Bingo night brings in a crowd for young farmers and ranchers  

This artcle was written by BenitoLink intern Jessica Parga. Lea este artículo en español aquí.

This month’s Bingo Night for the San Benito County Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) organization was a full house. Roughly 150 people were in attendance for the fundraiser held at The Barn in Tres Pinos. Proceeds will go to a scholarship fund and to buy a barbecue grill for future fundraisers. 

The newly formed organization—technically a committee within the San Benito County Farm Bureau—was launched in December, spearheaded by Sarah Nino, who serves as chair. It’s being overseen by Brittany Brown of the Farm Bureau. YF&R provides educational and networking opportunities and also serves as an advocate for young members.

“A lot of the kids who are involved now were in 4-H or FFA [Future Farmers of America],” Nino said. “When you move home from college, you don’t really have that anymore but you still want to be involved somehow. Eventually, we will become the leaders in ag.”  (Not a winner this time, better try again! Photo by Daniel Modic)

Born and raised in San Benito County, Nino loves being a part of the ag community. When she moved back to Hollister this past summer she realized there was no organization for young people in agriculture—a gap between high school or college and the more established Farm Bureau members. 

During the Community Vision San Benito County 2022-2024 Listening Sessions held by BenitoLink, local farmers and ranchers expressed concern about youth becoming involved or staying involved in agriculture. According to the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service, “In 2022, the United States had 296,480 young producers (those under the age of 35), accounting for 9% of the country’s 3.37 million producers. Eighty-one percent of young producers started farming in the last 10 years, and 64% reported having a primary occupation other than farming.”

In the past, residents would participate through the Central Coast YF&R, which is based in Monterey. Nino took the lead in creating this opportunity for San Benito County, and at the very first meeting in December, more than 50 people showed up. 

“It is the future of our community,” said Brown, who is the Farm Bureau’s executive director. “We need these young farmers and ranchers, and we need them educated and in a leadership position to be able to one day be a part of the Farm Bureau and to keep ag viable in San Benito County.” 

(Left to Right: Grace Castillo and Marcus pause for a snapshot. Photo by Daniel Modic)

According to Brown, between limited resources and the cost of labor, it’s difficult to sustain a profitable agriculture business in the county. One of the biggest challenges local farmers and ranchers are facing is keeping up with strict policies and restrictions that are constantly changing, she said.

(Left to right back to front: All the hard work of organizing pays off. Gabe Razo, Donnovan McAbee, Sarah Nino and Trevor Wright. Blair Brown, Avrie Hubbel, Brittany Brown and Katie Nino Champlin. Photo by Daniel Modic)

This is one of the areas in which the Farm Bureau helps locals to navigate.  

YF&R is free and open to anyone 18-35 years old, regardless if they’re employed in the field. Once a month, the group has a fundraiser or holds a meeting at a local business. 

Katie Champlin, secretary of the new YF&R group, sees it as a valuable addition to the community. 

“The thing I’m most excited about is just to see people show up, get involved, and then hopefully in turn we can make a difference together,” she said. 

On the horizon is the San Benito County Farm Day on March 18 hosted by the Farm Bureau with the help of YF&R members. About 1,000 children from local schools typically participate in the event held at Bolado Park. For more information, contact sanbenito.yfr@gmail.com or follow the organization on social media @sbcyfr. 

The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour, United Way, Taylor Farms and the Emma Bowen Foundation.