California Women for Agriculture (CWA) was formed in 1975, in the Coachella Valley. The name was chosen to develop a cross section of members. In fact, the nucleus of the first chapter was made up of consumers, as well as farmers and ranchers. Today our membership is as diverse as the industry we represent; bankers, lawyers, accountants, marketing professionals, consumers, AND farmers and ranchers. With 20 chapters and 1,600-plus members across the state, CWA is the most active, all volunteer agricultural organization in the state, and members are actively engaged in public relations, education, and legislative advocacy on behalf of agriculture. Members volunteer and invest their time to Promote, Educate and Advocate on behalf of agriculture. That is the CWA mission.

The North Valley chapter supports this mission by awarding scholarships to students pursuing degrees in agriculture, providing school garden grants, and giving interest free loans to kids for 4H projects, just to name a few. The steak and prawn dinner is our sole fundraising event annually and we are so incredibly grateful for the generosity of this group and community. Last year we awarded $11,000 in scholarships, donated to the agricultural exhibit at the Chico Children’s Museum, and provided 8 students with livestock loans.

I am the current President for our chapter and enjoyed participating again in 2019. North Valley CWA members volunteer to make and donate a delectable dessert to this auction. This was the first year I volunteered, and I may have had a teeny bit of help from Upper Crust Bakery, but it was awesome! Despite the ongoing need in our community after the fires, we still met our fundraising goal. This community continues to impress me with their generosity and support for the next generation.

Community Involvement: CWA Steak and Prawn Dinner!