Santa Paula High School Agriculture Science ,br>Academy students attend Ag and college tour

Santa Paula High School’s Agriculture Science Academy students attended their first Agriculture Industry Tour of the year to Mission Avocados, FRESKA Produce Intl., & CSU Channel Islands. According to Mr. Flores, Agriculture Teacher/FFA Advisor at Santa Paula High School, “the one day industry tours are designed to provide students with several job shadow tours focused on career, educational and informative opportunities in the area of agriculture. There are a number of professional careers awaiting high school students and graduates with degrees in agriculture. When students attend the agriculture industry tours, they learn there is a significant job opportunity and a need for people to go into agriculture.”

Our first stop was at Mission Produce in Oxnard and toured the packing house, coolers, processing and distribution plant. The tour was led by Brett Sack, Production Manager & Brock Nunez, Dry Goods Supervisor for Mission Produce. We learned about the various international career opportunities in farm management, marketing, and processing in Europe, New Zealand, Asia, Mexico, Central and South America. The demand for avocados continues to grow at a dramatic pace, and that increase in demand is not limited to the U.S. market. We also learned about the growing, processing, and shipping process the avocados travel to get to the consumer. It starts with the grower, whether it is a backyard farmer or a large scale grower, all the avocados are graded based on maturity and size.  

Our second stop was at FRESKA Produce International in Oxnard. The tour was led my Jesus Loza, Santa Paula High School Alumni/ FRESKA Produce Intl. Co-Owner & Mark Garcia, Chief Financial Officer. Freska Produce International, LLC was formed in 2004 with the intention of providing customers with the “World Finest Mangos” 365 days per year. To do this, they have obtained the best growers in Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Mexico. In an article in 2012, Jesus believes in giving back to the community and is one of the largest supporters of many charities and community events in Santa Paula. “When kids can see firsthand the success of people from their hometown, their school, and in agriculture; those are the leaders that impact our student’s lives”, explained Mr. Flores. Students toured the packing house, the mango processing plant, strawberry processing plants, and met all the executives of the company.

The last tour of the day concluded at the California State University of Channel Islands in Camarillo. Students toured the campus, learned about admissions, financial aid, housing, and the importance of having a plan after high school. The opportunities for high school students to pursue their educational and career goals are tremendous, especially in the area of agriculture. Starting October 1, students in the Agriculture Science Academy will begin applying to California State Universities and on November 1 Universities of California.