Before the group of 25 Italian farmers arrived at Stanislaus State on Feb. 5, they were tourists, making overnight stays in Las Vegas and San Francisco, and the hats and new t-shirts the Italians wore spoke to how much fun they were having. But the moment the farmers reached the University’s sustainable garden, where they were greeted by about 20 Stan State agriculture students, the business side of the trip immediately began to peek through the fun element.

After all, they were here to learn, and the farmers’ group was here on a government grant to learn about the sustainable farming practices applicable to their own region. There were Muscat table grapevines, as well as pluot, cherry and peach trees that needed pruning. And since there also just happened to be no shortage of the tools needed to do the trimming, the farmers clicked into work mode with a combination of knowledge, speed, precision and purpose that amazed the students.