On March 25, 2026, Lusamerica hosted a guided dock tour to a passionate group of culinary students from Rancho Cielo’s Drummond Culinary Academy. This was a fun opportunity for Lusamerica to share about local our local fisheries to a group of talented students who have shown interest in the culinary field. Rancho Cielo empowers at-risk and underserved youth in California to achieve self-sufficiency, earn a high school diploma or equivalent, acquire vocational skills, and build confidence for future success.
Students received an overview of how our operations work to receive local fish, process the fish at our facility in Morgan Hill, and how it is distributed across the West Coast. They also learned about various fishing and farming methods, and the conservation success story behind our local fisheries, including how fisheries management works to ensure fish stocks are monitored and maintained.
A highlight for the students was seeing a tote of live Dungeness Crab up close and learn how we exchange the water and use bubbles to aerate the water when working with live seafood.
This field trip was a hit for both students and faculty with many of them walking away feeling enriched, and inspired to work with local seafood. Here is what some of them had to say:
Wanda Straw, Rancho Cielo Culinary General Manager:
“This was one of the best field trips we’ve had in years. Not only was it informative and engaging, but the students really enjoyed being at Moss Landing. It was a new environment for them.”
Laura Nicola, Rancho Cielo Dining Room Manager and Instructor:
“The students learned so much about fisheries, the Monterey Bay and sustainable seafood. They left excited and inspired about all the different kinds of fish they wanted to cook and eat.”
On behalf of Lusamerica, we were beyond excited to be able to show off who we are, and we hope to have brought meaningful and insightful information to all students who attended.
Learn More about Rancho Cielo Here