We could not have put on such a wonderful event without the contributions of our in-kind donors. We would especially like to thank Rick Brecunier, who provided the venue space at the incomparable Walnut Grove at Tierra Rejada Ranch and Chef Tim Kilcoyne of Scratch Food Truck, who orchestrated the entire dinner and enlisted the support of local farms and other vendors.
Meet the 2016 Ellen Brokaw
House Farm Workers! Scholarship Winners
At the From Field to Fork dinner, we awarded the Ellen Brokaw House Farm Workers! scholarship to three children of farm workers attending college. This scholarship reflects our commitment to making sure our farm worker families can thrive.
Viviana Avelar
"My parents came here and worked hard and it doesn't seem right to neglect that and just fall behind. A higher education is something that I want. My only hope is to be able to do as much for them as they did for my siblings and me."
One day wants to be a Spanish interpreter/translator
Loves her mom's tamales and wants to study abroad in Taiwan
Juan Magaña
"I had the chance to work with my dad in the fields, so I know how difficult it is to earn money. It made me more appreciative of what my parents were able to give me. He abandoned his traditional life in Mexico, he left his dream, so that he could give me more. I hope to make my parents proud."
I know that I want to be a high school counselor. I want to help other students that don't know what to do to get into college. I want to inspire low income students who say 'I can't go to college because we're too poor.' But I want to tell them, it's still possible."
2016 graduate of Channel Islands High School in Oxnard
Earlier this year, the Board of Supervisors approved a $1 million appropriation of funds to go towards building farm worker housing. That funding went to three different farm worker developments that are in the process of being approved and built: one development in Oxnard and two in Ventura. The Housing Authority of the City of Ventura is the developer of the two Ventura projects: Rancho Verde and a redevelopment of the Westview Village.
has established committees that cover the unincorporated county, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo and Moorpark. These volunteer-driven committees are the heart of the organization and have played a critical role in advocating on behalf of the farm worker community for the past 10 years. The city groups mobilize public support, engage public officials, and collaborate with other grassroots organizations to ensure affordable housing for farm workers.
