VENTURA, Calif. - eTradeWire -- Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) was selected for funding under the 2025 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).

SEEAG was awarded $236,360 to support its agricultural education STEM program, "STEM Career Pathways In Agriculture." The CDFA grant is over a 2.66-year term and will enable SEEAG to expand its three-part STEM learning model to more than 2,500 high school students in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. It includes lab work, career guidance and field trips to farms and nurseries.

"Students learn about specialty crop-related science, technology and engineering. They explore career opportunities at local farms and connect with agricultural professionals," says Caitlin Paulus Case, SEEAG executive director. "To run a successful agriculture business today requires the skills to address the many challenges facing the industry, including soil science, plant nutrition and sustainability practices."

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Specialty farms participating in SEEAG's STEM program include Bonipak Produce, Driscoll's, Good Farms, Gill's Onions, Plantel Nurseries, Brokaw Nursery, Reiter Affiliated Companies, McGrath Family Farms and Rancho Laguna Farms.

SEEAG programs are 100% cost-free for students, teachers, and schools, including bus transportation to and from farms.

For more about SEEAG's STEM Career Pathways In Agriculture, go to https://www.seeag.org/stem-career-pathways-in-ag.