(This is part of a multi-story series that explores Career Technical Education pathways at Sonoma Valley High School)

After living on a farm and being involved with 4-H projects, Brylee Aubin is intimately familiar with agriculture, but found her eyes opening much wider after she started on the Agriculture Mechanics Pathway at Sonoma Valley High School.

“The main thing I learned is that the ag world is a lot bigger than I thought,” she said. “You keep learning new things every day and you get to meet new people with the same interests as you. My classes are filled with other kids wanting to learn about agriculture.”

Aubin, a 16-year-old senior, says she definitely plans to forge a career in agriculture, whether it be in a business, as a ranch hand or as a large-animal veterinarian.

She is one of about 270 students in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Sector of the Career Technical Education (CTE) program in the SVHS agriculture program.

“While SVHS has always had a strong agriculture program, many decades ago, the students in the program were usually from agriculture families and were mostly male,” said Wendy Swanson, the work-based learning coordinator for the College & Career Center at SVUSD. “The program currently is about 58% male and 42% female and attracts all sorts of students, even those with no prior experience in agriculture.”

Swanson says the program has changed from being strictly vocational agriculture to offering science-based courses such as Agriculture & Soil Chemistry and Advanced Agriscience.

Sarah Richardson, who teaches both of those classes as well as Viticulture/Farm Management, says the program emphasizes the value of the agriculture industry.

“Without the agriculture industry, life as we know it would not exist,” she said. “The agriculture industry puts the food on the table and the clothes on your back. Often, the industry faces scrutiny because people are not educated on the topic.”

Richardson says that the agriculture program enables students to learn the importance of where their food comes from and how to sustainably produce it.

“We have the opportunity to create the next generation of farmers, agriculture advocates and industry professionals,” she said.

Both a CTE advisory board and an agriculture advisory board oversee the Agriculture and Natural Resources Sector. Students in the sector are divided among the agriculture science and mechanics (60 students), agriscience (180 students) and horticulture (30 students) pathways.

The Agriculture Mechanics Pathway is taught by Richardson’s partner, Lori Bisordi.

“It is an important pathway because it offers hands-on learning for students with all levels of mechanical experience,” Richardson said.

Students use state-of-the-art equipment such as the computer numerical control (CNC) machine and learn skills such as welding, working with diesel engines, metals and carpentry before they enter their trade.

“It prepares students for the real world,” Richardson said.

Senior Corrine Gilman, 16, is participating in the pathway. Like Aubin, she was involved with 4-H, and this inspired her to pursue her interest in agriculture.

“I started in 4-H when I was 9 years old and loved it,” she said. “From that point on, I knew I wanted to do something in agriculture,” she said.

She enjoys the “hands-on” emphasis of the teaching, and, Like Aubin, she feels that the pathway has expanded her awareness of agriculture.

“I would like to pursue a career in veterinary science, specifically with large animals,” Gilman said. “I would also be interested in other jobs that are intertwined with agriculture. I think programs such as the agriculture pathways that my school provide an amazing opportunity that not many people learn or know about.”

The Agriscience Pathway consists of classes in Sustainable Architecture and Biology, Agriculture and Soil Chemistry, and Advanced Agriscience. Students who complete all three classes receive a cord at graduation for being pathway completers.

“This pathway is important because it allows students to receive their college preparatory science credits while still being a part of the agriculture education program,” Richardson said.

Previously, agriculture courses were only an elective credit at SVHS, but now students can take classes in which they apply common science principles to agriculture topics through a hands-on learning model.

The Horticulture Pathway offers two classes, which are taught every other year: The Art and History of Floral Design as well as Viticulture and Farm Management.

“Last year, I taught the floral design class,” Richardson said. “We made many floral arrangements and sold them to community members while also learning about the California floral industry. This year, I am teaching farm management, where we will manage the school farm vineyard as well as grow crops in our greenhouse and garden beds.”

Many community members, businesses and organizations assist the SVHS agriculture program. Some of them offers students internships, for which they can receive college credits.

Mark Neves, a student in the agriculture mechanics and agriscience pathways, has benefited greatly from an internship.

“Mark is the type of student who likes to learn with his hands, not by sitting in the classroom taking notes,” Richardson said. “He was previously on our Farm Power team and because of his passion for agriculture mechanics, he was selected for a summer internship at Peterson Mechanical [in Sonoma].

“He excelled in the program and has been a forerunner in advocating that we have a Farm Power FFA team this year. Mark also currently works in the industry at Patterson Fabrication, a local business.”

Richardson said that last year, a student interned at Sonoma Raceway and helped to create a garden plan for a piece of their property.

A few recent alums have graduated from veterinary school and are now practicing veterinarians, while others are working in integrated pest management, the wine industry (some as award-winning winemakers), vineyard management, the dairy industry and for major agricultural companies as scientists, sales representatives and growers. Others have forged careers in agriculture finance, lending and insurance, and teaching agriculture at other high schools.

“All our pathways prepare students for jobs,” Richardson said. “We value the hands-on learning approach and discuss career options in all pathways. I often bring individuals from the community that have a career in whatever topic we are learning at the time. I believe that it is important for students to see the many career options that the agriculture industry has to offer.”

Reach the reporter, Dan Johnson, at daniel.johnson@sonomanews.com.

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