California Agricultural Leadership Program

Today we made our journey home. We left Washington D.C. at 6:00 AM (Eastern Standard Time), and with one layover in Atlanta, we arrived home in Sacramento at noon (Pacific Standard Time). Wow! This was a trip for the record books. We wanted to start off with how extremely proud we are of every CALF…

Somehow we find ourselves at the last full day of our indescribable National Trip. Words feels like they do little justice to how we are feeling, what we have been learning, and how we will be integrating these experiences back into our everyday lives; But, we’re going to do our best. The theme of the…

Being flexible, understanding, and ready for a full day continues to be a theme of Class 52’s national trip. We started the day with a COVID test, had breakfast, and continued to show D.C. why we are known as the “Hungry & Chatty” group. Fueled up and ready to learn, we jumped in cars and…

“When people think about politics, they think of conflict… that makes good television, but it doesn’t make good policy.” Dennis Nuxoll, Western Growers Association We heard from four spectacular speakers the morning of our second full day in Washington DC – Dennis Nuxoll (Western Growers), Scott Faber (Environmental Working Group), Sara Neagu-Reed (AmericanHort; class 49),…

It was certainly a day for Sunshine and Vitamin C. Both the energy of the group and the climate kept us uplifted to move through the day we had ahead.  The moment we all waited for, our first day in DC! But wait, not exactly how we planned….  We woke up with a message from the…

Today, we bid farewell to Minneapolis with our minds swimming with all that we have taken in over the past three days (how does three days feel more like three weeks?) and hearts full of questions, doubts and conflicting emotions. The town truly is a living, breathing contradiction. Lakes and rivers, friendly people and vibrant…

Class 52 started our morning off with an amazing discussion with a Law Enforcement Officer, Special Agent Crystal Jones from the Predatory Crimes Division of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). Special Agent Crystal Jones’ focus is labor trafficking, especially in the agricultural industry in Minnesota. She emphasized how the lack of labor and other challenges…

Today opened our eyes to humbling and educational experiences. From learning about the history of Minneapolis to hearing about the Minnesota Agricultural Rural Leadership (MARL) program and from experiencing a sacred moment in a local mosque to hearing about structural racism, Class 52 faced a somber day.  Mentoring and Growth Discussion Our day started with…

Crisp was the cold march morning in Sacramento when class 52 embarked on its journey to the icy heart of Minnesota. The journey there was a long and arduous journey but nothing too great for the fellows to overcome. Upon the winged vessel touching down in Minneapolis, the chilling cold air filled the fellow’s lungs.…