Lilly Pimentel, ag teacher for Hanford Joint Union High School District, will be honored with the President’s Award at Kings County Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 17. Annual Meeting is an opportunity to celebrate Kings County Farm Bureau’s 99 successful years advocating for agriculture and to honor those in the community that support their efforts.
Part of the Annual Meeting tradition is for Kings County Farm Bureau’s board president to honor an individual or group that has gone above and beyond in their service to the local ag industry. President Josh Bettencourt selected Lilly Pimentel for this year’s President’s Award, citing her enduring commitment to ag education both in and out of the classroom and an incredible passion for cultivating the future leaders of agriculture.
“Whether she’s mentoring FFA students or volunteering as a 4-H club leader, Lilly is extremely generous with her time and always goes above and beyond the call of duty,” Bettencourt said. “She dedicates countless hours each year to ensuring local youth of all ages gain valuable life skills, such as leadership, public speaking, problem solving and accountability through agricultural experiences and activities.”
The daughter of local dairy farmers Joe and Esther Pimentel, Lilly Pimentel was born and raised in Hanford, graduating from Hanford High in 1992. She attended College of the Sequoias before going on to receive her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in ag education from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In 2001, she was hired as an ag teacher at her alma mater.
Having been raised on a dairy and being an active member of both 4-H and FFA, becoming an ag teacher was a natural fit.
“I have such a passion for agriculture that it seemed like teaching it would be right up my alley,” Pimentel said. “Being an ag teacher is a commitment that goes beyond an 8 to 3 job, but everyone who knows me knows what a heart I have for youth.”
As an ag teacher and FFA advisor, Pimentel teaches a number of classes designed to prepare students for rewarding careers in agriculture and she has coached several Hanford FFA judging teams to a number of impressive wins. She volunteers her time as a Kings River 4-H club leader and advisor, and sits on the Kings County 4-H Council’s board of directors. She serves on the June Dairy Month committee and is the secretary for the Foundation for Vocational Agriculture, the organization that raised the funds to build Hanford FFA’s new farm and learning laboratory. She’s a member of California Women for Agriculture and St. Brigid Catholic Church.
“KCFB is grateful for the many different roles that Lily serves in our ag community–leader, teacher, advisor, counselor and mentor–and it’s a pleasure to honor her with this award for her important contribution to Kings County agriculture,” Bettencourt said.
Annual Meeting will be held at the Hanford Civic Auditorium on Tuesday, Oct. 17. It will begin with a social hour at 5:30 pm, followed by dinner at 6:30. Tickets are $75 each and can be purchased at the KCFB office, 870 Greenfield Ave. in Hanford.
Kings County Farm Bureau is a non-profit advocacy organization that represents approximately 800 members of the agricultural community. Their mission is to provide education, promotion and representation of agriculture. More information is available at www.kcfb.org.