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Local ag student to attend national forum
amarpreet-kandola
Amarpreet Kandola will be the Cal State Stanislaus representative to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2010 Agricultural Outlook forum. - photo by Photo Contributed
Growing up on a Livingston ranch that produces a bountiful crop of sweet potatoes, peaches, and almonds, Amarpreet Kandola has become abundantly aware of the issues and challenges farmers face on a daily basis.
He’s hoping some of those challenges will be touched upon at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2010 Agricultural Outlook forum, which Kandola will be attending as a representative of California State University, Stanislaus.
The junior and Agricultural Business major was chosen to be an attendee out of a nationwide pool of applicants, based on the recommendations of his professors and a one-page essay about agriculture as a career.
The two-day forum in Virginia on Feb. 18 and 19, will address a variety of agricultural topics, including sustainability, trade, and economics. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and other top agriculture officials and leaders are expected to participate in the forum.
“It’s exciting to have been selected because one of my career goal is to someday work for the USDA,” Kandola said. “It will be a great opportunity to find out a lot more about agricultural topics on a national level.”
In addition to his CSU Stanislaus schedule, Kandola is also attending classes at Merced College and is active on his family’s Livingston ranch.
The USDA’s student sponsorship program was created to increase present and future diversity of participation in the forum. Students will be briefed by the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service about scholarships, career opportunities, and internship programs.
To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.