Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed a balanced, on-time state budget that includes the Agriculture Incentive Grant, despite the governor originally cutting the grant entirely. After his cut to the grant, FFA and other agriculture groups from around the state rallied to tell the governor that funding is vital to the future of agriculture in the state. A group of state politicians also worked to get the funding back into the budget.
Assemblymember Adam Gray of District 21 sent AgNet West the following statement:
We have great news. The Agriculture Education Incentive Grant that funds FFA program was in the budget the Governor signed today. The Governor has assured funding will continue again this year. This victory is the result of the hard work of thousands of FFA students and advocates throughout the state of California.
Our area was tremendous in showing its support from the from the beginning with the help of the FFA programs in Patterson, Los Banos, Gustine, Merced and Ceres to name a few.
I am pleased to have been a part of this process to ensure the incredible work provided in these programs.
AgNet West followed the Ag Incentive Grant funding issue very closely and was often the only media at events held to gain support for the grant. You can find some of our FFA coverage here.
For more on the budget, see the CDFA website.