Rancho Cielo
710 Old Stage Road, Salinas
(831) 444-3533, ranchocieloyc.org
Unlike many a disastrous bet in star-studded and televised poker games like High Stakes Poker or Celebrity Poker Tour, when supporters pool their cash into Rancho Cielo Youth Campus, everyone wins. The nonprofit’s mission is simple: use the agricultural backdrop of the Salinas Valley to teach young people fun, practical, and in many cases, transferable professional skills they wouldn’t get in a traditional high school. One day, a class could be helping run a real restaurant at Drummond Culinary Academy. The next day, students are learning about precision harvesting at a mechatronics workshop. That’s a jackpot for students and donors – and their future employers in the ag industry.
