Tulare County Foundation for Ag Education & Youth Board of Directors

“Wife, mother, grandmother and farms citrus in Woodlake and Visalia. I have been involved in Farming and Ag Education all my life.”

“I joined the board of the Tulare County Foundation for Ag Education and Youth due to the organizations focus of supporting Tulare County youth and advancing ag education and awareness.  While I did not go up in an agriculture family or involved in FFA or 4H I was lucky enough to be exposed to the programs through childhood friends.  As an adult I am now directly involved in agriculture through my career in ag finance.  I am a strong believer that the youth who are involved in agriculture programs like FFA and 4H gain many life skills that prepare them for a successful future and contributors to society.  While not all youth may not be exposed to agriculture it is great to be part of an organization that helps promote ag education and awareness to all youth”

“I was born and raised in agriculture and I am passionate about taking a part of my childhood and teaching it to others. I also know that a large part of Agriculture is taken for granted and all the hard work that goes into it, therefore I enjoy teaching people the process of farm to table for both dairy and farming industry in Tulare County.

“I work in the agricultural chemical and fertilizer inputs industry here in Tulare County. I enjoy serving on the Foundation in an attempt to assure agriculture continues to be a staple for our local economy. We will continue to accomplish this through agricultural education and literacy with our youth.”

Born and raised in the South Valley. Learned about Agriculture as a young girl through family, 4-H and FFA. Very passionate about keeping Ag readily available to the youth of Tulare County. Allie resides in Tulare CA with her Husband Joey, and son Hunter.

“Little did I know, being recruited for Ag Science in the 8th grade, that it would lead to a career in Agriculture. I was involved in judging teams, showing livestock, as well as being an officer in my local chapter. That continued in college as I was part of CFFA as well as being on the Cal Poly-SLO livestock judging team, right on into my career in the Ag Irrigation business today. It has become my motivation to help educate youth about Agriculture and give back some of what was passed on to me.”

Vice President/General Manager of E.M. Tharp, INC/Golden State Peterbilt, I am the third-generation owner of the family business. Our company and I personally support our youth, agriculture, and education. I sit on the Tulare County Foundation for Ag Education & Youth Board because our youth are our future and by providing opportunities for them, we will continue to pass on the knowledge and ag education needed to see them grow!

 I grew up on crop and dairy farm in Southwest Minnesota, where I found my love for agriculture. I was involved in 4-H and FFA where I served as President for both organizations. I moved to California in 2001 after graduating from University of Minnesota and began my career in the dairy industry away from the family farm. Over the past 20 years I spent serving the CA dairy and feed industry in many different roles before making a career change to California Citrus. I currently hold a position at Suntreat Packing as the Director of Grower Relations. I have learned so much in my time with them and I know I will continue to learn more every day. Learning is one of the reasons I accepted the role on the board, I want to make sure that our future generations can learn about agriculture, even if it is only to know how and where their food is raised and grown. We need to ensure we have future generations to pass along such an amazing industry to and that is why I support what the Tulare County Foundation for Ag Education & Youth Board!

I have worked in Accounting and Finance throughout the Central Valley over 25 years and enjoy being part of the Farming community. It is amazing to watch the youth grow and be part of the agriculture process whether farming activities or raising and showing animals at local events and county fairs. I am honored to assist with this organization and help give back to the youth.