Imagination abounds
September/October 2023 California Bountiful magazine
Students write of cow milking, worms, grape growing and more
Story by Linda DuBois
California students created engaging narratives and striking illustrations for the 2023 “Imagine this…” Story Writing Contest. Along the way, participants highlighted themes such as taking responsibility, listening to parental guidance and appreciating “gross” but beneficial critters.
Hosted annually by the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, the contest encourages young people in both rural and urban communities to learn about agriculture, while also promoting writing skills.
Students in third through eighth grades are asked to pick a topic relating to agriculture, do research and then write a fiction or nonfiction story that educates the reader about the topic in an entertaining way. The winning tales from each grade are bound in a book illustrated by high school art, graphic design and photography students. (See the book review.)
Winning authors not only fulfill the assignment of writing educational tales about agriculture, but also find ways to incorporate other themes into their stories.
This year’s third-grade winner, Juliet Olson, included the lesson that kids should take on responsibility, even if it means doing tasks they don’t like. “I wanted to include this because I take lots of responsibility for myself,” she says.
Seventh-grade winner Sophie Granados-Moreno wanted to write about a character who “faces a problem, and then learns and grows and comes up with a solution,” she says. Her character’s challenge: finding a way to get rid of locusts.
Students note how much they learned from their projects.
Honorable Mention winner Harrison Tyler chose the topic of honeybees because his grandparents, who grow nuts and grapes, have beehives on their property. “I learned a lot, especially about the process of how a bee makes honey,” he says. “It’s a lot bigger process than I thought.”
Fourth-grade winner Nurit Neta acknowledges she used to be “grossed out” by earthworms, but after discovering their important role in soil health, she’s grown to appreciate them—and is even willing to hold them in her hands. “I didn’t know that people sell worm castings before I started,” she says.
This is the third year in a row that Sofia Magni has won the “Imagine this…” contest—this year, with her tale about a table grape who comes to realize how important she is. Although people often think of wine when they see vineyards, she wants to remind them that grapes are good for eating. “I love grapes as a snack,” she says.
Entries for the contest are due each year on Nov. 1. For more information, visit LearnAboutAg.org.
‘Imagine this...’ Story Writing Contest 2023 state winners
Responsibility Can Be Fun
By Juliet Olson
Third Grade, Hickman Elementary School,
Stanislaus County
Teacher: Sheila Amaral
Illustrators: Vivian Ning, Vanessa Palafox, Avalina Duckworth and Savannah Farmer,
Monterey Trail High School, Elk Grove
Art instructor: Monica Ortega
Twins Veronica and Leona learn to take responsibility while their parents are away. They reluctantly milk a cow by themselves for the first time—and find they actually enjoy a chore they dreaded.
“I want readers to learn that they should do their chores even if they think they’re not fun,” Juliet says.
Down in the Dirt!
By Nurit Neta
Fourth Grade, Visalia Montessori School,
Tulare County
Teacher: Irela Perez
Illustrators: Deema Bah, Maialen Teagle-Alarcon, Sasha Cruz, Sam Suque, Anissa Andrade, Sofia Martin, Kaylie Pham and Sage Abell,
Millikan High School, Long Beach
Art instructor: Scott Coppenger
An earthworm named Elli who lives in a school garden tells all about her important job of improving the soil as the students learn to care for the plants.
“A lot of people think earthworms are slimy and don’t want to be around them, but I wanted to show them how much they benefit the soil and the plants,” Nurit says.
Cooper and the Peachy Adventure
By Ally Samulski
Fifth Grade, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School,
Stanislaus County
Teacher: Cassie Acuna
Illustrators: Amaris Fernandez and London Simmons,
Florin High School, Sacramento
Art Instructor: Alexandra Pease
An ant named Cooper Anton accidentally hitches a ride on a peach in a boy’s school bag and ends up on a class field trip to an orchard and cannery, learning all about where that peach came from.
“I’ve always seen ants sneaking around, trying to get food. So, I was kind of wondering what adventures they might go on,” Ally says.
Lessons from the Grapevine
By Sofia Magni
Sixth Grade, Sacred Heart School,
Stanislaus County
Teacher: Sarah Ward
Illustrators: Jacquelyn Ngo-Le and Jacob Yang,
Sheldon High School, Sacramento
Art Instructor: Theresa Nguyen
A grape learns about the growing process of the grapevine she’s on and how she is destined to be eaten. At first afraid, she runs away but later likes the idea of being a nutritious food for her beloved farmer.
“I hope people learn that even if you feel that you don’t fit in, everyone has a purpose," Sofia says. "God made you for an important reason.”
A Crop Invasion
By Sophie Granados-Moreno
Seventh Grade, Sandburg Middle School,
Los Angeles County
Teacher: Rachel Bizzotto
Illustrators: Kali Dennis, Alaysia Hart, Sarah Hamidi, Karyme Nava and Julianna Reyna,
Calvine High School, Sacramento
Art Instructor: Corrie Soderlund
A girl who helps her mother run a farm discovers that locusts have damaged their tomatoes, and her mother tries to deter the pests using a simple household staple.
“I hope people learn that locusts are a really common pest that farmers have a really hard time dealing with,” Sophie says.
Maria’s Terruño
By Audra Devereaux
Eighth Grade, Hickman Charter School,
Stanislaus County
Teacher: Tracey Kline
Illustrator: Andrea Fonseca,
Florin High School, Sacramento
Art Instructor: Alexandra Pease
Audra explains how grapevines grow through protagonist Maria’s memories of her late grandfather, memories that also inspire Maria to help her parents with the harvest as a storm approaches.
“I hope readers learn that working hard always pays off and choosing to do the right thing is always the best,” Audra says. “Remembering what your family would want you to do helps you make the right decisions.”
Honorable Mention
Betty’s Beehive
By Harrison Tyler
Eighth Grade, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School,
Stanislaus County
Teacher: Michael Botsch
Illustrator: Wangshuang Xie,
Elk Grove High School, Elk Grove
Art Instructor: Deborah George
Betty the bee tells how she and the rest of her hive pollinate plants, make honey and wax, and use teamwork to construct a hive—and then how they celebrate their great work.
“A lot of people are scared of bees because they think they’ll sting them, but they’re actually friendly,” Harrison says. “They’re a hardworking, cool animal to be around.”
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