California FFA the Real Winners of Almond Leadership Program Golf Tournament

What do you get when you combine blue jackets, almond industry members and 18 holes of golf?

You get the Almond Leadership Program’s inaugural golf tournament fundraiser, that’s what!

On a sunny day at the tail-end of harvest, growers, handlers and allied industry members from throughout the Central Valley convened at Dragonfly Golf Club in Madera, California, to golf and raise funds for the California FFA Foundation. These funds are awarded to high school students participating in FFA who seek to study agriculture at the collegiate level. 

The tournament hosted 88 players and 26 sponsors, a solid turnout according to Leadership participant and lead organizer for the tournament, Josh Krueger.

“Both the almond industry golfers and the FFA students really enjoyed getting together and having a great time while raising money for student scholarships,” Krueger said.

Early this year, the Almond Leadership Program set a goal of raising $20,000 for California FFA. By the end of the tournament, the group had raised nearly $15,000 for California FFA students.

“As a former FFA member myself, I know the value of industry support, and it meant the world to me as a student to know that I made it through college all on scholarships,” said Jenny Nicolau, manager of Industry Relations at the Almond Board of California. “I couldn’t have done that without FFA, and now that I’m out of school and in a professional setting, I think it’s really important that the almond industry continue to give back to tomorrow’s leaders.”

In addition to industry members, six FFA students attended the tournament, including the chapter president from Madera. FFA students assisted with registration and helped direct industry members around the course.

Also in attendance was Katie Otto, development director for the California FFA Foundation. The foundation works to allow all California FFA students to have access to programs and opportunities available to them, an effort that relies heavily on fundraising. When Otto heard that the Almond Leadership Program would be hosting a golf tournament fundraiser for California FFA, she thought it was a fun opportunity for the industry to support the future of agriculture – an event she didn’t want to miss.

“The Almond Board and the Almond Leadership Program have been incredibly supportive of FFA members,” Otto said. “I know a lot of the Leadership participants have worn the blue jacket, so it’s exciting to see them be so intentional about investing in the next generation of ag and giving back.”

Krueger and Nicolau second that notion, stating that the almond industry, and agriculture as a whole, prides itself on a sustainable, long-term view of success that is fostered in programs such as California FFA.

Come December, California FFA members from various chapters throughout the state will attend The Almond Conference in Sacramento. Students will assist as needed at luncheons and workshops and greet attendees as they arrive. These volunteers will also staff the California FFA booth, which is filled with silent auction items that Almond Leadership participants helped collect and that industry members are encouraged to bid on, with all proceeds going to the California FFA Foundation.

With nearly $15,000 in the bank, this year’s Leadership class is well on its way to meeting its goal of $20,000 raised for high school students interested in pursuing degrees in agriculture. If you would like to support the future leaders in California agriculture, please consider donating to the California FFA Foundation through the Almond Leadership Program.

If you’re ready to take the next step in your almond industry career and are interested to learn more about the Almond Leadership Program, visit the Almond Board website to learn how the program has evolved over a decade and to apply. For additional questions, email Jenny Nicolau.