- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert

California students say agriculture is cool again, according to an article in the Sacramento Business Journal. The story gauged this assertion on rising high school FFA enrollment. National membership hit a record 540,379 this year, up more than 3 percent from last year. Membership in California also hit a record this year, climbing a similar percentage to 70,555.
The agriculture industry’s future is secure, writer Melanie Turner reported, because young people have never been more interested in agriculture.
The bulk of this story is only available with a paid subscription to the Sacramento Business...
- Author: Brenda Dawson

An article by Ching Lee in today's Ag Alert focused on the effects of budget cuts on agricultural student programs at California universities. "Budget cuts have had a profound effect on all areas of the campus," Diane Ullman, associate dean for undergraduate academic programs at UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, told the reporter. She explained the college faces challenges keeping agricultural production facilities, instructional equipment and technologies updated to deliver hands-on education — even though the office has seen student applications increase by 70–80 percent.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert

The Associated Press this morning reported that enrollment in agriculture schools across the nation is growing, even though the number of farms tumbles.
Reporter David Mercer provided statistics from a survey of ag schools by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Enrollment in bachelor's degree programs in agriculture, the survey said, increased 21.8 percent from 2005 to 2008, from about 58,300 students to nearly 71,000.
The story gave specific information about the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, noting that in 2009 more than 5,490 students are enrolled...