Suisun Valley Vintners and Growers Association to fund Scholarships for Agriculture Majors at Solano Community College

Announcement from the Solano Community College Educational Foundation:

The Suisun Valley Vintners and Growers Association (SVVGA) and the Solano Community College (SCC) Educational Foundation announced today that an agreement has been signed to establish the Suisun Valley Vintners and Growers Association Scholarship to support SCC Agriculture students.

Five students will receive a two-year scholarship in the amount of $1,500 per year ($3,000 total per student).

The purpose of the SVVGA scholarships is to encourage students from within Solano County to pursue an education in agriculture and viticulture. Each year, for a total of five years, one incoming SCC freshman student will be awarded a scholarship. The scholarship program begins in 2016.

SCC is developing the curriculum for the Agriculture Program, and has agreed to consult with SVVGA to determine industry needs. SCC has agreed also to include credit classes in the viticulture curriculum to strengthen the relevance of the program to Suisun Valley.

To establish the Scholarship fund, SVVGA will make annual contributions to the SCC Educational Foundation. The total investment by SVVGA will be $15,000. The eligibility criteria are included in the agreement. The scholarship recipient must be enrolled as a full-time SCC student with a declared Agriculture major. The student must want to pursue a career in agriculture, such as farming or ranching, or in the viticulture and wine production industry.

At the time of the scholarship award, the recipient must reside in Solano County, or have graduated from high school in Solano County. Priority will be given to students residing in Suisun Valley or the immediate surrounding area.

Roger King, President of SVVGA, stated “The establishment of this scholarship with Solano Community College has been a desired goal of the Suisun Valley Vintners and Growers Association Board of Directors for some time. We approached Curt Johnston, Executive Director at the SCC Education Foundation, and found a very willing partner to bring this to a completed agreement with the College. It is our honest hope that young individuals in Solano County will give agriculture full consideration as a viable career; it has been the historic backbone of Solano County. Also, with the E&J Gallo and Wagner Family of Wines entering Suisun Valley as owners, gaining educational development programs at the local level is more important than ever.”

Dr. Jowel Laguerre, SCC Superintendent-President stated “Establishing the Agriculture Degree and Certificate Program at the College is a priority. The gross value of Solano County’s agricultural production was $343M in 2012, a record high. Over the past ten years, the value of fruit and nut crops in Solano has more than tripled, and there are nearly 900 farms in Solano County. To be sure, the investment by the Suisun Valley Vintners and Growers Association is significant, and it demonstrates to our Trustees, faculty and students that we have strong community support for the Agriculture Program.”

Curt Johnston added “Supporting individual students for two years will help them complete our program on-time, and hopefully transfer to one of the great four-year institutions in California with strong Agriculture Degree Programs. It’s been a pleasure to work with Roger King and the SVVGA Board to help them accomplish their goal of supporting SCC Agriculture students.”

For more information, contact Curt Johnston, or Roger King, President of SVVGA, at (707) 425-9076 or lwvineyard@aol.com