Join us for robust presentations and refreshing conversations designed to inspire your scientific palate.
Around 8,000 years ago, Andean farmers domesticated wild Phaseolus vulgaris, otherwise known as the common bean. Around 7,000 years ago in what is now Mexico, farmers domesticated a separate variety of wild Phaseolus, independent of their neighbors to the South. Today, dozens of common bean varieties are grown on every continent except Antarctica, prized for their abundant nutrition and ability to help bacteria fix nitrogen in soil.
Black, green (French, string, snap), navy, kidney, pinto, cranberry, flageolet: here be delicious varieties of common bean. Soak up the history of this gifted legume with Dr. Paul Gepts of the University of California, Davis. He’ll discuss bean origins and biodiversity, the effects of artificial selection on evolution, and his efforts to breed a better bean—a hill of hybrids more resistant to pests, drought, and other consequences of climate change.
Savor the rich flavors of salad made with heirloom beans such as Jacob’s Cattle or Jackson Wonder from Rancho Llano Seco near Chico, CA, accompanied by refreshing micheladas. Meet with Llano Seco’s Charlie Thieriot to learn about growing heirloom varietals, as well as his family’s 150-plus years of experience balancing agriculture, animal husbandry, and conservation.
About Our Presenters:
Dr. Paul Gepts is a professor of plant sciences and a geneticist/breeder at UC Davis. His research and teaching is focused on the evolutionary factors that affect crop biodiversity, with particular emphasis on Phaseolus beans. Dr. Gepts applies his lab’s research to breeding programs at the African Bean Consortium, funded by the Kirkhouse Trust (ABC-KT), and UC Davis, which develops new varieties of lima beans, common beans, and garbanzos for the state of California.
Charlie Thieriot helps his family market responsibly-farmed heirloom varieties of grains and legumes on their ranch near Chico, CA. Growing and promoting these old varietals-made-new has helped Llano Seco survive as a local producer in a marketplace dominated by global players. Charlie and his family take a holistic approach to food production, carefully considering how different practices and inputs effect wildlife, biomes, employees, and customers.