LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Aug. 16, the first day of this year’s AgVenture Program, community leaders were given a deep dive into the pear industry with tours of a local pear orchard and a working pear packing facility.

Gregory Panella provided an overview of pear farming, including cultural practices, integrated pest management (or IPM), sustainability and regulatory compliance. He proudly carries on the pioneering Henderson and Stokes families’ pear farming tradition, being the fifth generation to farm orchards that Lewis Henderson began planting in 1891.

Panella, with daughter Audrey alongside, gave a tour of his original orchard where class members had the rare opportunity to watch skilled pear pickers up close as they deftly moved up and down ladders with large picking bags over their shoulders.

After departing the orchard, the class headed to Scully Packing Co. for a guided tour of a local pear shed abuzz with activity. Scully family members Phil, Toni, Pat, Andy and Hannah each shared insights into pear harvest and what it takes to successfully run a pear packing operation, then guided class members up along catwalks to watch the hive of conveyors, packing lines, and forklifts.

The tour ended in a huge cold storage room where palletized boxes are precooled for shipment to markets across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

After the tour, Pat Scully explained a range of sales and marketing strategies for fresh pears, noting Scully Packing Co. ships 40% of the state’s Bartlett pear crop destined for the fresh market — retailers, wholesalers and brokers.

Overall, Lake County grows 25% of all California pears.

At the end of the day, Broc Zoller PhD, a plant pathologist and licensed pest control adviser, provided class members an opportunity to examine a comprehensive collection of examples of the damage pests and diseases can do to pears and pear trees.

Zoller explained how the pear industry leverages private- and government-funded research, integrated pest management techniques, and cultural practices to control these threats.

The class also heard about the history of farming in Lake County from Myron Holdenried of the pioneering farming family, as well as the vital role commercial agriculture plays in Lake County’s economy today from Agricultural Commissioner Katherine VanDerWall.

Launched in 2010, AgVenture is an innovative agricultural educational program designed for non-farming community members and others who wish to understand the vital contributions of agriculture to Lake County’s quality of life.

The program’s steering committee, which includes Katy Evans, Rebecca Harper, Colleen Rentsch, Toni Scully, Bonnie Sears, Debra Sommerfield, Katherine VanDerWall and Sharron Zoller, wishes to thank all program sponsors who make AgVenture possible, with special recognition to Bella Vista Farming Co. for providing transportation for all of the tours.