Their staunch support of agriculture prompted the Ceres Chamber of Commerce to honor Bob Marchy as “Agribusiness Man of the Year” and Kim Parson as “Agribusiness Woman of the Year” at the annual Agribusiness Luncheon held on Tuesday, May 20.

The event was held at Diamond Bar Arena south of Ceres with all proceeds benefitting high school graduates seeking careers in agriculture.

The Chamber also presented Westport 4-H with the 2022 Grant and Mildred Lucas Memorial Award and I.J. Larsen Pump with the “Agribusiness of the Year” award. 

Marchy is a self-employed farmer working alongside brother Gary and sons Bobby, Cole and Billy. In 2018 the family transitioned from dairy farming to crop production, converting Marchy Dairy into G&B Farms. The family now grows almonds and row crops on the same land he grew up on and which his family has farmed since 1961.

In 1995, Bob and his brother Gary purchased the dairy operation from their father and uncles. He married his wife Lorie in 1998, and they raised three sons on the same ranch where he grew up.

Marchy’s primary work now involves orchard management, irrigation and weed control. His professional achievements include being recognized by DHIA (Dairy Herd Improvement Association) for maintaining an outstanding herd during this dairy years and participating in Blue Diamond Leadership Development program.

“His personal achievements include successfully raising his family in the agricultural industry, proud of three college graduates all with degrees in Agriculture and currently working in the ag industry,” noted Shane Parson who introduced Marchy. 

Marchy, a graduate of Ceres High School where he played football, participated in dairy cattle judging at Modesto Junior College.

“This is quite an honor,” said Marchy. “We’ve had a lot of Marchys coming through here before, my aunts, my uncles.

Lisa Mantarro Moore introduced Kim Parson as the Agribusiness Woman of the Year and noted that because of her self-effacing personality “is probably not going to be really happy to win this award today, but I can’t think of anybody better for it.”

Moore lauded Parson for quietly working in the background in the community to support various groups and charitable causes.

Born in Turlock and graduated from Patterson High School, Kim worked as an accountant for Hillberg CPA for many years and is part owner of Diamond Bar Arena and Parson Enterprises. She is an avid horse enthusiast who provides support for fellow riders and their families throughout the area. 

Parson was cited as a leader in the local agriculture community, and a tireless advocate for youth who regularly volunteers her time to assist them with their community projects. She helps plan as well as clean up the multitude of events that is hosting at the arena she co-owns with husband Shane. Kim ensures the ag community and its youth have a place to showcase their livestock.

“I know that people might know Shane but Shane would not have anything out here without Kim,” said Moore. “Kim makes this place happen … she does so much, and she never, ever looks for one minute of praise from our community.”

Ag teachers speak

Keynote speakers at the luncheon were Ceres High School agriculture teacher Mardel Runnels, and Central Valley High teachers Jessica Cardoso and Michaela Smith.

Runnels explained that CHS has three career pathways in the areas of animal science, ag mechanics and ornamental agriculture.

“Our students are very fortunate to be in Ag up to two years all the way through all four years of their high school, earning multiple certifications that are industry and career ready during their time with us,” said Runnel.

CHS currently has 415 students involved in the ag program this year across all three pathways. Students have won awards for public speaking, 18 students showing livestock projects this coming July at the Stanislaus County Fair, and sent 55 students to leadership conferences throughout California. Ceres High also has three career development event teams.

CVHS ag teacher Jessica Cardoso, who is in her 16th year of teaching in Ceres, said “one of the things that we’re most proud of is the fact that there isn’t an opportunity that a kid can’t have coming to the Central Valley FFA program that we can’t talk them with. We did take a big leap in this past year and really focused on trying to get kids more involved in internships than just doing the leadership side.”

She said staff “knew that there’s a lot of kids in our community that are great ag kids that really need to get more involved in hands-on experiences. So we developed internship program which … we utilize our school farm.”

Students from CVHS are also being interned into local farmers in the summer as well as ag mechanic businesses and there are plans for greenhouse interns. The goal, she said, is to give students more marketable skills and make them ready to move into the industry after they graduate.

“As we get older we’ve got to start firing up and getting the younger generation ready to take over for us, and we also know that that’s gonna look a lot different,” added Cardoso. “They’re facing challenges that we didn’t face as students or growing up with this industry.”

Michaela Smith, one of six ag teachers at Central Valley High School, said over 800 students at her school are involved in the ag program, a five percent increase over last year.

She noted that seven CVHS students have engaged in public speaking contests this year at the regional and section level.

“We also did a phenomenal job at the Stanislaus County Occupational Olympics. Focusing in today on our job interview participants, Central Valley took home first, second and third at that event, which is a really, really big deal. The students worked super, super hard to be able to place that high.”

Four earned their FFA State Degrees this year. They were Madyson Daniels, Carmen Garibay, Elizabeth Abarca and Cassandra Guzman.

“We also had 12 students, since February, traveling up and down the state of California. I can only speak for myself. I was gone nine Saturdays with my floral team this year. So we have floral team this year, we had a vegetable judging team and our dairy judging team.”

Agribusiness of the Year

I.J. Larsen Pumps was honored as the “Agriculture Business of the Year.” The firm specializes in the installation and repair of agricultural and residential water pumps. The business has been in existence for 115 years. Accepting the award was Director of Operations Kari Santos.

Westport 4-H, one of the oldest 4-H clubs in Stanislaus County, was recipient of the Grant and Mildred Lucas Memorial Award. It’s been operating out of Westport School for over 50 years.

“Their core values are to make the best better,” noted last year’s award recipient, Brandi LoForti. 

The Chamber also seized on the chance to publicly recognize three high school FFA seniors who were granted scholarships – Ava Frausto, Carmen Garibay and Joshuah Michelena.