Salmonson-BRANDT Scholarship Winners Announced
FRESNO, California (June 12, 2023) – Two Cal Poly students have received The John & Carol Salmonson Scholarships for Excellence in Agriculture for the 2022-23 academic year. The scholarships are funded by the Salmonson family and BRANDT, a leading retailer of professional agronomic services and manufacturer of specialty input products.
The 2022-23 recipients are Kalina Weaver and Adam Rantz. The John & Carol Salmonson Scholarships are open to students in the Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences are eligible Each student received $10,000.
Weaver is a Plant Science major and Rantz is majoring in BioResources Ag Engineering.
Kalina Weaver
“I chose Agricultural and Environmental Plant Sciences as my major because of how important plants are to human survival. Specifically, I enjoy and value agriculture. With the changing climate, there are many issues in agriculture that desperately need innovation. I want to become a plant breeder and further research on evolving crops to be more drought tolerant without losing viable crop load,” said Weaver.
Adam Rantz
“I grew up in an agriculture background working on a family vineyard in Turlock. I was very involved in FFA which furthered my interest in Ag. I have also always been quite successful in math and been very interested in designing and building things. All of these combined pointed me towards Ag Engineering as my major. To be able to design and build technology, farm equipment and farms is what interests me the most. I knew I made the right choice as soon as I took my first set of major classes and saw everything that I would learn,” said Rantz.
The John & Carol Salmonson Scholarship for Excellence in Agriculture was established in 2016 by matching grants from John & Carol Salmonson and BRANDT. Applicants are open to students in the Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. Successful applicants must be California residents, demonstrate academic success and have financial need.
About BRANDT
A leading agricultural company, BRANDT serves growers around the globe. Founded in 1953 by Glen Brandt and his sister Evelyn Brandt Thomas to help Illinois farmers adopt new and profitable technologies, the company has experienced aggressive growth under the leadership of President and CEO Rick Brandt. BRANDT’s focus is providing the products and services that give growers the best opportunity for return while building a stronger, healthier and more abundant food supply.