Express staff With 258 students enrolled across 11 agriculture courses, Winters High School FFA is beginning the year with record participation, expanded competition teams and growing community involvement. The program, led by two agriculture teachers, now includes four dual-enrollment courses offered in partnership with Woodland Community College, allowing students to earn college credit while still in high school. Advisors say the increased enrollment — including 27 students in a leadership class, the largest yet — reflects rising interest in handson career pathways tied to California agriculture. “We have incredible grant money that has allowed us to purchase amazing new equipment and materials for our students to continue to learn skills that make them employable in the agriculture industry,” agricultural teacher and FFA advisor Kayla Mederos said in an update about the program’s growth. That growth was visible as early as August, when more than 60 Winters FFA students exhibited cattle, sheep, swine, goats and rabbits at the 2025 Yolo County Fair. Students returned home with belt
ABOVE: In November, Winters FFA members harvested 4,000 pounds of Coratina olives. LEFT: In the fall, Winters High School freshmen explored the new world of Agricultural Education and FFA at the Greenhand Leadership Conference. Courtesy photos
buckles, banners and ribbons, marking one of the chapter’s strongest fair showings in recent years. Beyond livestock, students are competing and advancing across multiple career pathways. Eighteen members are participating in public speaking contests this month, and the chapter’s California water issues team recently placed first at the sectional level. Two fabrication teams are preparing
to compete statewide this spring, and the Winters FFA Fabrication Contest is scheduled for March 13 at the PG&E Gas Safety Academy. Six students earned their State FFA Degrees this year and will be officially pinned next month, representing one of the highest levels of achievement within the National FFA Organization. FFA follows a three-circle model of classroom instruc-
tion, Supervised Agricultural Experience projects and leadership development. At Winters High School, students apply lessons from agricultural science, mechanics, floral design and plant production classes directly to real-world enterprises. In the fall, students grew and harvested pumpkins and corn at the school farm, using the crops to decorate community front porches as part of a fundraiser. In
November, members harvested approximately 4,000 pounds of Coratina olives, which were pressed into the chapter’s signature olive oil. Students also harvested and sold Satsuma mandarins and continue to manage floral arrangement subscriptions throughout the year. The chapter regularly hosts service-oriented fundraisers that support community events, including Kinder Farm Day, Truck or Treat and a holiday Adopt-a-Family program. Those experiences — from crop production to fabrication to public speaking — are designed to prepare students for an industry undergoing significant change. According to the United States Census Bureau, about 2.57 million Americans worked in agricultural occupations in 2023, a slight decline from 2010. Data from the United States Department of Agriculture shows the average age of U.S. producers increased from 55 in 2017 to 58 in 2022, with farmers age 65 and older rising by 12 percent. As the workforce ages and entry costs rise, agricultural educators say programs like FFA are increasingly important for students who may not
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Winters FFA kicks off year with record enrollment
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