As many of you know, I had an opportunity to visit the USDA / UC Davis collection last summer, and it was a fabulous experience, even though it had been a strange weather year, and a very early season.
I have made arrangements to repeat the trip this summer, to photograph the second half of the field collection, and hopefully some things for which there wasn't time last season.
I am working on the possibility of making this visit available to a small group of my fig-loving friends, with the goal of doing some serious taste testing for the purpose of developing some good taste descriptions for the various varieties (which is NOT my forte), in keeping with the research nature of the repository.
The planned dates to be at USDA / UC Davis are September 2nd and 3rd, 2008. The weather last year was 85F or so, but could easily be 105F at that time of the year (which it had been the day before I arrived). These dates are hopefully in the middle of the fig season, though last years weather made them very near the end.
ADDITIONALLY, I am considering how to have a fig tasting here at Figs 4 Fun in San Diego on September 1st, Labor Day in conjunction with the visit to USDA / UC Davis.
This is in the thinking-out-loud stage, but if you are interested in participating, e-mail me (rather than posting here). I am not making any promises, at this time, and depending on the number of responses, may not be able to accommodate everyone at either or both events. However, I wanted to give fig-lovers an opportunity to consider this trip, and do some long-range planning.