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38th International Carrot Conference

The 38th International Carrot Conference will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bakersfield, California, March 19-22, 2017. The conference will be hosted by the University of California Cooperative Extension and the California carrot industry. The International Carrot Conference is a biennial meeting that attracts people from private industry, government, and universities from throughout the world. The conference is an excellent way for people to exchange ideas and concerns in all aspects of carrot production. Topics such as breeding, new products, production, and pest management are discussed in formal paper sessions, poster sessions, and a field tour. There will also be ample opportunity to interact with others in social gatherings.

California is a major carrot production region and is the home of two of the world’s largest carrot producers. The California carrot industry created the California Fresh Carrot Advisory Board to fund research to address various production problems such as weeds, diseases, nematodes, and plant breeding. In collaboration with the Board, the University of California has become leader in carrot research. The California Fresh Carrot Advisory Board also funds projects at other universities and USDA centers.

The 38th International Carrot Conference will be held in Bakersfield California, which is located in the heart of carrot production for the United States. Beside carrots, vegetable crops such as processing tomatoes, potatoes, garlic and onions, melons and a plethora of winter vegetables are grown in Kern County. Almonds, grapes and citrus are actually the largest crops grown in Kern County. We hope to make time during the conference so people can see many of the crops here.  Bakersfield is also central to many locations in California. Beaches are a couple of hours away, as is Los Angeles. The Sierra Nevada Mountains and Mojave Desert are just an hour away.

Looking Forward to Seeing You in Bakersfield!

Joe Nunez