A Fresno State student-produced video touting the university’s role in agriculture education is among 10 global finalists for the World Ag Expo 2014 video contest. Now the students seek public support to be chosen as the best.
Students Michael Price and Connor Alstrom learned this week that their five-minute submission, “Fresno State Trains Students to Feed Tomorrow’s World” that involved Fresno State agriculture, business and art students, made it to the final round for a chance at the $3,000 cash prize.
The contest winner is determined by the number of public votes, and supporters can vote once daily until Jan 27.The winner will be announced on Jan. 31, two weeks prior to the annual expo in Tulare, Feb.11-13, where the top video will be played and recognized.
To promote the expo’s 2014 theme “Feeding Tomorrow’s World,” entrants were asked to find creative ways to tell the true story of agriculture. Anyone 30 years of age or younger was eligible to enter.
“Farmers and ranchers are dedicated to providing us with a safe and consistent supply of food and fiber. We want the public’s help to tell their stories,” said Jerry Sinift, chief executive officer of the International Agri-Center.
The Fresno State production incorporated students from the Plant Science Department in the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Lyle’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the College of Arts and Humanities.
Alstrom is a Entrepreneurship major from Fresno and a Craig Business Scholar who went through the Lyles Center Student Hatchery program at Fresno State. He was also a Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) student when attending Bullard High.
Price is a Mass Communication and Journalism major from Fresno and a current Hatchery student with his own private venture, Price Right Productions. While in high school, Price was the winner of the 2010 High Speed Rail Video Contest hosted through Fresno Works.
They said they made the Ag Expo video to show how Fresno State leads the Central Valley in producing educated workers in the agriculture industry.
“These students are the future leaders of the agriculture industry in America, the world’s breadbasket,” Alstrom said. “Investing in programs and students at Fresno State is the best way to advance agriculture so we are able to feed tomorrow’s world.”
Price said wining this contest will not only bring exposure to their own ventures but also “to the students of Fresno State and the advancements that they will bring to the future of agriculture.”
Eric Liguori, Lyles Center assistant director, said the project represents the collaboration between faculty and students in several of Fresno State’s colleges.
“Not only does it demonstrate the exceptional skill level present in our student entrepreneurs, but also the outstanding efforts of our agricultural department,” he said.
Others involved in the video included Dr. Bruce Roberts, professor of Plant Science, Elizabeth Mosqueda, president of Plant Science Club, and fellow plant science majors Zac Borges, Jeremy Mora and Luis Toledo.
For more information, contact Connor Alstrom at 559.577.4778 / calstrom@mail.fresnostate.edu, or Michael Price 559.288.9806 / mikeprice10@mail.fresnostate.edu
Related links:
VOTE: World AG Expo Video Contest
University Communications intern Ashlie Day contributed to this report.
