Students Attend National Expo on Heirloom Produce

Two Huntley College of Agriculture students traveled to Northern California earlier this month to attend what is billed as the world’s largest exhibition of heirloom produce.

The National Heirloom Expo is an annual event in Santa Rosa, Calif., featuring speakers and workshops related to niche markets, heirloom varieties, and organic production methods. Heirloom vegetables are old-time varieties that are open pollinated – by wind or insects – and that are saved and handed down through multiple generations of families. The three-day event draws more than 20,000 farmers and gardeners from around the world.

Guy Hernandez and John Plemmons attended numerous talks, including ones on value-added marketing opportunities with herbs, alternative pest control methods, and successful small-scale zero-tillage production systems. They also networked with seed producers and other industry leaders.

This opportunity was paid for by Cal Poly Pomona’s subcontract with the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC) at Iowa State University, a program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Value-added Producer Grants. Steven Archambault, assistant professor of agribusiness and food industry management, directs the subcontract for Cal Poly Pomona.

Plemmons is a plant science major and the current president of the Los Robles Agronomy Club. Hernandez is a master’s student studying ecological weed management. Both students work on the campus farm.