By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Cultivating the future of farming at Denair Ag Day
Denair ag day 1
Denair High alum and current district agriculture employee Christian Obando poses alongside current Denair High FFA president Dakota Rutherford with a couple of small friends at the district’s annual Ag Day on Thursday (CHRISTOPHER CORREA/The Journal).

It’s safe to say that farming is at the center of every community within the Central Valley. For Denair community members, the passion for agriculture starts early with the help of the annual Ag Day at Denair Unified School District.

The Ag Day celebrations between the campuses of Denair High School and Denair Middle School have been taking place for over a decade, with the latest having taken place on Thursday. The event offers an opportunity for high school student organizations and agricultural clubs to showcase their animals and craftsmanship to younger students in the district.

Denair ag day 2
Students from Denair Elementary Charter Academy walk through the Small Town Genetics trailer during Thursday’s Ag Day in Denair, getting an up close look at some of the area’s finest show pigs (CHRISTOPHER CORREA/The Journal).

“Obviously, the title is Ag Day, so it’s all about agriculture advocacy, exposing people to the industry and its different facets, whether that be agricultural science or educational components,” said event organizer and Denair High ag teacher Holli Jacobsen. “The other main purpose is promoting district inclusion, so bringing the entire district together for one day and building that community.”

Some student-led activities included cheese tasting, showcasing floral displays, butter making and coloring ear tags for pigs. Also, amongst many of the FFA booths was the Denair High Hispanic Youth Leadership Council (HYLC), who gave dual language Denair Elementary Charter students a short lesson in almonds in Spanish while serving homemade horchata.

“I think Ag Day is a great opportunity for kids to find out what agriculture is,” said Christian Obando, a Denair High alumnus and current employee in the DUSD agriculture program. “Kids don’t know that the food that they eat doesn’t just come from McDonalds. It comes from a farm and a farmer that produces the food, and from them it goes to their plate. We’re giving the kids a sense of what this industry is and the different avenues and aspects of it.”

Obando was alongside Dakota Rutherford, the current president of Denair High FFA. The two led elementary students through a petting zoo featuring swine, chickens and goats.

Denair ag day 3
Members of the Denair High HYLC gave dual language elementary students a lesson in Spanish regarding almonds. They also served campus community members homemade horchata, showcasing a way in which agriculture plays a role in providing for some of our favorite meals and snacks (CHRISTOPHER CORREA/The Journal).

“I think this is one of my favorite events that we do. I like seeing all the kids get excited about agriculture and it’s just a really fun event. I really love teaching agriculture to people who may not know much about it,” Rutherford said.

James Backman of Small Town Genetics in Denair was accompanied by his daughter Jaycee, and led students through their trailer of show pigs. He has come to Denair’s Ag Day for the past nine years.

“It’s cool to visit with the kids and show them a different aspect of ag,” Backman. “Obviously, I’m an ag guy. Growing up, my dad was an ag teacher, my wife and I and the rest of my family grew up in 4-H and FFA, so we’re big supporters… At one time, I was in the same seats as these kids, so it’s cool to see this still flourishing.”