Our History - California Women for Agriculture
The following excerpt comes from the CWA 50th Anniversary Commemorative Booklet.
The booklet was edited by Cheryl Lambert, CWA Northern District Director, and Melanie Cavaletto, Ventura County President-Elect, and produced for attendees at the November 7-9, 2025, 50th Anniversary Celebration in La Quinta, California.
CELEBRATING OVER 50 YEARS OF SUPPORTING AND REPRESENTING CALIFORNIA FARMERS
How it all began...
The Coachella Valley Chapter of California Women for Agriculture was officially organized on November 17, 1975. But long before that organizational meeting, there was a lot of action amongst the women of the Coachella Valley to show support for valley agriculture and the farmers.
In the early seventies, the ranks of the United Farm Workers became more aggressive in picketing for union representation on our local farms and, in many instances, resorted to intimidating farm workers. As vandalism and intimidation increased, women rallied and began counter-picketing to show support for the farmers and the farm workers who did not want to unionize. These were difficult times in the Coachella Valley.
Meanwhile, across the valley, other women were looking ahead to agricultural issues that would be coming before legislators in the coming years, and they knew that farmers rarely "got off their tractors" to go to Sacramento to fight for their rights. There were several issues related to agriculture, not just the farm worker union picketing initiated in the Coachella Valley.
At the November 17th Coachella Valley meeting, charter officers were elected. Bev Sfingi, president; Cherry Ishimatsu, first vice president; and Lois Anderson, second vice president. Bev's quote in the local newspaper after her election was "Our goals are to present to the public, media, and elected officials the truth about local, state, and national farming, and to mobilize for action when necessary to ensure justice for the farmer."
The name "California Women for Agriculture" was chosen after careful consideration. The use of the word "in" indicated only those employed in the industry; therefore, the word "for" was considered a keyword to develop a cross-section of members. In fact, the nucleus of the Coachella Valley members was consumers, not farmers.
No sooner had the Coachella Valley Chapter been organized than there was momentum to organize statewide, with the first organizational meeting held in Palm Springs in January 1976. Just two months after the first chapter's organization, the statewide California Women for Agriculture organization was founded. Throughout the state, twenty chapters were established, and nineteen are still active.
The first officers of California Women for Agriculture deserve so much credit for seizing the vision of the Coachella Valley women and carrying that vision much further than anyone could have predicted. Many of them hold elected and appointed positions in their cities, counties, and state. Today, women across the state continue to advocate for California Farmers.
Our History - Salinas Valley, California Women for Agriculture
Charter date December 9, 1976.
Our signature event is our annual Holiday Shopping Bus Trip in November. Post-COVID Bus Trips have been made to Santana Row, San Jose. Tickets are sold for about $100 (or attendees can get tickets through company sponsorships) which included a swag bag, decorated with the CWA logo and company sponsors and filled snacks and a membership informational flyer, a breakfast burrito served with a mimosa, and a box dinner complemented with a glass of wine to enjoy on the journey home. On the drive to the destination, raffle tickets are sold for items $50-200 in value.
Our Scholarship Program
In continuing our commitment to promote awareness and education, we offer two scholarships for women in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties - Women Pursuing Degrees in Agriculture Scholarship
and Farm Worker Scholarship. Scholarships range from $500 to $2,000. We award $10,000 -$18,000 each year. There is no age restriction for either of these scholarships, nor is either based upon financial need.
Requirements include 1) must be a female resident or high school graduate from Monterey, San Benito or
Santa Cruz County, 2) must be pursuing a degree from an accredited trade school, an associate’s degree, or a bachelor’s degree in agriculture or related subject area or must be employed as a farm worker (person who labors in fieldwork, production, and/or manufacturing of agricultural products) or have at least one parent or spouse who is employed as a farm worker for two consecutive seasons in the Tri-county, 3) if an
applicant is in high school when applying, they must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, 4) if the
applicant is enrolled in a trade school or college when applying, they must have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or
higher.
Our Membership Events
The chapter Membership Director is responsible for organizing a membership event during the year and it varies from year to year. We encourage members to
bring a guest to the event. For the past few years, we've combined our Scholarship Recipient Recognition ceremony with membership mixer event. Past years, we've held this event at Creekside Farms (2023), Taylor Farms (2024), and Tanimura & Antle (2025).
We also host other member events throughout the year, such as wine tastings, farm tours, and more!
We also hold an annual Photo Contest. Amateur and professional photographers are welcome to submit an agricultural-themed photo. The editor of the Coastal Grower magazine selects one photo to be featured in the
summer edition of the magazine.
Past State CWA Presidents
Two past state presidents have been from our chapter: Sharan Lanini (left) & Celeste Settrini (right)
The longevity of our chapter is rooted in the rich agriculture history and growth of the Salinas Valley and surrounding agricultural regions spanning from Santa Cruz to San Benito counties. Women enjoy joining our chapter because it connects them with other women who are also passionate about the agricultural community, consumers, and the environment.
