TULARE, Calif. (KERO) — The California Youth Ag Expo is happening this weekend in Tulare. It’s one of the biggest livestock shows in the state with students attending from all over, including Kern County.
Some of the best FFA and 4H students in the state will compete at the expo. Students like Claire Banducci, a recent graduate from Garces Memorial High School whose history with ag stems all the way back to helping her uncle on Banducci Farms in Bakersfield.
“I get to help plant the pumpkins. I’ve been doing that since I was like six or seven years old. I get to go out with my uncles,' Banducci said.
Now Banducci is pursuing her dreams in ag, showing dairy heifers at the California Youth Ag Expo where she’ll get one on one face time with industry leaders and experts from across the country.
Executive Vice President for the California Youth Ag Expo Kass Newell says the expo is not only an opportunity for students to show off their hard work but give them opportunities for their future.
“We’re bringing in people from all over that are the best in the business, that are able to work with the exhibitors and be one on one with them, but also to give them advice and their expertise with these young people," Newell said. "The goal of CYE is to build future leaders for the state of California.”
The expo includes a livestock show, an ag mechanics contest, and a skill-a-thon contest where students will be tested on their knowledge of agriculture. They also have opportunities to explore potential internships and winners will be granted scholarships courtesy of CYE.
Sisters Ashby and Emma Lane are both current FFA students at Garces and are competing at the expo this week.
“This whole show that they put on is just amazing from the showing aspect to the different job interviews," said Emma Lane.
Both sisters say their experiences have inspired them to explore career opportunities in livestock pharmaceuticals.
“You get to learn a lot of responsibility and you have to learn to care for your animals and take care of them and if they’re sick you have to take care of that," said Ashby Lane.
Now that she’s graduated, Banducci said she wants to take her love of ag and FFA and run with it, becoming an ag teacher for future students.
“Get them involved in FFA, and 4H, and agriculture. And I just want to keep doing that in the future and I want to help bring joy like this to other people," Banducci said. "If I can become an ag teacher I can help students do stuff like this and be happy like I was when I showed.”
The California Youth Ag Expo is taking place this week at the International Agri-Center in Tulare located at 4500 S Laspina Street.
