THE LAND and its people

Serving Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito and San Luis Obispo Counties

December 2015

Hundreds visit Business and Ag Expo

King City FFA ranks third in the state

By SAMANTHA BENGTSON Of the Land

KING CITY — King City High School FFA Chapter has been named third in the state based on their 2015 performance.

KCHS FFA has previously been ranked at number 14 in 2008 and number 20 in 2013.

“Our goal was to get into the top 15 and we definitely went above and beyond,” said Jessica Souza, FFA advisor.

Debbie Benson, agricultural teacher and FFA advisor, said that the KCHS FFA set a goal last year and try to get at least 10 State Degrees and they ended up with 47.

The KCHS FFA chapter ranked fourth in American FFA degree production. In State FFA Degrees they ranked first and in State Proficiency Production they ranked first.

“For a State Degree a student has to earn or invest $1,000 into their SAE (Supervised Agriculture Experience) project as well as have 500 hours into that project,” said Lauren Fontes, agriculture teacher. “It could be raising an animal for a fair, in horticulture, working out in the fields, it just has to be anything in agriculture.”

For the American Degree the FFA member has to earn or invest $10,000 with community service hours and they have to be active above the Chapter level in FFA activities.

The State Proficiency awards are the awards FFA members receive for their project. King City High School FFA had six State Proficiency winners and three National finalists.

The ranking was released on Oct. 11 by

By KELLIE HICKS Of the Land

Volunteers of all ages have helped plant more than 20,000 native seedlings at Moss Landing State Beach. Submitted photo

Foundation kicks off Moss Landing beach restoration season Staff report MOSS LANDING — Elkhorn Slough Foundation, in partnership with California State Parks, hosted a community planting on Nov. 8, building on the success of a two-year project that restored native habitat and stabilized more than an acre of degraded sand dunes at Moss Landing State Beach.

A second community planting is scheduled for the close of the season on Feb. 20.

More than 300 volunteers from local schools, businesses, organizations, and the community have participated in the restoration projects since Fall 2013, planting more than 20,000 seedlings to restore coastal dune habitat and limit

SOLEDAD — The Soledad-Mission Chamber of Commerce hosted its 11th Annual South County Business and Ag Expo, giving locals the chance to taste some of the local cuisine available in South County restaurants and get to meet local business owners and learn of their business and services.

The yearly event was put together to give businesses, local groups and foundations and the Ag industry a central place in South County to showcase their business providing South County residents an opportunity to learn more about what they have to offer the community.

Attending this year’s event were owners and staff from several local businesses including Lopez Tax, The Soledad Historical Society, Salinas Valley Recycles, TriCities, The Circuit, Soledad Mission Rec, South County Newspapers, City of Soledad, Soledad Mission Chamber, Pinnacle Health Care, Soledad High School FFA, Soledad High School NJROTC, Please turn to Page 4

Please turn to Page 3

Please turn to Page 3

Toxin delays commercial, sport Dungeness crab seasons

By TODD GUILD Of the Land

Joe Garcia, captain of the fishing boat Hilma of Moss Landing, talks about a massive toxic algae bloom that has lead to the closure of crab fishing season. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

MOSS LANDING — The crew of the Helma crab boat was busy on a recent morning, preparing for the Nov. 15 start of the commercial Dungeness crab season.

The routine maintenance, such as touching up paint, performing safety checks and tuning up the engine, was underscored by preparing 175 crab pots for placement in the chilly waters off the coast.

But those pots will sit idly for the foreseeable future, after tests showed high levels of naturally occurring domoic acid in the water off the West Coast.

Based on the tests, the California Fish and Game Commission voted Nov. 5 to delay the Nov. 7 opening of sport

Dungeness crab season.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, meanwhile, delayed the Nov. 15 start of the commercial season.

The commission also voted to close rock crab fishing, which normally is permitted year-round.

“We’re really stressed,” Helma captain Joe Garcia said. “We’re ready to rock and roll. We’re ready to go fishing.”

Garcia, a retired police officer, said the crabs he sells during the holiday season make up 80 percent of his income — and that of his crew — for the year.

“It’s our bread and butter,” he said. “This is a terrible situation for everyone.”

Domoic acid is a neurotoxin linked to “red tide” algae blooms.

Please turn to Page 3

Photos by Kellie Hicks/The Land

Inside ...

Progressive Dinner

2

FFA donation

4

Rotary, FFA barbecue

5

Gonzales 4-H

6

2 The Land - December 2015

Agri-Culture’s Progressive Dinner sells out Staff report WATSONVILLE — The educational organization, Agri-Culture, held its 19th Annual Progressive Dinner on Oct. 24.

The event raised more than $35,000.

The purpose of Agri-Culture is to educate the public about local agriculture in Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley.

This year’s theme was “Autumn in the Valley.” The event was limited to 100 guests, and each year it sells out early. In fact, this year it sold out before invitations could be mailed out, according to AgriCulture.

Guests are transported (via buses) to three different locations not normally open to the public. The hors d’oeuvres were served at Land Trust of Santa Cruz County’s Watsonville Slough Farms, welcomed by Terry Corwin, who spoke about the Land Trust’s farmland conservation program.

Dinner was served at Jacob’s Farm del Cabo, welcomed by Production Manager Brendan Miele. During dinner, Miele Ana Carracio (left) and Mary Anne Carson from Santa Cruz County Bank attended the spoke about the operations at Jacob’s Farm.

Progressive Dinner. Submitted photo The dessert location was Jimmy’s

Pumpkins, welcomed by its owner Jimmy Dutra, who spoke about how his pumpkin patch gives back to the community. Guests enjoyed an assortment of pumpkin themed desserts.

Later, guests were given a bag and a box of local produce to take home.

The many guests included: Ceil Cirillo, Tannery Arts Center Co-Chair; Mary Anne Carson of Santa Cruz County Bank; Joanne and Chris Lynch, Lakeside Organic Gardens; Debbie Parsons, Best Western Seacliff Inn; Maria and David Vasquez of Watsonville; Alan Burt, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department; Ginny Solari Mazry, Trustee, Richard and Mary Solari Charitable Trust, Stephany Aguilar, Councilmember, City of Scotts Valley and Progressive Dinner Chair; and Steve Bontadelli, Agri-Culture President. Nita Gizdich sold the raffle tickets.

Fire department goes green, loses grass Drought-tolerant landscape intended as demonstration garden PUBLISHER John Bartlett publisher@register-pajaronian.com

EDITOR Erik Chalhoub editor@register-pajaronian.com

EDITORIAL STAFF Tarmo Hannula, Todd Guild, Luke Phillips, Allyson Oken, Samantha Bengtson and Hayley Thomas

ADVERTISING Tina Chavez tinac@register-pajaronian.com Adriana Novack anovack@register-pajaronian.com Allison Stenberg astenberg@register-pajaronian.com Sheryl Bailey sheryl@southcountynewspapers.com Jon Allred jon@southcountynewspapers.com

ART AND DESIGN

overdraft from the aquifer, which has been a problem since the 1950s and has caused saltwater intrusion throughout the Pajaro Valley.

The heavy rain that fell throughout the morning was a relief for many after months of drought, but it was also a boon for the California Conservation Corps work crew that was tasked with the work.

Digging through the mud, after all, is far easier than breaking through hard, sunbaked soil, Johnson said.

As the workers unearthed the sprinkler system to replace it with a drip irrigation system, they discovered leaks in the system that was wasting untold amounts of water, said Watsonville Fire Chief Pablo Barreto.

“We had tons of water leaks we had no idea were there,” he said.

Johnson said the drip irrigation will be removed after a year, when the plants have taken root and can survive on their own.

The design will include a dry creek bed lined with rocks, which will be lined with several hearty plants such as California poppies and New Zealand flax, that require little water and even less maintenance.

The $5,000 project was funded by the Watsonville Fire Department and by the Watsonville Utilities Department, but CCC Conservation Supervisor Janet Wohlgemuth pointed out that any costs

will be offset by the reduction in water use and needed labor.

“Really, the city is saving money in the long-run,” she said.

••• For information on Watsonville’s Landscape Water Conservation Program, visit cityofwatsonville.org/public-worksutilities/water/water-conservation/ landscape or call 768-3100.

For information on how to convert a lawn, visit www.LoseYourLawn.org.

Joslyn Aceves (left) and Andrew Avila of the California Conservation Corps prepare the ground for new landscaping in front of Fire Station No. 2 on Airport Boulevard. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

Earlier this year landscaping on a portion of Freedom Boulevard was signaled to replace lawn. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

By TODD GUILD Of the Land

WATSONVILLE — A Watsonville Fire station got a makeover on Nov. 2, as a work crew ripped out the lawn and replaced it with water friendly, droughttolerant landscaping.

The project is part of the City of Watsonville’s Landscape Water Conservation Program, which aims to battle dwindling water supplies by encouraging residents to ditch their lawns.

More than that, the project at 372 Airport Blvd. is meant as a demonstration garden to show passers-by what their lawn could look like when drought-tolerant plants replace water-guzzling grass.

“The main goal is to beautify the fire station and prove to the community that you can have a healthy and beautiful landscape while using little water,” said Michael Johnson, who manages the city’s Landscape Water Conservation Program.

Some 100 people have taken advantage of the rebate program since its inception last year, Johnson said.

With rebates from the city and the state, residents could cover the cost of lawn replacement, depending on the size of the lawn and the scope of the project.

Such efforts can help slow water

Mike Lyon

The Land is published monthly. All rights reserved, material may not be reprinted without written consent from the publisher. The Land made every effort to maintain the accuracy of information presented in this publication, but assumes no responsibility for errors, changes or omissions. The Land is a division of the Register-Pajaronian and South County Newspapers.

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The Land - December 2015 3

FFA

Continued from page 1

the State FFA advisor to present Souza the award for King City High School FFA chapter. Souza is also one of two finalists for the “Teacher of Excellence.” The next step for Souza is to fill out an application and apply to be a State Teacher of Excellence.

The result of that nomination will not be available until June of next year.

King City High School FFA officers pose for a picture with their third place trophy in the State of California. Submitted photo

Beach Restoration wind erosion.

“The community really comes through to get these plants in the ground, rain or shine. It’s inspiring to see friends and neighbors, young and old, having fun and tending to the long-term health of their local protected lands,” said ESF Outreach Coordinator Katie Pofahl.

The restored dune habitat also provides scenic natural access points for visitors, helps decrease park maintenance costs, and protects critical habitat for wildlife — including the Western snowy plover.

Moss Landing State Beach is an important breeding habitat for the threatened Western snowy plover, with portions of the dunes protected during critical nesting periods between March 1 and Sept. 30.

“We’re pleased to continue our collaboration with State Parks to engage

Crab Season

Continued from page 1

the community in restoring native habitat at Moss Landing State Beach, where the Elkhorn Slough meets the Monterey Bay,” said ESF Executive Director Mark Silberstein.

In 2011, Moss Landing State Beach was slated for closure due to severe budget shortfalls within the California State Parks system. Elkhorn Slough Foundation and California State Parks are collaborating to reinvigorate the park and protect the adjacent slough, while enabling California State Parks to cut maintenance costs and keep the park open.

The Elkhorn Slough Foundation is a community-supported nonprofit land trust whose mission is to conserve and restore the Elkhorn Slough and its watershed. For information, visit www.elkhornslough.org.

Continued from page 1

Ribbon cutting held for Paso Robles Allegretto Vineyard Resort Submitted article PASO ROBLES — A ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Allegretto Vineyard Resort by Ayres was held recently in Paso Robles.

Members of the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce, members of the Paso Robles City Council, and those who were instrumental in completing the extensive project joined together to celebrate the opening of the highly anticipated resort.

“It is exceptionally gratifying to see a vision and dream become a reality. We look forward to hosting our Central Coast neighbors and guests from afar, making the Allegretto a place of joy and inspiration,” said Proprietor Douglas Ayres.

Members of the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce, members of the Paso Robles City Council, and those who were instrumental in completing the extensive project attended the ribbon cutting of the Allegretto Vineyard Resort in Paso Robles. Submitted photo Crab fishermen and their crab pots remain idle in the Santa Cruz Harbor as toxins from a massive algae bloom has shuttered the crab fishing season. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/The Land

At low levels, domoic acid exposure can cause nausea, diarrhea and dizziness in humans. At higher levels, it can cause persistent short-term memory loss, seizures and can in some cases be fatal.

While naturally present in the water, the acid normally dissipates by the time the crab season opens.

The unusually large and persistent algal bloom, however, is being fueled by El Niño weather patterns, which have significantly warmed ocean temperatures.

CDFW spokeswoman Jordan Traverso said the delays will be lifted when weekly tests show the toxin has dissipated enough to be considered safe for human consumption.

It is unclear how long that will be, Traverso said.

Health officials warned people to avoid eating Dungeness and rock crabs. High levels of domoic acid have been found in crabs from the Oregon border to the

southern Santa Barbara County line.

“Our job is to keep the season open, the fishing open and the industry thriving,” Traverso said, adding that the threat to public health left the departments with little choice.

Andrew Amaral, owner and captain of Profish’Nt, normally spends the days before the crab season preparing 250 crab pots.

Like Garcia, Amaral gets more than 80 percent of his yearly income from the holiday crab season.

His crew of three gets paid by the share of what they catch, so their pocketbooks would take a hit, too.

Worse, Amaral has spent some $90,000 on his boat this year, and said a normal year requires at least $15,000 of ongoing maintenance, not including insurance.

“If they close the season, it would be devastating,” he said. “I don’t know what I would do. Sell the boat, maybe.”

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4 The Land - December 2015

Ag Expo

Continued from page 1

Veterans Transition Center, KRKC, Bay Property, Soledad Rotary, the Salinas Valley Fair, Union Bank, Erv Hair Studio and others.

Beyond the food samples and candy that were given out, local nonprofits were on hand to help people learn about their

services and how they can help in a crisis.

Some of the groups attending this year are Legal Services for Seniors, Alliance on Aging, Pinnacle Health, The Soledad Rotary, and the Soledad Historical Society.

Erv’s Hair Studio also cut hair while at the Expo.

There was wine tasting from local South County Wineries. To participate, attendees purchased a wine glass which allowed them to take part in the tasting, and they were allowed to keep the glass and take it home with them after the Expo.

This year the Soledad-Mission Chamber

of Commerce included Ag in the title of the Expo.

The event had six elite Event Sponsors including; Soledad Auto Parts, South County Newspapers, YMCA, Paraiso Vineyards, McDonald’s and KRKC that helped fund the event.

Photos by Kellie Hicks/The Land

PRFFA receives donation Submitted article PASO ROBLES — The Optimist Club of Paso Robles recently donated $500 to the Future Farmers of America chapter at Paso Robles High School.

The money was donated to the FFA in honor of the FFA’s assistance with the Optimist Club’s annual fundraiser, the Chinese Auction, held earlier this year.

Optimist Club Vice President, Chuck Sawyer, presented the check to FFA Chapter President Sarah Brown at the first FFA meeting of the 2015-2016 school year, which was held September 9th at the Paso Robles High School Agriculture Department. FFA chapter officers, members, and agriculture department staff were also present to receive the check during the business portion of the FFA chapter meeting.

In presenting the check, Sawyer said, “The Optimist Club is grateful to the Paso Robles High School FFA members for their continued assistance with the Optimist Club’s annual Chinese Auction.

The FFA is a fantastic organization for youth to promote agriculture in our area and the Chinese Auction could not have been the success it was without the help from the hard-working FFA members who were in attendance.”

The Optimist Club of Paso Robles is a local service organization of Optimist International and is dedicated to improving the lives of youth in the community. Every

year the club donates time, monies and talent to youth organizations in the local area and surrounding communities. The club’s members are from all facets of the community and from all walks of life. The Optimist Club members are involved in many local organizations outside of the club and are dedicated individuals helping to improve the lives of today’s youth.

In addition to the serving in the Optimist Club, Sawyer has also been involved with the Paso Robles High School FFA for several years and helps with many of the FFA chapter events including the FFA’s participation in the California Mid State Fair Livestock Show.

Sawyer added, “It’s awesome to see how kids get involved in clubs like the FFA. Not only do they learn about agriculture, which is so vital to our local economy, but they learn leadership skills and responsibility which will serve them well in their future endeavors. The Optimist Club is more than happy to help groups such as the FFA that strive to improve the lives of youth. There’s a synergy with what the Optimist Club is all about.”

The Optimist Club of Paso Robles is always seeking new members. Anyone interested in finding out more information about the Optimist Club of Paso Robles can contact Linda Stermer at (805) 2382410. Information is also available on the Optimist International website at www.

Optimist.org.

Optimist Club Vice President, Chuck Sawyer, presents a check to PRFFA Chapter President Sarah Brown at the first FFA meeting of the 2015-2016 school year, held Sept. 9 at the Paso Robles High School Agriculture Department. Submitted photo

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The Land - December 2015 5

Rotary and Greenfield High School FFA work together to host barbecue

By SAMANTHA BENGTSON Of the Land

GREENFIELD — On Nov. 7, the Rotarians and FFA members prepared and sold Swiss Sausage lunches to the Greenfield community.

Beginning early in the morning the Rotarians barbecued more than 800 sausages to be part of the Swiss Sausage fundraiser. FFA members arrived around 10 a.m. and started to put together all the sandwiches, chips and drinks that would be part of the meal. Then it was time to distribute the lunches to the public. Only 100 walk up lunches were available after pre-sale tickets were included.

“We have 800 sausages to sell and we’ve already given out 500,” said Gissel Neri Corcoles, vice president of Greenfield

High School FFA. “One customer came and bought 50 sausage lunches right off the bat. It’s going pretty well.”

More than 30 FFA members came to represent their chapter and help.

On barbecue duty was Bob White, Angel Torres and Albert Magdaleno.

“Rotary wants to be part of these events because we want act like role models for the students,” said Torres, Rotary president. “Eventually they are going to move on with their lives and their careers and we would want them to come to this community and give something back like what we’re doing. “ Torres said that it’s been a great pleasure and honor to work with all the FFA students and how committed they are to the community.

The Greenfield High School FFA members and the Rotary club worked together for a Swiss Sausage barbecue at the Santa Lucia Shopping Center on Nov. 7.

Photo by Samantha Bengtson/The Land

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6 The Land - December 2015

Gonzales 4-H gives City Council report

By KELLIE HICKS Of the Land

GONZALES — At the Oct. 19 meeting, the officers from the Gonzales 4-H went before the Gonzales City Council to give

them a report about their activities.

President Andre Maturino, Vice President Brittni Lombardi, Treasurer Cassi Calabro, Recording Secretary Caitlyn Pineda and Corresponding Secretary Kelsey Richardson were on hand and each spoke to the council members

regarding their activities.

The chapter, made up of 47 youth members, 33 adult volunteers, has been very busy. Locals might have noticed the changing of the welcome signs outside town, or their children might have received on of the back to school baskets the chapter

put together to help less fortunate children have proper supplies.

They are already thinking about their projects and animal that they will be taking to the upcoming Salinas Valley, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Fairs.

The officers from the Gonzales 4-H each took time to talk to the Gonzales City Council. Photo by Kellie Hicks/The Land

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Teaching little sprouts Braga Fresh Family Farms Nonprofit holding first carnival The carnival, which was held at Laurel Park, included a bounce house, raffle Of the Land prizes, face painting, balloon animals, arts SANTA CRUZ — Sprout Up held its and crafts, and local food.

There was live music and the line-up first carnival Nov. 14 to help fundraise for included a set by a fifth-grade DJ. the upcoming semesters.

“Honestly I think this is a great idea,” The California-based nonprofit organization turns college students into Karz said. “Many fundraisers can be teachers and puts them in first and second kind of run-of-the-mill, and I feel this is grade classrooms. Here, they teach a unique idea especially considering it’s the youth environmental science and intended for younger kids and carnivals are sustainability concepts through activities, for all ages.”

All proceeds from the event will go to experiments and discussions.

“We wanted to have a fun event that supporting Sprout Up. Raffle prizes include would benefit the entire Santa Cruz a Chardonnay Sailing Charters cruise, The community, outside of the classrooms Mystery Spot passes, California Academy that we teach,” said Rebekkah Scharf, of Sciences tickets, a Mission Hill the Chapter Director in Santa Cruz. “We Creamery gift card, and more.

“We want to spread awareness about imagined a carnival because we wanted to have a chance for the families of Sprout Up Sprout Up in a fun, interactive way, while kids to see what happens in our programs.” also generating funds to keep our program In the classroom, volunteers work in running,” Scharf said. “Since we offer groups of four to five, teaching students Sprout Up programs 100 percent free of with a variety of methods that include charge for schools, we operate on public coloring and taste testing — like when they donations to buy classroom materials, taste different kinds of organic apples in a recruit volunteers, and host events like our beach cleanups, to set an example local/nonlocal food lesson.

“Seeing the kids smile, seeing them very of environmental stewardship in the excited about science, it makes your day,” community.”

Sprout Up’s four-year-old Santa Cruz said Robert Karz, a pre-med student at Cabrillo who volunteered for Sprout Up. chapter includes two elementary schools, “We taught a new curriculum each week but they will expand this winter to Live that built on the last, did hands-on projects, Oak. They are currently seeking volunteers coloring-based exercises and memorization of terms. It was half interactive and really for their winter and spring programs. In addition they are seeking grants, corporate fun and the other half instructional.”

Topics center on environmental sponsorships, and funding for classroom stewardship, promoting sustainability and supplies and outreach materials.

“Our future goal for Sprout Up is to how to be caretakers of the Earth.

Karz instructed at Bayview Elementary expand to more schools, particularly those and said he plans on volunteering again that have under-resourced or low-funded for the spring semester. Karz said he has science programs,” Scharf said. “With a passion for ecology and said teaching more volunteers and funding, we hope to with Sprout Up has been an invigorating eventually expand our presence in the Live Oak School District and Watsonville.” experience.

When Karz goes back in the spring, he “I have tutored before, and there the kids seemed like they were being forced wants to teach in a classroom again but to learn,” Karz said. “These kids wanted says he will help out however he can and to learn and it was good to see their hopes to see it grow. “[Volunteering] was absolutely enthusiasm. I always felt bad when we got to a part where they weren’t able to grasp incredible,” Karz said. “I have done a lot of volunteer jobs, but it was nothing it, and I really wanted them too.”

For the carnival, Scharf said she aims to like I have done before. It was the most take the interactive part of the classroom incredible volunteer job I have ever had, experience and make it a family experience. I learned a lot and help others learn a lot “Many of the games and activities too.”

••• that we will be having at the carnival are Donations to Sprout Up can adapted from our lesson curriculum,” made at classy.org/checkout/ Scharf said. “I like that this event caters be For to the whole community. I look forward donation?eid=22055&amount=3. to seeing the kids’ excitement about the information, visit SproutUp.org. For games and activities, and seeing the kids questions, contact directorsc@sproutup. org or call (408) 202-7453. pass on knowledge to their families.”

By BEK PHILLIPS

celebrates 45 years with David Cardenas

David Cardenas. Submitted Photo

Submitted article SOLEDAD –– Braga Fresh Family Farms commemorated a 45-year milestone achieved by employee David Cardenas.

Gavino “David” Cardenas began working at the Braga Fresh home ranch in August of 1970 – just one month before Chris Braga was born. Cardenas started as an irrigator and then became a tractor driver. He eventually became farm supervisor and currently oversees all of the company drip tape crews.

Having been with the Braga family of companies for so long, he has seen their transition from cattle ranchers to farmers of organic and conventional fresh produce. He has worked with cattle, tomatoes, corn, alfalfa and hay, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, iceberg, kales and chards, leaf lettuces, sweet baby broccoli, radishes and herbs during his tenure.

Cardenas has been a presence at the home ranch for many years and has touched the lives of nearly all members of the Braga Family. Chris remembers Cardenas teaching him how to plant, cut and bale hay as a child and Stanley Braga recalls Cardenas enjoyed working with cattle alongside his brother Norman and father Sebastian. Cardenas’ efforts have supported a long history of the family farm’s advancements in food safety and sustainable farming methods.

“David has been a hard-working guy all his life,” said Stanley. “He started at the bottom and worked his way up. He would keep trying at new things until he became an expert and is always willing to learn more.”

Rod Braga remembers riding around in his grandparents’ pickup when he was 4 or 5 years old and seeing Cardenas working alongside his grandfather and father.

“He’s a valued employee today and a link to my past,” said Rod. “He’s always been the first to work and the last to leave. I’m sure that will continue until he’s well into his 90s.”

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8 The Land - December 2015

YEARS

Congratulations to David Cardenas for 45 years of loyalty and dedication!

After 45 years working for the Braga family of companies, David has touched the lives of each Braga family member and even taught Chris Braga how to plant, cut and bale hay as a child.

The Braga family is honored to celebrate this milestone with David. Thank you for 45 years of loyal service!

is one of those special “ David people who shares a lot of history

with our family. He worked with our parents and grandparents — we’re excited to continue making — Rod Braga memories with him.

”

David después de 45 años laborando para la Familia de Compañías Braga, ha tocado parte de la vida de cada miembro e incluso enseñó a Chris Braga desde que era un niño a plantar, cortar y empacar heno.

Para la Familia Braga es un honor celebrar estos 45 años con David. ¡Gracias por estos 45 años de servicio leal!