LAKE COUNTY – In August a new public program makes its debut in Lake County – “AgVenture,” an innovative concept in agricultural education designed for nonfarming community leaders who wish to understand more fully the workings of our local agricultural industry.

The program is modeled on longstanding, successful programs in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.

The Lake County Chapter of California Women for Agriculture (CWA) is providing the coordinating leadership to launch such a program here.

The AgVenture program will consist of once-a-month, day-long seminars held over a period of three months.

The meeting dates are Aug. 13, Sept. 10 and Oct. 8, all Fridays.

Each day's seminar will focus on a different commercial crop and will include both speakers and farm tours. Class members will gain a broad knowledge of the heritage, culture and business of local agriculture.

The sessions will cover such topics as economics, labor, history, marketing, water and land use, challenges of farming, ag tourism and sustainability. Participants will have the opportunity to meet with and learn from farmers and other local agriculture leaders.

The 12 participants who will be selected for the program this first year will be community leaders from a wide range of areas who not only have an interest in agriculture, but who are in a position to help maintain a viable agricultural industry in Lake County.

The AgVenture program coordinator is Annette Hopkins, who graduated from the Santa Cruz “Focus Agriculture” program and found it both fascinating and highly beneficial.

The members of her steering committee are Toni Scully, president of the Lake County Chapter of CWA; Wilda Shock; Paula Bryant; Janine Grothe; Michelle Scully; and Diane Henderson.

Applications for the program are available by e-mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or by mail, CWA AgVenture, P.O. Box 279, Finley, CA 95435.