Hostetler to Receive Highest FFA Honor for Service to Agriculture Education

Posted on
Dan Hostetler, professor emeritus and former chair of the plant sciences department, will receive an Honorary State Degree Sunday, April 19, from the California Future Farmers Association.
Dan Hostetler, professor emeritus and former chair of the plant sciences department, will receive an Honorary State Degree Sunday, April 19, from the California Future Farmers Association.

The California Future Farmers Association will present its highest award to Dan Hostetler for his three decades of service to agricultural education.

Hostetler, a professor emeritus and former chair of the plant sciences department, will receive the Honorary State Degree on Sunday, April 19, at the annual State FFA Leadership Conference in Fresno. He is the fifth person from Cal Poly Pomona to receive the honor.

The award honors those who have provided exceptional service to agriculture, agricultural education and the California FFA.

Hostetler has worked for the College of Agriculture for more than 35 years as farm manager, an administrator, chief of the plant sciences department and leader of the development of AGRIscapes.

He served FFA members in many ways, including:

  • As faculty coordinator of the Cal Poly Pomona/Mt. SAC Ag Field Day vegetable crops judging contest since the 1980s.
  • Participating in the L.A. County Fair Field Day vegetable crops contest, also since the 1980s.
  • Organizing faculty and staff for the nursery landscape contest at both Field Days.
  • Assisting with the State FFA Citrus Contest when Cal Poly Pomona hosted the event.
  • Providing agriculture industry tours for annual State FFA officer visits to Southern California.
  • Providing agriculture industry tours for local and visiting agriculture teachers.
  • Conducting campus and farm tours for high school students.
  • Serving as interim chair of the agricultural education department.
  • Serving as project competition judge for many chapters and sections.
  • Facilitating chapter, section and region FFA events at AGRIscapes at no cost.
  • Serving as a region speech contest judge during spring break for at least the last 12 years.
  • Serving as committee chair for the last three faculty searches for an agricultural sciences and education faculty/program manager.
  • Serving as the interim advisor to agricultural sciences and education students, in addition to his regular duties.

Hostetler was also honored last year with the Cal Poly Pomona Provost’s Awards for Excellence in Service.