What We Do

Our mission is to promote and protect the agricultural industry, to promote and develop the interest of California women involved or interested in agriculture and to promote a strong agriculture industry in Santa Barbara County.

 

Our Mission

Promote and develop the interest of California women involved in or interested in agriculture and to promote a strong agriculture industry in California. CWA’s efforts are guided by 5 principles: 

  1. Speak on behalf of agriculture in an intelligent, informative, direct and truthful manner.

  2. Keep CWA members informed on legislative activities pertaining to agriculture.

  3. Join forces when the need arises to deal with agricultural issues and challenges in the agriculture community.

  4. Improve the public image of farmers by educating the public about farming.

  5. Develop a rapport with consumers, educators, and governmental & business leaders in communities throughout the State of California.

What We’ve Achieved

  • Annual volunteer support of SEEAG’s Santa Barbara County Farm Day

  • Regular sponsor of Santa Barbara County 4-H Exhibit Day or Field Days/Clinics

  • Volunteer support of Santa Maria Fairpark Strawberry Festival Strawberry Tasting

  • School visits to present “Farm Charm” lesson to elementary age students

  • Annual student scholarships awarded to students in North Santa Barbara and South San Luis Obispo County pursuing post-secondary involvement in Agriculture

  • Teacher sponsorships for attendance at the Ag in the Classroom annual session

  • School garden sponsorships and help with implementation

What we do

One of our most important activities is attending the May legislative appointments where we visit the State Capitol and speak directly with our legislators about ag-related issues.

Locally, we participate in many activities such as: Ag days in schools, Strawberry Festival, Santa Barbara County Fair, and Santa Barbara County Farm Day.  We have members who attend city council and board of supervisor meetings when ag-related topics are on the agenda. Santa Maria CWA also holds a seat on the County Ag Advisory Committee.

Where to find us

We have quarterly membership meetings in the Santa Maria Area; details are sent out via email and posted on social media.

As a statewide organization, we meet five times throughout the year.  These statewide meetings are a great way to learn about ag in all its forms throughout California, enjoy fun and interesting tours, build camaraderie and network with fellow CWA members across the state.  To make member attendance at these events more accessible, Santa Maria CWA assists in covering the cost to attend. 

 
 

How to get involved

We have many committees and chair and task force positions that will allow you to be as involved as you’d like.  Some examples include: 

Scholarship Committee

School Garden Committee

Ag in the Classroom Chair

Ag Days in Schools Committee

Fundraising Committee

Strawberry Festival Committee

Fair Committee

Membership Liaison

Newsletter Coordinator

Ag Advisory Committee

Legislative Coordinator

Sunshine Representative 

Water Chair

Parliamentarian

Animal Issues Chair

Environmental Chair

Land Use Chair

In addition to our Chapter’s monthly newsletter, members will also receive The Compass (a quarterly newsletter) and The Latest News (a bi-weekly email), both of which are sent out from State CWA to help keep members up to date on important information and issues related to ag.