Supporters of the Department of Viticulture and Enology at Fresno State are invited to sign up for a virtual groundbreaking event for a new campus greenhouse that was made possible thanks to a fundraising campaign initiated nearly a decade ago by the Viticulture Club.
Due to COVID-19 social gathering restrictions, Fresno State Interim President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval will keynote the virtual live ceremony that can be streamed live from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29. Attendees must register in advance.
Other representatives detailing the importance of the new greenhouse will include Dr. Dennis Nef, dean of the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology; Dr. Anil Shrestha, chair of the Department of Viticulture and Enology; Dr. Stephan Sommer, director of the Viticulture and Enology Research Center; and Dr. Sonet Van Zyl, viticulture faculty and student club adviser.
The event will also feature supporters of the project, including former and current Viticulture Club presidents, industry supporters and project donors like John Duarte (Duarte Nursery), John Arellano, and Oro Agri.
The 30-foot by 30-foot greenhouse will be located at the center of the campus viticulture and enology complex. It will allow students, staff and faculty to grow and graft an array of vines for industry-supported research projects and the University Agricultural Laboratory’s 120-acre vineyard.
Construction is expected to start in February and be completed by fall 2021.
The $250,000 fundraising goal is a collective effort that has included campus, industry, alumni and public support, and was recently completed thanks to a $100,000 gift by Oro Agri, an international agrochemical company known for its biorational crop protection products.
