Six state winners, one honorable mention, five classes of art students, nine members of the California state legislature, and dozens more teachers, family and friends gathered together on March 19, 2009 for the Imagine this... Awards Ceremony, hosted at the Department of Food and Agriculture's Sacramento headquarters. Students were greeted by Secretary A.G. Kawamura, and presented with official proclamations, medals and savings bonds along with a copy of their story within the newly published, 80+ page soft-cover book. Winning stories were selected for publication from more than 10,000 submissions written by 3-8 grade students for CFAITC's annual Imagine this... Story Writing Contest.

Winning authors produced clever and engaging stories about many aspects of California food and fiber production. Many were based on personal experiences growing up on farms or ranches, while for some students the assignment required extensive research about their chosen commodities.

Eighth grade author, Brook Jensen, was raised on her family's Stanislaus County almond orchard, but decided to research and write about a different nut—pistachios. "The contest gives students a chance to think about things in a different way," Jensen explained.

"The success of the 2008 Imagine this... Contest was made possible in part by the program's newest sponsor, Wal-Mart, whose goal of helping communities and promoting healthy behaviors is very much in tune with the overall mission of Ag in the Classroom," said CFAITC executive director, Judy Culbertson.

Imagine this... satisfies CA teaching standards in English-language arts. The purpose is to promote reading, writing and the arts and to further the public's understanding of agriculture. Copies of the published book, as well as the text and sample illustrations of the winning stories, can be found at www.cfaitc.org/imaginethis.

Who's More Important... Betsy or Todd?
Dylan Adams, 3rd grade
Northwood Elementary, Napa County

The Great Veggie Championship
Audrey Poole, 4th grade
Neil Cummins Elementary, Marin County

Oliver's Family Tree
Eric Harrelson, 5th grade
Our Lady of the Assumption School, Sacramento County

Summer Range
Braden Whitehouse, 6th grade
Grenada Elementary, Siskiyou County

The Apple of My Eye
Sonalei Amador, 7th grade
Grace Academy, Riverside County

Peter's Journey
Brook Jensen, 8th grade
Gratton School, Stanislaus County

We Love Our Alfalfa Farmer!
Honorable Mention
Brice Lore, 3rd grade
Home Choice, San Bernardino County