Featured
Chapter
Fillmore
FFA
Fillmore is a small town nestled below the
Los Padres National Forest in the fertile farming
belt of the Santa Clara River Valley in Ventura
County.
The local agriculture economy
consists of orange, lemon, avocado orchard
farming and packing houses. The Fillmore
FFA chapter has continued to grow, with 165
members currently enrolled in Ag Mechanics,
Agriscience, Horticulture and Ag Business
courses. A partnership with the middle school
includes eighth graders attending
chapter meetings and planning
SAE programs.
Currently,
the seventh grade science
curriculum is now focusing on
career
technical
education
with a focus on agriculture and
entrepreneurship in preparation
for becoming future agriculture
students at the high school.
Fillmore High School with just
under 1,000 students is central to this small
town and plays a pivotal role in the dynamics
of the community activities.
Fillmore’s FFA chapter roots began in the
1930’s , but it wasn’t until the 1970’s under
the direction of the agriculture teacher, Dick
Mosbarger that the program would expand
to include a school farm. With the help of
community support the concept of a school
farm was going to become a reality. The
community rallied together to pass a bond
measure to purchase an 80 acre parcel of land
along the Santa Clara River. Today, the farm
relationships with the local agriculture industry
that provides support to the program by
opening their businesses to students for tours
and providing internships. This
year, the Ag Business class worked
with local industry to create a 12
month calendar featuring the
different agriculture industries
of the Santa Clara River Valley.
This small farming community has
been integral in the success of
the agriculture program and its
growth.
Additionally, Fillmore
FFA alumni serve as booster and
advisory committee members, own agricultural
businesses in the community and also serve as
local school board members.
It is this strong since of community support
that has been essential to the growth of the
program and the success of the students
involved in FFA. Members have pride in the
community which can be seen at the annual
May Festival and 4th of July Pancake Breakfasts
Fillmore FFA is a family tradition
with generations of children
becoming FFA members.
consists of 20 production acres of oranges,
lemons and avocados that are overseen by
the farm manager; with additional area for
crop production, greenhouse crops and the
livestock facilities. The school farm provides
space for plenty of student SAE’s ranging from
small and large livestock production to crop
production with over 50 students participating
in the local county fair.
Fillmore FFA takes pride in its unique
California FFANEWS • Page 4 • Summer 2016
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