The sixth annual Fig Fest – the California Fig Advisory Board’s annual salute to its namesake fruit – will bring cooking demonstrations and samples that include fig-infused ice cream to California State University, Fresno on Saturday, Aug. 8.
Hosting the Fig Fest is part of a university-fig industry partnership aimed at helping revitalize a long-standing part of the San Joaquin Valley agricultural scene. One phase is acquainting consumers with ways to use figs at home.
At Fig Fest, food companies and restaurant chefs will provide samples of preparations ranging from appetizers to desserts and raw to roasted. Recipes will be available.
Fresno State’s student-run Dairy Processing enterprise has developed a fig ice cream with rum flavoring for the festival.
Live music and educational activities for children are among the other activities planned from 9 a.m. to noon in the shaded lawn area between the Agricultural Sciences Building and Satellite Student Union on the north end of the Maple Mall. Parking is free.
Tickets cost $10 in advance ($12 at the door) and are available from www.CaliforniaFigs.com or 559.243.8600. Proceeds benefit the university’s Ag One Foundation, Madera Slow Food and the Bulldog Pantry, a student-organized food bank for Fresno State-area people in need.
An additional attraction for foodies on Saturday will be the student-run Rue and Gwen Gibson Farm Market on campus at Barstow and Chestnut avenues, about a half-mile from the Fig Fest venue. The market is open 9 a.m-6 p.m. Saturdays.
The market sells processed food products (sauces, jelly, salsa), dairy products (ice cream, cheese, milk), meat, olive oil, wine, nuts, plants, fresh fruits and vegetables, all grown or produced by Fresno State Students. It’s part of the university’s hands-on training program through the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.
Proceeds from student farm enterprises are re-invested in new equipment and other improvements to provide state-of-the-art training to prepare students for careers in agriculture.
