Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/76623
CENTRAL COAST AGRICULTURE Mollusks by the THE ABALONE FARM IS A MODEL OF SUSTAINABILITY by Katy Budge / photos by Mike Magda S tate fairs have always been a celebra- tion of agricultural heritage. In 2009, the California Mid State Fair reaf- firmed that relationship when it unveiled "Mission Square" at the Paso Robles Event Center, an area specifically developed as "a unique and sophisticated approach to agriculture education." It focuses on local products grown and/or raised within a 100-mile radius—from heirloom vegetables to olive oil to abalone—and growers and producers of those products are show- cased daily throughout the fair. Millions Older abalone, big enough for harvest. Farming by the sea. 118 / the tasting panel / august 2012