Cal Poly Student Wins National Farm Bureau Competition

SAN LUIS OBISPO -- A Cal Poly agricultural communications student took first place in a competition at the national Young Farmer and Rancher Leadership Conference.

beth sequeira photo Beth Sequeira, a senior, won the National Collegiate Discussion Meet at the recent conference in Des Moines, Iowa. She qualified for the national competition by winning the statewide Collegiate Discussion Meet held in December at the California Farm Bureau annual meeting in Monterey.

At the national meet, Sequeira competed against 25 other college students from across the United States. The competing students discussed topics including protecting farms and ranches from terrorism, enhancing the public perception of agriculture and the need to make sure enough workers will be available to harvest the nation's crops.

"Beth Sequeira did a great job. She really showcased the skills of the students in Cal Poly's Brock Center for Agricultural Communication," said Scott Vernon, agricultural communications professor and center director.

Sequeira, of Hanford, is set to graduate from Cal Poly in June. She grew up on her parents' walnut farm in Kings County and has spent two summers working as an intern in the California Farm Bureau Federation in Sacramento.

As winner of the National Collegiate Discussion Meet, Sequeira earned $2500 from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. It was the second time in three years that a California college student has won the national discussion contest, which is sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Discussion Meet activities encourage young farmers and ranchers and college undergraduates studying agriculture to analyze agricultural issues. For more information about the Discussion Meet, visit the California Farm Bureau Web site at: www.cfbf.com/programs/yfr/.

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Editors Note: For a photo of Sequeira, contact Teresa Hendrix at thendrix@calpoly.edu.