Pacific Nut Producer Magazine

Tag: Setton Pistachio

  • Setton Pistachio Announces First Annual Drone Challenge Contest

    Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc., the nation’s second-largest pistachio grower and processor, is excited to announce the recipients of their first annual Drone Challenge contest. This initiative was launched as part of Setton’s commitment to fostering advanced education for students and to encourage the development of future technology leaders and innovators. For more information, visit www.settonfarms.com.

    Setton partnered with Harmony Magnet Academy (Academy of Aviation and Leadership), Porterville Military Academy (Academy of Engineering), Strathmore High School (Emerging Agriculture Technology Academy), and Granite Hills High School (Computer Operations Development in Education Academy), which created teams of students to participate in the challenge. Setton provided the drones, and each team was tasked with designing, developing, testing, and deploying Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for targeted operational missions. The school with the winning team received $5,000, and each student received $500. The second-place school received $2,500, and the third-place school received $1,000. Additionally, all the other students received a participation award of $250.

    The 2025 recipients are: first place, Granite Hills High School (students: Christian Gutierrez, Carlos Lara, Shane Thornton, Teddy Santoyo, Ezikel Jimenez, and Rodrigo Millan); second place, Porterville Military Academy (Team 1, students: Connor Lanning, Ariyiah Brazell, Iyari Saucedo, Sawyer Stephens, Abraham Valdovinos, and Aidsa Landeros); and third place, Porterville Military Academy (Team 3, students: Andrew Lemus, Luke Mathis, Jesus Nunez, Marcello Magana, Wendy Tapia, and Bryan Miranda).

    “Setton is proud to provide local high school students who excel in hands-on engineering a platform to innovate and collaborate,” said Setton Farms General Manager Lee Cohen. “This project supports our community outreach effort to foster the importance of integrating technology into local educational curriculum. It was excitingto launch this inaugural competition, and we were extremely impressed by the students’ exceptional projects.”

    “Our CODE pathway students have embodied the graduate outcome skills we expect of our students throughout this drone challenge, especially collaboration and problem-solving,” said Granite Hills High School Principal Jacob Bowker. I am extremely proud of their commitment to excellence and their persistence, as a team, throughout this inquiry process. It’s great to be a Grizzly!”

    Projects were judged on the effectiveness of mission accomplishment, flight plan efficiency, power management, cargo and payload planning, workflow design, mission complexity, and flight logs. The judging panel was comprised of Setton employees, school representatives, and local leaders. Winners were honored at an award luncheon at Setton Pistachio on Friday, April 25.

    Setton Farms launched its College Educational Scholarship Program in 2016 and has awarded 159 scholarships to employees, local community members, and students worth $199,750. For more information on available programs and Setton’s ongoing mission, please contact Patricia Murcia at (559) 535-6050.

    About Setton Farms:

    Setton Farms, the second largest pistachio grower-processor in the United States, is a family-owned and operated brand located in the heart of Central Valley, California since 1986. Highly regarded as “America’s Best Tasting Pistachios,” and widely recognized for its superior quality and tradition of excellence, Setton Farms grows, harvests, processes and manufactures pistachios using renewable energy, eco-friendly practices, and proprietary techniques. Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc. offers an established line of premium in-shell and kernel pistachio products that are non-GMO project verified, certified gluten-free, organic and kosher, while a select variety features the AHA heart-check mark. Setton provides pistachios to more than 60 foreign markets worldwide and distributes to wholesalers and retailers throughout the United States. For more information, visit settonfarms.com and follow on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, and BlueSky.

  • Setton Farms Acquires 50 Owl Boxes From Tulare FFA

    Supporting the next generation of farmers in sustainable stewardship of the land is a priority for Setton Farms, the second largest pistachio processor in the United States. That is why they have partnered with the Future Farmers of America Tulare Chapter to support their agricultural programs while distributing 50 student-made owl boxes across their farming operations. Watch this brief interview with Mike Smith and Jared Castle meeting with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network during the owl box exchange to learn more.

  • Setton Pistachio Announces Earth Day Scholarship Winners

    Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc., the nation’s second-largest pistachio grower and processor, is proud to announce the recipients of the second annual Setton Earth Day scholarship contest. This initiative was created as part of the Setton family’s ongoing commitment to helping students reach their educational goals and spreading awareness about the importance of sustainability. For more information, visit www.settonfarms.com.

    Setton Farms partnered with Porterville High School, Monache High School, and Harmony Magnet Academy in Porterville, California, to award scholarships to exemplary seniors. This year, Setton expanded its reach from one institution to three, awarding $5,000 to the first-place winner; $2,500 to the second-place winner; $1,000 each to three third-place winners; and $500 each to five honorable mentions. Additionally, all other students received a participation award of $250.

    “Our goal is to support students in pursuing their college education, and we’re grateful to the schools and students that participated this year,” said Setton Farms COO Mia Cohen. “We were happily overwhelmed by the extraordinary creativity and originality of the projects submitted by the students, depicting sustainability.”

    Students were asked to create a painting, sculpture, video, clothing piece, etc., focusing on sustainability in California’s Central Valley, and were required to use pistachio kernels or shells provided by Setton as part of their entry.

    1st place winner Ryan Shearer

    The 2024 recipients are: first place, Ryan Shearer (Harmony); second place, Robert Ikeda (Harmony); third places, Tiana Contreras (Harmony), Gloribel Mendoza (Porterville H. S.), and Cambria Arias (Harmony); and honorable mentions, Chloe Medina (Harmony), Anali Alcantar (Harmony), Dulce Elena Soto Sanchez (Monache H.S.), Josue Robledo (Harmony), and Neveah Sanchez (Porterville H.S.).

    “I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Setton Farms for their generous support of our students’ college aspirations through this scholarship program,” said Porterville High School Principal Jose A. Valdez. “Setton’s commitment to education is helping our students fulfill their lifelong dreams of higher education. We truly appreciate their generosity and look forward to continuing our partnership to foster the future leaders of our community.”

    “We are grateful for the spirited and generous support from Setton Farms for the Earth Day scholarship program,” said Harmony Magnet Academy Principal Jeff Brown. “Their leadership has set a cornerstone that success truly begins with education, while their commitment to students’ success creates opportunities and changes lives.”

    “Our students are very fortunate to have been invited to apply for Setton Farms scholarship,” said Monache High School Principal Dr. Eric Barba. “Setton truly knows how to set the bar to encourage our students to be 21st century learners and future participants in our global market, all while keeping global sustainability at the forefront.”

    Submissions were judged on originality, creativity, and how well they incorporated the topic of sustainability and Setton Farms branding into their project. The judging panel was comprised of Setton employees, school representatives, and local leaders. Winners were honored at an awards luncheon at Harmony Magnet Academy on Wednesday, April 18.

    Setton Farms launched its College Education Scholarship Program in 2016 and has awarded over 60 scholarships to employees, local community members, and students worth over $130,000. For more information on available programs and Setton’s ongoing mission, please contact Maria Medrano at (559) 535-6050.

    Setton Farms, the second largest pistachio grower-processor in the United States, is a family-owned and operated brand located in the heart of Central Valley, California since 1986. Highly regarded as “America’s Best Tasting Pistachios,” and widely recognized for its superior quality and tradition of excellence, Setton Farms grows, harvests, processes and manufactures pistachios using renewable energy, eco-friendly practices, and proprietary techniques. Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc. offers an established line of premium in-shell and kernel pistachio products that are non-GMO project verified, certified gluten-free, organic and kosher, while a select variety features the AHA heart-check mark. Setton provides pistachios to more than 60 foreign markets worldwide and distributes to wholesalers and retailers throughout the United States. For more information, visit settonfarms.com and follow on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X.