2017 National Agriculture Spring Luncheon

A record crowd attended the National Agriculture Spring Luncheon held March 15 at the Santa Cruz County Fair Heritage Hall in Watsonville. The annual event is coordinated by the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau and the educational organization Agri-Culture.

Al Smith Friend of Agriculture Award presented to Ted Burke

At the luncheon, the 2017 Al Smith Friend of Agriculture award was presented to Ted Burke, co-owner of Shadowbrook Restaurant in Capitola for his strong support of local agriculture.

He is a graduate of the national award-winning program Focus Agriculture Class XXIV. Burke also:

Has encouraged many friends and colleagues to apply to Agri-Culture’s Focus Agriculture program and who have gone on to participate and graduate. • Always attends Dining for Agri-Culture at Shadowbrook annual fund raising event. • Committed to using locally grown products. • Committed to using local Ag businesses as a priority when purchasing 
products they offer that are grown out of the Santa Cruz area. • Member and supporter of the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau, Agri-Culture and the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture. • Shadowbrook’s kitchen roof is a turf-roof planted with herbs, edible 
flowers and seasonal produce products that are used in the kitchen and 
bar. • Promotes the Country Crossroads maps of ‘U-Pick’ farms • In the inside front cover of our menu we list the names of local farms and 
growers who provide the restaurant with their food products. • The restaurant has a weekly promotion in the bar and the dining room 
(‘Winemaker Wednesday’) which features and promotes a local winery 
for that entire week. • Served as a principal speaker at the 2015 National Agriculture Day Spring 
Luncheon. • Member and supporter of Community Alliance of Family Farmers (CAFF) 
and Buy Fresh, Buy Local

Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County Executive Director, Lance Linares, who was the 2016 award recipient, announced the award.

This award is named after Al Smith who was the founder of Orchard Supply Hardware and donated 3,000 acres (Swanton Pacific Ranch) on our north coast to Cal Poly. The ranch has row crops, timber and even a one-third-scale railroad, which was Al’s hobby. The award is on a piece of redwood with a train depicted on it. It is presented annually to an individual, business or organization not involved in production agriculture but has done much for the industry.

2017 National Ag Day Poster and Poetry Contests

Also presented at the luncheon were the winner of the 2017 National Ag Day Poster and Poetry Contests. Daisy Mendoza, from E.A. Hall Middle School in Watsonville, won the poster contest. And Alyssa Burchell, from Creekside School in Santa Cruz, won the Poetry Contest and read his poem at the event. Attached is a list of all winners.

It was announced at the luncheon Jose German Basurto was selected as the 2017 recipient of the Jimmie Cox Memorial Scholarship. Attached is information about Jose.

Master of Ceremonies for the event was Farm Bureau President Thomas Broz. Thomas spoke about the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau’s 100th Anniversary and introduced the organization’s “100 Ag-Related Activities to do in Celebration of Farm Bureau’s Centennial Year” campaign.

Other notables in attendance include County Supervisors Zach Friend and Bruce McPherson, Scotts Valley Councilmember Stephany Aguilar, Dr. Michelle Rodriguez, Superintendent, PVUSD and Georgia Acosta, Trustee, PVUSD.