Students Run the Show at Fresno State’s Gibson Farm Market
The Gibson Farm Market at California State University, Fresno (Fresno State to locals) is famous for their Fresno State sweet corn and Bulldog-branded wine, but many people don’t dig deep enough to learn the story behind the store. All of the gorgeous produce, dairy products, meats and wines available at the market were grown and produced by Fresno State students. We met with Dr. Rolston St. Hilaire, Dean of Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, to learn more about this innovative, immersive approach to agricultural education.
What is Gibson Farm Market?
The Fresno State Gibson Farm Market masquerades as an upscale grocery store, with a gorgeous array of seasonal produce and eye-catching displays. The difference between Gibson Farm Market and, say, Whole Foods might not be immediately apparent – but it’s incredibly important.
This unique market is entirely student-run, and everything sold there is grown and produced by Fresno State students. From planting and harvesting to marketing and sales, students are involved in every step of the process.
Dean St. Hilaire explains, “The Gibson Farm Market is a showcase for the products that we produce on a 1,000-acre farm. It’s a chance for the community to see the products that are produced by the students. The space is an area where our students get trained. They get to see the productive side of agriculture. They get to understand that agriculture is an enterprise, they get real-world experience right here in the Gibson Farm Market.”
What makes Gibson Farm Market unique?
Fresno State is home to one of the nation’s most well-respected agricultural programs, the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology. Here, students gain real-world, hands-on experience in the heart of the state’s fertile Central Valley.
Dean St. Hilaire addresses what makes this program so unique: “Well, first and foremost, it’s a very unique setup – about 1,000 acres on a university farm. So, it’s a very large farm enterprise. Two, we’re right in the center of an area that produces 25% of the nation’s food. Our farm serves as a demonstration area for a lot of the products, crops, and enterprises that can be profitable here in the Central Valley. And third, it’s right in the middle of campus.
Students appreciate that they can work on the farm without having to worry about traveling miles back to campus. The fourth point is that when the public comes to Fresno State, they can see and taste products. They can taste the ice cream. They can drink all the wine. And then they can see where that wine is made – it is just around the corner. So all of those things sort of build an ecosystem of what it is to have an agricultural enterprise, and the students are part of that enterprise.”
Student involvement – every step of the way
Graduates from Fresno State’s Jordan College are highly sought after by employers. This stems from the fact that their education was not simply theoretical. For example, enology students don’t just observe how wine is made; they participate in every step of the winemaking process. Once the wine has been bottled, the school regularly hosts tastings. These events give students an opportunity to interact with the public and share what they’ve learned.
Dean St. Hilaire explains what the public can expect from a wine tasting at Fresno State: “You’re going to be interacting with the student who harvested the grapes, crushed them, checked their pH, checked the brix – and now that student is serving you that wine. In every aspect of the production and ultimately, in getting that product into the community, all students are involved. And in fact, that’s one of the reasons why all students are desirable in the industry. They know what it takes to have a product such as a wine made.”
What crops do Fresno State students grow?
Over 20 different crops are grown on the Fresno State campus and sold at Gibson Farm Market (not counting meats, olive oil, local honey and dairy products). Here’s a quick look at the variety of fresh produce and student-produced goods you might find in store:
Figs
Stonefruit
Pistachios
Almonds
Sweet Corn
Wine grapes
Table grapes
Raisins
Pumpkins
Peppers
Strawberries
Olives
Citrus
Educating students…and the public
Dean St. Hilaire isn’t just passionate about educating Fresno State students. He also wants the community to understand the incredible amount of knowledge and tireless effort it takes to successfully bring a crop to market—and why these skills make Jordan College graduates so valuable.
He states, “I wish they (the public) knew a little bit more about the effort it takes to get a product to the market. The skill and dedication that it takes to get that product to the market safely, and the amount of knowledge somebody has to have to profitably produce a crop – and that’s one of the things you see with our students here at Fresno State. Students are involved in the enterprises, in crop production, in harvesting.
But prior to that, they would have been immersed in the theory of what it takes to ensure that that crop is growing well – that it’s growing sustainably, it’s given the right amount of water at the right time, that we’re paying attention to any disease and pest pressure. The students learn that in the classroom. Then, they step out and they put that into practice.”
Dean St. Hilaire flashes a big smile and concludes, “So, what I’d like the public to know is that there’s a lot of value in having the students come through a program like Fresno State, where it is not just theory in a classroom and simulated labs. It is theory in the classroom and the real world next door, right on the farm.”
Learn more about ag education in California
Article and photography by Hilary Rance.