In a landscape as rich as the Santa Maria Valley, Iris Valdez has been exposed to agriculture in her classrooms for years. The Pioneer Valley High School senior craved a more hands-on experience, so she enrolled in plant and soil science at the local career technical education (CTE) center and has already harvested watermelon, corn, pumpkins, squash, and peppers this semester.
Real-world applications don’t stop there, though. Valdez’s class of around 30 students recently packed more than 100 boxes of their produce to give away to community members. It’s a tradition that student farmers commit to every year.
“It felt great with everything going on right now. People not being able to go out, people needing help right now with how things are going,” Valdez told the Sun. “It felt nice being able to give back to our community.”
Choose your adventure
Learn about educational pathways at the Mark Richardson Career Technical Center and Agricultural Farm by visiting mrc.smjuhsd.org. Juniors and seniors in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District may apply.
Next on the curriculum is planting an apple orchard. With so much to do at the Mark Richardson Career Technical Center and Agricultural Farm, the senior recommends that her peers enroll in one of the classes.
“It’s very fun here,” Valdez added.
Juniors and seniors from across the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District earn certificates and dual enrollment credits through Allan Hancock College. Other courses at the center teach construction, engineering, animal science, and performing arts.
Plant science students help run a 10-acre farming operation on the Santa Maria campus for two periods each day, learning every step from propagating plants and putting them in the ground to protecting crops from disease and pests.
The farm is divided into three plots. One section grew many of the vegetables that students donated. Another was filled with corn and another with pumpkins.
Andrea Felder-Lee, the district’s director of career technical education, explained that students spend the first semester in an introductory course and then complete a capstone in the spring.
“They follow all the safety guidelines, and they learn how to drive Gators and tractors and all kinds of farming equipment in the classroom, as we’re running it like a farm,” Felder-Lee said. “If anything needs to be fixed or if owl boxes need to be built, our students do that as well. So, it is like every CTE class should be student-driven with the guidance of our instructors.”
Some students volunteer their time in the summer, too, weeding and watering crops while their peers are on break. They donated time after school to pack fruit and vegetables into boxes for the fall donations, Felder-Lee said.
In addition to learning about agriculture, the students learn to support their town. With preexisting local ties, district staff from the Family and Community Engagement Division delivered the produce to families.
“Being a good community member is also about taking care of each other, and so I think it shows students that not only do we take care of our community, but also where our food comes from,” Felder-Lee said. “Our students are extremely proud when they are able to share that information. Sometimes they’re allowed to take home corn or something if they’ve just harvested, and they share with their families and are able to share the growing process and everything.”
There are opportunities for seniors to mentor juniors if they’ve completed a CTE pathway. While it only takes one year to finish at the Mark Richardson Center, the time commitment may be longer at other schools in the district that offer comparable programs.
“They’re able to do internships and eventually maybe find work-based learning sites where they could actually earn money while going to school,” Felder-Lee added.
Highlight
• Men’s basketball players at Allan Hancock College are bringing back the Frightmare Forest on Oct. 30 and 31 from 7 to 10 p.m. Those brave enough to wander through the 3-acre haunted maze are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes and prepare for a scare. Buy a $15 ticket online or at the entrance, which is located by free parking at the Santa Maria campus baseball and softball complex. 800 S. College Drive.
Reach Staff Writer Madison White at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in October 29 – November 5, 2026.
