Our Goals:

In this project, we will first participate in a field study according to specifications from the Northern Organic Vegetable Improvement Collaborative (NOVIC) to address organic farmers’ seed and plant breeding needs. We will gather data on 12 tomato varieties (Lycopersicon spp.) concerning growth habits, plant leaf curl and cover, disease and insect pest infestations. In addition, data will be gathered on the maturity and grading of harvested fruit, picking eases, flavor profiles, and overall yield and harvest potential. NOVIC partners with more than 30 organic farmers throughout the country to breed and identify the best performing varieties for organic agriculture, and educate farmers on organic seed production and plant variety improvement. This field study will be a continuation from the successful field studies conducted at the Organic Farm of The Evergreen State College in 2017 and 2018.

This project will become a capstone example of organic farming practices for the SURF student as well as the Food and Ag Path of Study, including collaboration with academic programs that Dr. Scheuerell will offer spring and fall quarters and Dr. Williams will offer fall 2019. Our participation in a national field trial will enhance the Food & Ag POS curriculum in multiple ways including creating connections with participating institutions, being able to offer sensory tasting labs, and having an oncampus field research project for demonstrating study design, plot maintenance, data collection, and data analysis within academic programs. The tomato tasting labs will follow the sensory evaluation protocol developed by Lane Selman of Oregon State University for the Culinary Breeding Network, which unites plant breeders, growers, chefs, and eaters in collaboration with NOVIC’s mission (see references below for more information about NOVIC and the CBN).