The state Capitol in Sacramento was transformed into a smorgasbord of food, fiber, flowers and fun March 25 for California Ag Day, where the young and old and the suited and casual came together to recognize the important role the state’s farmers and ranchers play.

“Ag Day is a unique opportunity to influence regulators and the public about the benefits and issues of agriculture,” said California Farm Bureau Federation Second Vice President Kenny Watkins. “More than 35 exhibits illustrated the diversity of agriculture and its importance to the state of California. People were able to taste the strawberries, touch the alpaca fur and smell the meat cooking on the barbecue. Everyone left with a sample of agriculture.”

Ag Day, presented by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and California Women for Agriculture, is an annual event that showcases California’s diverse agricultural sector valued at $31.8 billion.

Like several thousand others, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Shafer made California Ag Day part of his plans. He arrived at the west steps of the Capitol on March 25 to join with Gov. Schwarzenegger, California Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura, other dignitaries and the public to honor California for its many agricultural accomplishments.

“You don’t have to be the secretary of agriculture very long to realize that this state’s contributions to our nation are magnificent,” Shafer said. “You generate more than one half of the fruits and vegetables grown in our nation every year. You are the leading producer of dairy products and one of our leading producers of livestock and poultry. You are the leading producer of tree nuts and greenhouse and nursery products. And of course you are the nation’s largest producer of wine.”

With new markets and new consumers emerging around the world, Shafer added that it is critical for the future of agriculture in California and across the nation to maintain strong growth in exports.

“At USDA, one of our most important jobs is making sure that American producers can compete on a level playing field in foreign markets,” Shafer said. “That is why we’re working hard this year to win approval for the free trade agreements with Colombia, Korea and Panama that are now pending before Congress.”

Celeste Settrini, first vice president of the California Women For Agriculture, acknowledged the urban and rural interface that exists in the state and suggested that communication and events like Ag Day are the key to educating people about where their food comes from.

“As our state becomes increasingly urban and as more people become further removed from their source of food and fiber, CWA remains dedicated to building bridges of communication and ensuring that agriculture continues to be recognized for its contributions to the economy, while supplying healthy and nutritious products to you and your family,” Settrini said.

That sentiment was further emphasized by crowd-energizing celebrity chef and TV personality Guy Fieri of the Food Network.

“It is easy to look good on the Food Network when you come from ‘Cali.’ We are the home of true food. The culture of food is so rich in our community and our state,” said Fieri, who owns several restaurants in California. “We’re alive and well in California with the opportunity to cook with great, fresh produce and the fresh meat that we have available.”

As part of the Ag Day program, Fieri gave a “Cooking with your Kids” presentation where Assemblymembers Tom Berryhill, R-Modesto, and his children and Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, and his daughter, battled in a cook-off with help from a solar-powered kitchen provided by Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

“We got involved in an idea of cooking with your kids. It is something that has moved away from our culture today with dual-family incomes,” said Fieri, who was at Ag Day with his son, Hunter. “Take some time and cook with your family.”

The Ag Day celebration featured more than 35 exhibitors representing agricultural commodity groups and organizations including the California Farm Bureau Federation, the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom and the foundation’s “Imagine this…” contest winners.

“Imagine this…” winner Chance Holley, a fifth-grader from Chatom Elementary in Stanislaus County, referred to Ag Day as “awesome!”

“I got to taste some pork and I also tasted lamb for the first time. It was good. I also ate some strawberries and petted the alpaca. Their fur is so soft. I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “It (agriculture) is really important to know about. It is our food, it’s our clothes, it’s everything.”