Hosted by UC ANR South Coast REC, Cooperative Extension, and the Orange County Farm Bureau, programs that provide agricultural education to an increasingly urban population, local high school students participated in workshops at the South Coast REC that were designed to acquaint the students with ag research techniques, careers in agriculture, and the importance of urban ag and water conservation in their daily lives.

UCCE Master Gardener volunteers assisted UC staff rotating the Students and teachers between workshops focusing on K-9 training and related careers; crop rotation strategies and hands on potato harvest, vertebrate pest management and gopher trapping demonstration; in addition to plant pathology and strawberry research.

The students especially liked the opportunity to take home bags of the strawberries and potatoes they harvested.

Following the morning of interactive activities, a barbeque lunch was prepared by staff, UCCE Master Food Preserver and Master Gardener volunteers.