Mayor Alice Patino and Mayor Pro Tem Etta Waterfield
The Strawberry Center was honored to be visited by Santa Maria Mayor Alice Patino and Mayor Pro Tem Etta Waterfield to discuss current issues in the strawberry industry. Strawberries are Santa Barbara County’s No.1 commodity according to the County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, with a crop value of $457 million in 2017. Cal Poly students showcased a variety of projects aimed at reducing labor inputs and pesticide use. Many of the students travel to Santa Maria to conduct experiments and perform larger-scale research projects.
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