Our newly formed company was one of the exhibitors at the World Ag Expo 2009 at Tulare, California. The show was open 2/10-2/12, 2009. I stayed with our team for the first 2 days, then I went back home to catch up with my other job. It is a farmer's expo, about 5 times bigger than California Expo here in Sacramento. During the slack time of the season, farmers go there to be updated about what's the greatest in farming, it is like a farmer's version of paradise of technological goodies. Popular nursery suppliers are there, and the usual gathering of colleges and universities trying to recruit fellow teens to Agriculture.

I strongly recommend this show to fellow fruit growers, even if you just do this for a hobby, so much more if you're on the commercial scale, and if you have the time. The show is being held yearly around the same time of the season, in February when usually is the slack period of farming. This agricultural show is the biggest in the world and kept on getting bigger. It is an International Exposition.

http://www.worldagexpo.com/


Picture Courtesy of World Ag Expo 2009.

I have seen several newer techniques of propagation, planting materials, potting media, landscape, irrigation automation, the latest tested rootstocks for various fruit trees. Of course, big portion of the show are about machineries, dairy, food packaging and processing, cheese and wine tasting too. I can't believe how cheaply are the bare-rooted trees when bought at commercial scale. I feel like I am being ripped-off when I buy trees from big-box retail stores such as Home Depot and used to think they were the cheapest.

Many give-aways from various exhibitors. OMRI, CCOF, USDA, various Agronomy extension officers, sheriffs, and other government agencies are there too. And I got to ride on the super high fruit picker, and almost on the agricultural helicopter or airplanes, but there was no time.


By joereal at 2009-02-13

You can literally sleep inside in one of these baby here, after you programmed it, then when you awake, the job is done!


By joereal at 2009-02-13

Anyway, those are just teasers, but here's the real Citrus-related news:

I was surprised to find UCR Citrus Variety Collection at the World Ag Expo 2009. I met Richard Lee (developed or followed up some of the x Lee hybrids), Tracy Kahn and other younger researchers over there. Chatted with them about my 81-n-1 citrus tree. They allowed me to take pics of their collection. Too bad, these are for display only, and not for tasting... But if you managed to stay there on the last date of the Expo, they are not going to bring all those baggage back home, and would have conducted impromptu citrus tasting during the wee hours of the expo. But I had to head back to Davis, and then to work on my other jobs, and only the pics to show you.

I did managed to taste some of the cultivars, behind the scenes, sshhhh... But then it was not enough for me to have valid comparisons and really enough to write about. Let us just say, sufficient to quench my thirst... Thanks to Tracy and others who actually allowed others to do some limited samplings when the crowds subsided.



By joereal at 2009-02-12

UCR "Citrus Fruit Stand" at World Ag Expo, only for the eyes.

By joereal at 2009-02-12

Some Informative materials. Very wise use of taxpayer's and grower's money and from private donations for our beloved fruits and the industry.

A little closer pics:


By joereal at 2009-02-12


By joereal at 2009-02-12


By joereal at 2009-02-12


By joereal at 2009-02-12


By joereal at 2009-02-12



And I can show more pics later or next few days as soon as I sort out the goodies that I got and caught up with my work at the office.

I will post the follow up pics over at the citrus cultivar forum.


Wish you were all here with me!

Joe,
Wish I was there too!!! YUMMM!!
all that fruit looks fantastic!! and nicely labeled!! the other pics are cool too!!
thanks for sharing!!

Gina *BabyBlue*

Great pictures!

Please do post the others.

.....Alan.

Thanks Joe, what an assortment. Amazing!
I noticed the meyers lemon looks orange...mine are always yellow (?) Why do they look so orange? I only see yellow ones.
And the blood oranges....I never saw them that dark before. Not that I've seen a lot but .....

The World Ag Expo has been advertising the 2009 exposition in "Greenhouse Grower", a magazine which I have long been a subscriber. Still, after seeing Joe's photo of the vast layout, I was surprised see the size of the event. - Millet (1,435-)

Joe, those are great pictures, thanks for posting them.

Just about the time I am really missing your posts, you always come back and give us a treat. Thank you for those pictures and great to hear from you! Barbara