There’s an old lasso looped on the wall at graduating senior Clayton Merrill’s home ranch near Los Alamos.
Its age is unknown, but it’s likely more than 100 years old since the first family member, Pablo Antonio Cota, arrived in California eight generations ago in 1769 as an agent for the King of Spain. The Santa Rosa Adobe he later built in 1808 is one of the first on the Central Coast.
“The ‘reata,’ which is Spanish for lasso, was a key piece of equipment for any Spanish Vaquero,” Merrill said. “Some even made them themselves from their own horses’ hair, so it had a special connection. It’s been passed down from generation to generation.”
Two generations later, his family’s Rancho La Vega Adobe was built near the Santa Rosa Adobe in 1853 and became a center for the operation that grew to over 100,000 head of both cattle and sheep towards the end of the 1800s.
As new generations followed, the livestock animals and crops evolved, but agriculture has often remained at the heart of the family.
Merrill’s memories include riding horses, working with sheep and poultry through 4-H and working in vineyards. That experience ultimately led him to receive an associate’s degree in agricultural business from Allan Hancock College, followed by a Fresno State degree from the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.
At the Jordan College commencement ceremony on May 17 at the Save Mart Center, Merrill celebrated with three generations of family members.
While a familiar alumni saying is, “Bulldog Born, Bulldog Bred,” Merrill takes pride in being an exception. Among all the 100-plus members on each side of his parents’ family trees, he believes he is the only one who is a Fresno State alum.
For Merrill, it was an easy choice to become a Bulldog.
“When it came to looking at possible colleges and degrees, my dad suggested that an ag communications degree at Fresno State was a good option,” Merrill said. “He knew that Fresno State faculty and all its programs had a reputation for great, hands-on learning and would be a great fit for my future goals in advocating for agriculture.”
Journalism meets farming
Clayton’s first journalism experience came on his high school newspaper and video news team at Orcutt Academy. He enjoyed meeting new people and learning their stories, continuing a family tradition of journalists dating back to the Civil War.
Today, his father, Kevin, writes weekly agricultural columns for the Santa Ynez Valley News, the Santa Maria Times, The (Hanford) Sentinel and the Lompoc Record, which share his wealth of experience as a manager for Mesa Vineyard Management. The operation, which he manages with his brother, Dana, oversees 14,000 acres of vineyards stretching from the Central Coast to the Oregon Coast.
The column has proven a vital way to advocate for the agricultural industry’s needs. He can also write about topics directly tied to his role as a state representative board member for Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties as a member of the California Farm Bureau Board of Directors.
Competitions and accolades
Clayton shared that same desire to better understand and help shape the future of agriculture when he won the state Farm Bureau Discussion Meet contest in December 2023.
The victory improved on a top-four finish in 2022 and marked Fresno State’s ninth individual state victory since 2011. It also helped Fresno State celebrate its 11th team title under the guidance of faculty Dr. Avery Culbertson and Dr. Steven Rocca.
That individual honor led to an invitation to the national discussion meet contest in early March in Omaha, Nebraska.
In a pair of preliminary rounds, he and three other competitors engaged in a 20-minute exchange of analysis and solutions, bookended by 30-second opening and one-minute closing statements.
The 34 competitors were judged on their understanding of key agricultural issues; ability to facilitate positive discussion, collaboration and solutions; and use of courtesy, etiquette and time management skills.
The first round focused on how the Farm Bureau can help government leaders better understand the challenges and financial viability of family farms and ranches.
The second round looked for ways to encourage farmers and ranchers to adopt more sustainable methods that still encourage profitability and production. The open-ended question was interpreted in many different ways considering each contestant’s unique background with different commodities and growing conditions.
“California is known for its commitment to sustainability for many generations, partly because of its unique water access issues,” Merrill said, “so there was a lot I could suggest. It was interesting to hear the students from the other Midwestern and Southern states, too, and the issues they’re starting to face for the first time, while we have faced for some time.”
The discussion contest capped six months of preparation for five potential topics. Most of his research was done individually, with occasional weekly group meetings in the fall with Fresno State team members. These sessions encouraged debate and offered advice on researching California’s wide array of agricultural crops and issues.
After the state event, Merrill worked with California Farm Bureau staff and industry professionals to get extra insight into the issues.
“The experience was great because you have the chance to meet competitors from across the U.S. and learn about the same issues from different angles,” Merrill said. “We’re all ag majors, but we had much different degree paths and backgrounds, so it was really great to learn from their experience and vision for the industry.”
Extra support came from Fresno State student coach and former teammate Brendan Black, the previous year’s state champion. The agricultural education graduate student provided perspective on the stimulating, yet stressful format after navigating the opening round of the national in 2023 to advance to the semifinal round of 16.
“Brendan encouraged me to take a deep breath and really enjoy the experience, since it’s a one-of-a-kind honor,” Merrill said. “Other advisers warned me that being from California and the nation’s leading state can be a double-edged sword and not to act too confident. I made sure to frame things from a regional perspective, and keep tabs on others in the group that hadn’t contributed. I encouraged them to share their views and background since you’re judged on your ability to work with others.”
That openness to expanding his horizons is at the heart of his next career step as an intern with E. & J. Gallo with its Central Coast vineyard operations near Santa Maria.
Working for the world’s largest wine producer will certainly provide new insight. Wine, raisins and table grapes were California’s second-leading agricultural industry in 2022 with $5.54 billion in sales for the nation’s leading agricultural state.
There are other possible career paths besides working for Gallo. After attending the annual meeting with the California Strawberry Commission, he traveled with members of the State Farm Bureau Board and staff to Washington D.C. to meet U.S. Reps Salud Carbajal, David Valadao and John Duarte and their staffs.
“Many commodity groups have their own communications teams, so it was eye-opening to see how they work,” Merrill said. “Whether it’s working with a state or local farm bureau, a trade group or a company, ag communications has a broad set of applications. I want my career path to also be a voice that strengthens our appreciation and understanding of agriculture, just like past generations.”
