2020 Salute to Dairy

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6 | CELEBRATING OUR LOCAL DAIRY INDUSTRY THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020TOSTECONTINUED FROM PAGE 5in terms of production,”John stated.For all the technology,however, dairy producersmust also simply knowtheir animals.“You still have to bea cow man, at the end ofthe day. You have to havea passion for the cattle,”said John. “Sometimes youdon’t have to look at a computerto tell when a cow isnot being productive foryou.”The Tostes increasetheir efficiency by growingabout half of the cornand wheat needed on thedairy.“We have purchasedmore ground here in thelast couple of years thatwas next to ours,” Johnsaid.Nine employees help theToste family operate thedairy.While John and John Jr.oversee the operation inthe barns and fields, Sandramanages the accounting,compliance reportsand vast paperwork thatgoes with running a moderndairy.Despite the ups anddowns, the work and commitmentinvolved, theTostes embrace dairy andthe family lifestyle it hasprovided.“You may have had along day, but you haveyour son next to you thewhole time, that makesyou want to go forward,”John said. “We’re all workingfor the same thing.That makes it all worth it.”“You have to love it,”Sandra said of being adairy family.John said he is comfortablewith the current herdsize but nonetheless hasbeen going through theprocess of being permittedto grow larger.“That is for the nextgeneration,” he explained.“If they want to grow, theyGive your homethe protectionit deserves.have the foundation for it.”John Toste Jr., a 2020 graduate of Gustine High, plans to attend Modesto Junior College and join his parents on the family dairy.Michael Passarelli, AgentInsurance Lic#: 0F221491404 Main StreetNewman, CA 95360Bus: 209-862-3200Michael Passarelli, AgentInsurance Lic#: 0F221491404 Main StreetNewman, CA 95360Bus: 209-862-3200Give your homethe protectionit deserves.Your home is where you makesome of your best memories,and that’s worth protecting.I’m here to help.LET’S TALK TODAY.Your home is where you makesome of your best memories,and that’s worth protecting.I’m here to help.LET’S TALK TODAY.State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, State Farm General Insurance Company, Bloomington, ILState Farm Florida Insurance Company, Winter Haven, FL1708136State Farm Lloyds, Richardson, TXWalnut Grower, Huller and ProcessorServing the West Side with Quality and IntegrityThanks to Our Growers for Your Continued SupportContact Kirk Jensen for Information16801 Highway 33Patterson, CA 95363209/892-3458 • 209/892-5036 FAXkirk@pattersonnut.com
THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2020 CELEBRATING OUR LOCAL DAIRY INDUSTRY | 7Dairy upbringing helped shape goals for Toste sistersMakayla workingfor USDA; Adrianaon Oklahoma Statejudging teamNEWMAN - SistersMakayla and AdrianaToste grew up on a WestSide dairy, with a passionfor the industry further instilledthrough their competitionin livestock showrings and as part of dairyjudging teams throughGustine FFA and Newman4-H.Those roots have continuedto influence their pathin college - and in Makayla’scase beyond.Today Makayla is workingfor the USDA’s Merced/MariposaFarm ServiceAgency, helping administerprograms whichbenefit the ag community,including dairies.Adriana, meanwhile, ispreparing for her senioryear at Oklahoma State,where she is on the dairyjudging team and plansa career in dairy-relatedcommunications or marketing.Makayla joined theFarm Services Agency lastAugust, after she completeda California Milk AdvisoryBoard internship inMexico.Her current focus is onhelping producers qualifyfor a new USDA food assistanceprogram, whichprovides aid for those inthe ag community whohave been directly impactedby the coronaviruspandemic.Dairy producers areamong those who qualifyfor the program, Makaylanoted, not only for the impacton milk but for therow crops they grow.Response to the programhas been overwhelming,she said.“We started sign-upson May 26, and we haveover 500 (farmers andranchers) signed up rightnow,” Makayla told MattosNewspapers in earlyJune. “Four individuals,including myself, have appointmentsback to backMakayla Toste, left, and Adriana Toste were each raised with a passion for the dairy industry. Makayla is currently working for the Merced/Mariposa Farm Service Agency, while Adrianais entering her senior year at Oklahoma State, where she is a member of the dairy judging team.for three months. MercedCounty is very diversewhen it comes to the differentcommodities. Wehave been staying busy forall of our producers.”In her role, Makaylasaid, she works with aninterested producer todetermine eligibility andthen helps them throughthe application process.The payments from thenewest program and otherswhich have providedassistance to farmers maynot fully offset the loss toproducers, she reflected,but represent a valuablelifeline to farmers facingtough times.“Even if it is just a littlebit of money, it will helpwith something,” she explained.When not working onassistance programs,Makayla said, she is involvedin compiling cropreports.Working remotely duringthe pandemic has beenfacilitated by technology,but difficult nonetheless.“I can get the workdone. But we enjoy therelationship that we havewith these producers. Nothaving that interactionwith our producers canmake it a little hard. Noteverybody is tech-savvy,because you have producersof all generations,” shepointed out. “We can’t waitto get into the office andbe able to see our producers.Her dairy background,she reflected, has givenher a great understandingof the challenges whichface those in the ag communityand instilled a passionfor the industry.“If my parents had chosena different career pathand we were not in ag,that would definitely havechanged my career path,”Makayla stated. “Anyonein the ag industry is passionateabout what theydo. They put in the hardwork because they enjoywhat they do. I enjoy whatI do because I am helpingsomeone.”Adriana’s junior year atOklahoma State was cutshort by the coronavirus.She is hoping, though,that school - and the collegedairy judging season- resumes in the fall.Adriana said the OklahomaState team did competein one contest thisspring before the pandemicstruck.The primary judgingseason in college ranks isin the fall, she noted, and“right now that is up in theair.”She was on the dairyjudging team at ModestoJunior College before goingto Oklahoma State.While judging in thecollege ranks is moredemanding than in highschool circles, Adrianasaid, her positive experiencesat Gustine High setthe stage for collegiatesuccess.Her coach and teammatesat Gustine Highgave her a strong foundationin judging, Adrianaremarked.“High school is whereyou get that foundation,”she said. “College is whereyou put it to use.”Both sisters envision adairy-related future.And Adriana, likeMakayla, said their dairyroots helped shape theirgoals.“We are all very thankfulthat we have the dairybackground. For us, it reallyinstilled a passion foragriculture,” Adriana reflected.“We are all verythankful that we had thisexperience growing up. Itset the tone for what wewanted to do in terms ofcareers.”
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2020 Salute to Dairy

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