The Santa Barbara County Ag Futures Alliance (AFA) announced that the group is presenting the first part of its agricultural education series in Santa Maria on April 6.
The four-part “Agriculture in Santa Barbara County: The Field to Fork” series seeks to inform and educate residents about food and farming practices in the county, looking at agriculture from the production, processing, distribution, and consumer perspectives.
Guest speakers include Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner Cathy Fisher, Victor Tognazzini of Gold Coast Packing in Santa Maria, Robert Abbott of Hilltop and Canyon Farms in Carpinteria, and Dr. Neil MacDougall, agribusiness professor at Cal Poly, SLO. Forum facilitator Joseph McIntyre, president of Ag Innovations Network, will also provide an introductory synopsis of current trends around food, farming, and agriculture from a statewide perspective.
The event runs from 6 to 8 p.m. in Shepard Hall at the Santa Maria Public Library. Free refreshments will be provided.
For more information, visit santabarbaracoafa.org or call Teri Bontrager at 688-7479 or Jennifer Dolan at 310-1462.
This article appears in Mar 24-31, 2011.