Celebrate Harvest Awards Announced

Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner Cathy Fisher will be presented the prestigious Presidents Award at the annual Celebrate Harvest Dinner for her contributions to Agriculture and Agricultural Education in Santa Barbara County. In addition, Johanna Bradley will be presented the AGvocate of the year award for her tireless service in agriculture including support of FFA programs at Santa Maria High School and the Santa Barbara Farm Bureau Blue Jacket program over the years.

“Ag Commissioner Cathy Fisher is very deserving of the President’s award for her dedication to the preservation of agricultural land locally and her advocacy for the 2012 Farm Bill.” declared Farm Bureau President Paul Van Leer. “Having worked with her on a number of agricultural issues since her arrival here in 2010, she was the natural choice. Commissioner Fisher was appointed to the Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association and serves on a variety of committees and chaired the Southern California Association of that body in 2012/2013

Teri Bontrager, Executive Director of the County Farm Bureau and President of the GAATE Foundation explained that Johanna Bradley’s extraordinary service is well known not only in our county’s agricultural community, but throughout the state. “Anyone who will chaperone FFA Girls judging trips for 19 years deserves an award in my book,” said Bontrager. “Her role helping to found the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau Blue Jacket Bonanza is so significant because of the benefit it provides to local students. This service and her dedication to other agricultural nonprofit causes, shows her true dedication to the future of agriculture in our area.”

Celebrate Harvest will be held August 24 at Joe Carrari’s historic Rancho Alamo 4300 Hwy 135, Los Alamos. Tickets are available from the Santa Barbara Farm Bureau Office 805-688-7479. $65 per person and a table of 10 for $600. The event is offering a $20 raffle that gets you a chance to win one of four prizes: An IPAD mini, $500 cash, $500 Costco Card, or a $250 Home Depot Card.