The Fresno County Farm Bureau (FCFB) got a chance to show people around the nation what its award winning “Valley’s Gold” television show is all about. AgNet West caught up with a group at the American Farm Bureau Federation Conference (AFBF) earlier this month.
FCFB was recognized by the AFBF when it won a County Activities of Excellence (CAE) award last November. The CAE program acknowledges and shares successful and innovative county Farm Bureau programs and activities. AFBF invites all of the winners to highlight their programs at AFBF’s annual convention.
FCFB won the award for its “Valley’s Gold” television show that it produces in conjunction with Valley PBS. The program travels the state and tells the stories of California agriculture and the people who make it happen. “We just completed our fourth season. Each season has 13 episodes, so we have done 52 total,” FCFB Executive Director and “Valley’s Gold” Host Ryan Jacobsen said. “Each one takes one or two products and basically takes it through the value chain. We’ll start out on the farm, go to a processor (and) a lot of times have a historical element and also include the consumer element.”
Jacobsen admits even he has learned a lot from the show. “It’s been so unique to tell these stories and get to see things that I never knew existed,” he said. “I mean, who knew that all of the Sriracha sauce is grown in the south part of the valley? There is a sturgeon farm up in Northern California that is literally the largest in the world and does a ton of caviar. I had no clue that existed prior to doing this show.”
The show’s success is not only due to the knowledge it brings, but also the stories it tells of the people involved. “It’s everybody from the employees in the field, the managers (and) the farm employees … to the business office and the marketing side. (We’re) just trying to show all those hands that touch these products,” he said. “California agriculture is a true blessing, and it’s fun … to go out there and be able to tell these stories and really get people to see it not just in our viewing area, but all of our episodes are online as well.”
You can see all of the “Valley’s Gold” episodes on Valley PBS’s website.