I’ve pursued and gained an Agricultural (Biological Systems) Engineering Batchelor of Science degree from UC Davis where spent two years as a live-in caretaker at the Animal Science Horse Barn.  I helped with feedings, foalings, breedings, and general maintenance.  In my senior year at UCD, I was introduced to the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and got to work with Craig and the Farm on Putah Creek property (Center for Land-Based Learning’s headquarters) as part of my engineering and conservation duties at the Dixon Field Office.  After graduation, I joined NRCS at the State Office where conservation/agricultural engineering took me as far north as Tulelake, as far west as Ukiah, as far east as Auburn, and as far south as Modesto.  My design projects have varied from irrigation and tailwater return to dairy waste management to streambank repair and revetments to small pond design and design/computation tool development.  In 2004, I sought my Civil Engineering Professional Engineering license and passed on the first try.  I transferred to the Napa Field Office and have been working on erosion control, water conveyance, and streambank repair design projects – one including the removal of a barrier to fish passage that will open up access to about 25 miles of stream to native salmonids in the Napa Valley.  Last fall, I also passed the Agricultural Engineering Professional Engineering licensure exam and am proud to be double-registered including in the field of my passion – agriculture!

Participation in SPEP (FARMS) provided me a network of people in the industry that I became familiar with and got to work with further.  Since SPEP (FARMS), I've continued to learn more about the conservation practices I discovered in the program and other, more engineered conservation practices and how they benefit the farmer's bottom line and the quality of life for people and native wildlife.  My career, with the introduction that SPEP/FARMS gave me, has taken me to a place where I can help support the farmers and ranchers that I respect so much while also helping them do their jobs with a more positive impact to the land.

On a personal note, I bought a 1940’s fixer upper home in 2004 and have been getting it back to live-able ever since.  I keep busy with hobbies including knitting, hiking, fiber spinning, helping my parents out with their ranchette (my old FFA sheep flock and our horses), cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

Carolyn M. Jones, PE

Agricultural Engineer, NRCS - Napa Field Office

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