Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) will host its first Summer Celebration, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, to celebrate farming, food and community, and to raise funds for SEEAG’s cost-free education programs.
The Summer Celebration will be at the Ventura County Agricultural Museum in Santa Paula.
The event will also benefit SEEAG’s proposed 2.5-acre educational farm campus on underutilized Ventura County land in partnership with the Ventura County Probation Agency.
Attendees will enjoy the flavors of summer with brunch stations, appetizers, and locally crafted beverages curated by Seasons Catering, featuring fresh, locally sourced ingredients from SEEAG’s farm partners and artisanal products from Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
Attendees can learn about SEEAG’s programs, view its vision for the new farm campus, explore the museum’s current exhibit, hear live music, and participate in a live auction.
Honored during the event will be Chris Sayer, farm manager and fifth-generation farmer at Petty Ranch; and Erin Krier, agriculture coordinator and assistant professor at Allan Hancock College.
SEEAG’s programs, including Ventura and Santa Barbara County Farm Days, reach more than 15,000 students and community members annually, working to create deeper understanding and appreciation of local food production.
“Members of our local ag community play a big role in enabling SEEAG to reach so many students and the public,” said Caitlin Paulus-Case, SEEAG’s executive director. “They open their doors during SEEAG’s Farm Day events and provide resources for our teaching programs.”
SEEAG offers three free student ag programs.
Farm-to-Food Lab is for third-graders and includes a field trip to a working farm. STEM Career Pathways in Ag gives high schoolers the opportunity to learn about careers in agronomy through classroom labs and field trips.
SEEAG’s Youth Wellness Initiative is designed to educate and empower students and their families to embrace healthy lifestyles by understanding the connection between agriculture, nutrition, healthy eating habits and wellness.
Summer Celebration sponsors include the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation, Gene Haas Foundation, Gills Onions, AgWest Farm Credit, Bonipak, Montecito Bank & Trust, The Land Trust For Santa Barbara County, LightGabler LLP, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, and Randy Solakian.
“We never charge for any of our community events or student programs,” Paulus-Case said. “This is only possible because of the generosity of our donors.”
Tickets are $100 for adults, $50 for youth. Participants can also buy a $50 Flower Bar ticket to create their own fresh-cut floral bouquet made from flowers provided Pyramid Flowers.
For more, visit https://www.seeag.org/summer-celebration.