2024 Western Region CCA Award Recipients
CCA of the Year
The award for Certified Crop Adviser of the Year in the Western Region acknowledges a member's exemplary dedication and contributions to agriculture as a Certified Crop Adviser. This individual also actively encourages and leads others to advocate for agricultural practices that are advantageous for both farmers and the environment.
WRCCA is excited to announce the 2024 CCA of the Year recipient is Franz Niederholzer. Franz is a native Californian, a UC Davis graduate in soil science, and since 2002, an Orchard Advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension in Colusa and Sutter/Yuba Counties. With UCCE, Franz’s program includes studies on orchard mineral nutrition as well as rootstock evaluation, cropload management, and airblast spray coverage and drift.
Franz was a valued member of the WRCCA Board of Directors from 2006-2022. While on the Board, he served on the WRCCA Testing and Continuing Education Committee, including 10 years as committee chair. His efforts included spearheading an esteemed CCA Exam Preparation course.
WRCCA is proud to honor Franz for countless efforts within the CCA program and dedication to the industry. We congratulate him on his achievement of CCA of the Year!
Honorarium & Scholarship Awards
It is with great enthusiasm that we reveal the selection of eight exceptional individuals for the 2024 WRCCA Allan Romander Scholarship & Honorarium Awards.
HONORARIUMS
SOUTH VALLEY
Our South Valley recipient is Sangeeta Bansal, Assistant Professor of Soil Health, California State University, Fresno Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology. The Honorarium funds will be used to order supplies, soil testing kits, and purchase consumable supplies to set up small-scale student field/greenhouse projects related to crop nutrition and soil health. Funds will support and contribute towards the assessment of nutrient and soil parameters, which will deepen students' knowledge of soils, regenerative management practices, and water quality.
NORTH VALLEY
Our North Valley recipient is Lindsay Hofsteen, Associate Professor of Plant Science/Viticulture at San Joaquin Delta College. As a new faculty member this year, she is hoping to help expand and grow the agriculture department. There is interest in PCA, CCA, and environmental sciences from students, and she hopes to develop a program that can provide the necessary classes to support these career choices. Honorarium funds will be used for purchasing lab supplies and tools for her plant science, viticulture, and entomology classes, to be used at the on campus two-acre farm.
COAST
Our Coastal recipient is Nathan Dickens, Adjunct Professor of Plant Science at Los Angeles Pierce College. With the honorarium funding, students will benefit from understanding the major challenges confronted in the practice of agronomy, including top-soil preservation, water conservation, plant selection, pest and disease management, weed abatement, and expense management through the development of a community-type demonstration garden.
DESERT
Our Desert recipient is Michael Kanyi, Associate Professor of Agricultural Education and Environmental Science at Imperial Valley College. The Honorarium funds will be used for acquiring instructional resources for hands-on learning, specifically, garden tools and a hydroponic system. A portion of the grant will be allocated to support professional development conferences or attending training for the agriculture faculty.
SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
SOUTH VALLEY
In the South Valley, we recognize Jack A. Gonzalez, hailing from Bakersfield, CA, attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, majoring in Plant Sciences. His community service includes leading a team to raise $40,000 for Kern County Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Upon graduation from Cal Poly with his bachelor’s degree in plant science, he plans to pursue a career in production agriculture, either as a PCA and CCA, or as an agronomist for a farming company.
NORTH VALLEY
In the North Valley, we recognize Olivia Bruns, from Woodland, CA, currently pursuing a major in Plant Science with a concentration in plant protection at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Olivia is currently both the student field intern and student entomology lab intern at the Cal Poly strawberry center and was previously a summer student intern for Yolo Farm to Fork. Her hope is to earn her CCA certification and PCA license while finishing up her college education.
COAST
In the Coastal Region, we acknowledge Sawyer Claussen, from La Selva Beach, CA currently pursuing a Plant Science degree at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He was selected to participate in Cal Poly's Summer Undergraduate Research Program, where he will be looking into the effects that the two widely used fire retardants have on native and invasive grass populations. He also will work part-time on the production team at the Cal Poly Strawberry Center. He plans to take the CCA exam next year, then earn an M.S. in a plant science related field.
DESERT
In the Desert Region, we acknowledge Osvaldo Acuña, from St. Mesa, Arizona, presently enrolled at University of Arizona with a double major in Agricultural Technology Management and Sustainable Plant Systems with an emphasis in agronomy. Osvaldo is a greenhouse manager for the controlled environment agriculture student association. His academic program satisfies the requirements for both the AZ PCA license and CCA credential, both of which he plans to obtain. He knows that in a potential career path as a PCA, a CCA credential will only boost his credibility.
Congratulations to all the recipients of the 2024 Allan Romander Mentor & Scholarship Awards!