THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2026. BY CAMERON HEINITZ, KAUTZ FARMS.
Featured image above: Volunteer judge Lindsay Hofsteen (Professor, Delta College) evaluates a student pruner.
Over the weekend of January 17th, Kautz Farms in Lodi hosted a vineyard pruning contest that brought together high school students from across the state for a hands-on agricultural competition. The event was organized by the Tokay FFA Chapter with support from father-daughter team Joe Valente and Amy Blagg, and it showcased both technical skill and a shared passion for viticulture.
A total of 76 high school students representing 13 different FFA chapters participated in the contest (pictured below). Students traveled from all across California to compete, with the furthest school coming from Santa Ynez High School on the Central Coast, more than 300 miles from Lodi. While the event was originally expected to host 118 contestants, dense fog throughout parts of the state limited travel and reduced the final turnout.
The contest challenged students to demonstrate their pruning knowledge and efficiency under timed conditions. Contestants were evaluated on the quality and accuracy of their pruning across three common vineyard systems: spur-pruned bilateral cordon, spur-pruned quadrilateral cordon, and cane-pruned vines. In addition to the timed portion, students also had the opportunity to prune directly in front of a judge, allowing them to explain their decisions and receive direct feedback.
Judging was conducted by members of the local farming community. Several judges were former FFA pruning competitors themselves, reinforcing the generational continuity and mentorship that are hallmarks of agricultural education programs like FFA.
Volunteer judge and UCCE Viticulture Farm Advisor Dr. Justin Tanner looks on as a student prunes.
This type of contest holds personal significance for me. My own career in agriculture began in high school when I joined the Tokay FFA Chapter and became part of the grapevine pruning team. It was one of my first real exposures to agriculture and vineyard work, and it left a lasting impression. That early experience sparked a long-term interest in farming, specifically wine grape growing, which ultimately led me to pursue a degree in agriculture. I attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where I studied Viticulture, and today I am fortunate to be working full-time back in my hometown of support the next generation of students interested in agriculture.
Pruning contests like this one play a pivotal role in introducing young people to agriculture and strengthening their connection to their local communities. Many FFA students do not come from agricultural backgrounds, yet through events like this, they gain practical skills, confidence, and exposure to career paths they may never have otherwise considered. The continued success of these contests is an investment not only in the students who compete, but in the future of agriculture itself.
Congratulations to all who participated, and many thanks to the volunteer judges!
Results:
High Individual Overall
1. Lewie Mathis – Santa Ynez
2. Nathan Blagg – Tokay
3. Maverick Fernandez – Tracy
4. Abraham Lopez-Chavez – Tokay
5. Jacob Zuniga – St Helena
High Individual Winners.
High Team Overall
1. Tokay Team #2
2. Tracy Team #2
3. Sebastopol-Analy Team #2
4. Turlock
5. Sebastopol-Analy Team #3
Winning Tokay Team.
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