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AGRIBUSINESS AWARD
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A Westport 4-H mom and a county supervisor were honored with agricultural award honors by the Ceres Chamber of Commerce on May 14.

Jackie Germann, an active mother of three, was bestowed with the Chamber's "Agribusiness Woman of the Year."

Jim DeMartini, a Westport area farmer who serves as a county supervisor, was honored as the "Agribusiness Man of the Year."

Valli Wigt, the 1992 award recipient, presented the award to Germann.

Germann grew up on a family dairy outside of Hilmar and now assists with operations of the Germann Brothers Dairy, including feeding calves and care of the yard. She is active in Westport 4-H, and the DARE program. She and Andy, her husband of 19 years, are raising three children, Patrick, Dominique and Gabriela.

She said she loves promoting agriculture.

"My husband and I have taken calves to schools and field trips out at our place to promote agriculture," said Germann. "It's important to be reminding the kids where foods comes from. We're getting distant from that and kids don't know that."

Wigt described Germann as a "very positive and outgoing person" who is passionate about agriculture. She also serves on the Blaker Kinser Junior High and Westport School Site Councils, as well as the CUSD Advisory Council.

The Chamber hailed DeMartini, a well-known county official, as someone who's long had his roots on a farm. At age 10 DeMartini got involved with helping his father farm the ground. After graduating from Modesto's Grace Davis High School in 1971, Jim attended Modesto Junior College and then went into farming almonds, walnuts, peaches, wine grapes, alfalfa, pumpkins and other crops.

In 2004 DeMartini defeated Paul Caruso for the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors. He is a member of the Modesto Gateway Rotary, and was past chairman of the Central Valley High School Bond Oversight Committee. DeMartini had affiliations with the Young Republicans in the Reagan era and was elected to the Stanislaus County Republican Central Committee. He also is a member of the Ceres Chamber of Commerce.

As a member of the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors, DeMartini helped to craft the new county Agricultural Element to protect agricultural from ever encroaching urban uses.

DeMartini is married to Ann DeMartini, a member of the Yosemite Community College District Board of Trustees. He also collects cars and birds.

DeMartini was presented the award by last year's recipient, Michael James.

Both awardees were selected by past members, said event coordinator Scott Long.

The luncheon, held at the Stanislaus County Agricultural Center on Crows Landing Road, gave the Chamber a chance to give scholarships to three high school ag students. They were Ceres High School students Melissa Pence and Trevor Jolley, and Central Valley High's Rebecca Flores.