|
2025 |
|
May |
Thursday,
May 8, 2025 |
 |
Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with |
 |
The
essential networking event
Click here to register
4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with
the TALENTS CORNER

RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win
a Meal with Industry (TBA).
6:00 - 7:00
Featured speaker
-
Charlie
Brummer
Professor
UC Davis
Professor Brummer will speak about
recent work in alfalfa breeding and
about his PNAS paper on changing
paradigms for future plant breeding for
resilient multi-cropping systems.
(The presentation by Barbara
Blanco-Ulate
and Irwin Donis-Gonzalez about the UC Davis Postharvest
Technology Center had to be postponed
and will be rescheduled in 2026)
Location:
ARC Ballrooms, UC Davis
|
|
|
June |
Thursday, June
26, 2025 |
Special
event
 |
brought to
you by:
Special
event
at the USDA/ARS
Sam Farr
Crop Improvement and Protection Research
Center
1636 E
Alisal St.
Salinas, California
9:00 to 12:00 -
Research & breeding updates
12:00 to 1:00 - Networking lunch
Click here to register
Photo
taken at the June 2024 meeting:

|
|
|
September |
Thursday,
September
11,
2025 |
 |
The
essential networking event
4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with
the TALENTS CORNER
Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with |
TBA |

RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win
a Meal with Industry (TBA).
6:00 - 7:00
Featured speaker
-
Mitchell Feldmann
Assistant Professor
Director of the University of
California, Davis Strawberry
Breeding program and Research Group
Location:
Buehler
Alumni Center, UC Davis
|
|
|
October |
Thursday,
October 9, 2025 |
 |
The
essential networking event
4:30 - 6:00
Special
brainstorming
session on future funding of graduate
students
With industry and campus panelists.
UC Davis Professor
Charlie Brummer describes this long-term
and crucial issue that can only be
resolved by having all parties
collaborating on solutions:
"Costs are rising
for all aspects of research, from
land rent on research stations, to
equipment, to personnel. While all
personnel salaries continue to rise,
often substantially, the cost of
graduate students has dramatically
increased following the strike
several years ago. Although some
graduate student projects can be
transferred to postdocs or to
research staff as a way to hold some
costs in check, graduate education
is a key component of the university
and having a critical mass of
graduate students in plant breeding
is essential to be able to offer a
compelling curriculum and to foster
an environment of learning among a
cohort of students.
Further, because
graduate students are engaged in
research programs for 2+ years (MS)
or 4-5 years (PhD), the likelihood
of having projects completed by a
graduate student is often greater
than with a postdoc, who may leave
for a full-time position after one
or two years. A continual need for
new plant breeding talent exists in
the private and, to a lesser extent.
the public sectors, and training
graduate students is essential to
keeping this pipeline full.
Importantly, many students are hired
directly into industry without doing
a postdoc, further emphasizing the
importance of graduate education as
opposed to postdoc mentoring.
Because many graduate students from
UC Davis end up employed in industry
positions, keeping this pipeline
flowing is important to the
continued strength and innovation of
the seed and nursery industries.”
6:00 - 7:00
Networking social with
the TALENTS CORNER
Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with |
TBA |

RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win
a Meal with Industry (TBA).
Location:
Buehler
Alumni Center, UC Davis
|
|
|
October |
Thursday,
October 23,
2025 |

Open to all

|
Seed Central hosts
the
California Seed Association's
Fall Student Tour
for lunch and
a networking career fair

With some 100 students from UC Davis,
Cal-Poly, California State
University Chico / Fresno /
Monterey Bay, Woodland
Community College, and Woodland high
schools.
-
11:30 - 12:30
Lunch +
Industry Panelists
Testimonials:
transitioning
after graduation,
the decision to work
in industry,
experiences in the
first job, career
path, advice to new
talents.
-
12:30 - 1:30
Networking Career
Fair
Location:
:
Woodland Community
College, Woodland, California |
|
|
November |
Thursday,
November 13, 2025 |

|
The
essential networking event

Focus on artificial intelligence and
recent research at the AI Institute for
Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS) @ UC
Davis
4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with
the TALENTS CORNER
Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with |
TBA |

RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win
a Meal with Industry (TBA).
6:00 - 7:00
Featured speakers
Location:
Buehler
Alumni Center, UC Davis
|
|
|
December |
Thursday,
December 11,
2025 |
 |
The
essential networking event
Special joint Seed Central /
Protein Central event
Launched by
the
Integrative Center for Alternative Meat
and Protein, the quarterly ‘Protein
Central’ event includes a seminar and
time for networking/discussion, often
with alternative meat/protein products
available for tasting.
The
Integrative Center for Alternative Meat
and Protein (iCAMP) leads the way in
developing transformative knowledge &
innovation to accelerate the
commercialization of alternative
proteins and sustainably fulfill all
global need predicted by 2050.
4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with
the TALENTS CORNER
Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with |
TBA |

RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win
a Meal with Industry (TBA).
6:00 - 7:00
Featured speaker
Location:
, UC Davis
|
|
|
2026 |
|
January |
Thursday,
January 8, 2026 |
 |
 |
|
 |
present |
|
 |
9th Innovators
Showcase @ UC Davis
Featuring
startups and innovative companies
in ag and
food, from seed to health
At the
Conference Center, UC Davis
12:00
to 12:45 PM -
Exhibits set up
1:00 to
3:15 PM -
Pitch session
3:30 to
6:00 PM -
Networking exhibits
|
|
|
February
|
Thursday,
February 12,
2026 |
 |
The
essential networking event
4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with
the TALENTS CORNER
Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with |
TBA |
RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win
a Meal with Industry (TBA).
6:00 - 7:00
Featured speaker
Location:
, UC Davis
|
|
|
February
|
Thursday,
February 16 & 17,
2026 |
 |
Every year, ASTA and Seed
Central join forces to bring
undergraduate & graduate
students and post doctoral
researchers to the conference,
to:
-
attend valuable sessions,
-
learn about the seed
industry and its many
rewarding employment
opportunities,
-
present research posters
-
network with companies from
around the world, and
-
facilitate the search for
internships and the first
job.
Invited this year were students
& postdocs from UC Berkeley, UC
Davis, Cal-Poly, and California
State University Chico, Fresno
and Monterey Bay.
Students and post doctoral
researchers will be sponsored
by:
|
|
|
|
March
|
Thursday,
March 12,
2026 |
 |
Seed Central @ Berkeley
Connecting Seed Central members with
scientists,
postdocs and students at the Innovative
Genomics Institute (IGI) and UC Berkeley
This event is exclusively for Seed
Central members and IGI/UC Berkeley
scientists, postdocs and students.
1:00 -
5:00 - Scientific presentations by
scientists and postdocs
5:00 - 7:00 -
Research poster session & networking social
Location:
, Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI),
Berkeley, CA
|
|
|
March
|
March
2026
(date
TBA) |

Open to all

|

Seed
Central hosts
the California Seed Association's Spring
Student Tour
for lunch, a Job Panorama session, and a networking
career fair
With
support from Hartnell College

With 100+
students from UC Davis, Cal-Poly,
California State University Chico/Fresno
/Monterey Bay, Hartnell College, and
Salinas area high schools.
-
11:30 - 12:30
Lunch + Job
Panorama:
industry panelists and students,
paired 2 months before the event,
will report on what they learned
about each other and exchange about
employment in the seed industry.
-
12:30 - 1:30
Networking Career Fair
Location: : Hartnell College,
Salinas, California |
|
|
April
|
Thursday,
April 9,
2026 |
 |
The
essential networking event
4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with
the TALENTS CORNER
Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with |
TBA |
RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win
a Meal with Industry (TBA).
6:00 - 7:00
Featured speaker
Location:
, UC Davis
|
|
|
May
|
Thursday,
May 14,
2026 |
 |
The
essential networking event
4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with
the TALENTS CORNER
Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with |
TBA |
RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win
a Meal with Industry (TBA).
6:00 - 7:00
Featured speaker
Location:
, UC Davis
|
|
|
June
|
June
2026
(date
TBA) |
Special
event
|
brought to
you by:
Special
event
at the USDA/ARS
Sam Farr
Crop Improvement and Protection Research
Center
1636 E
Alisal St.
Salinas, California
9:00 to 12:00 -
Research & breeding updates
12:00 to 1:00 - Networking lunch
Photo
taken at the June 2024 meeting:

|
|
|
September
|
Thursday,
September 10,
2026 |
 |
The
essential networking event
4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with
the TALENTS CORNER
Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with |
TBA |
RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win
a Meal with Industry (TBA).
6:00 - 7:00
Featured speaker
Location:
, UC Davis
|
|
|
October
|
Thursday,
October 8,
2026 |
 |
The
essential networking event
4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with
the TALENTS CORNER
Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with |
TBA |
RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win
a Meal with Industry (TBA).
6:00 - 7:00
Featured speaker
Location:
, UC Davis
|
|
|
October
|
October
2026
(date
TBA) |

Open to all

|
Seed
Central hosts
the California Seed Association's
Fall Student Tour
for lunch, a Job Panorama session, and a networking
career fair

With some
100 students from UC Davis, Cal-Poly,
California State University Chico /
Fresno / Monterey Bay, Woodland
Community College, and Woodland high
schools.
-
11:30 - 12:30
Lunch + Job
Panorama:
industry panelists and students,
paired 2 months before the event,
will report on what they learned
about each other and exchange about
employment in the seed industry.
-
12:30 - 1:30
Networking Career Fair
Location: : Woodland Community
College, Woodland, California |
|
|
November
|
Thursday,
November 12,
2026 |
 |
Seed Central @ Berkeley
Connecting Seed Central members with
scientists,
postdocs and students at the Innovative
Genomics Institute (IGI) and UC Berkeley
This event is exclusively for Seed
Central members and IGI/UC Berkeley
scientists, postdocs and students.
1:00 -
5:00 - Scientific presentations by
scientists and postdocs
5:00 - 7:00 -
Research poster session & networking social
Location:
, Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI),
Berkeley, CA
|
|
|
December
|
Thursday,
December 10,
2026 |
 |
The
essential networking event
4:30 - 6:00 Networking social with
the TALENTS CORNER
Students, postdocs,
win a meal for 3 with |
TBA |
RAFFLE: 3 students or postdocs will win
a Meal with Industry (TBA).
6:00 - 7:00
Featured speaker
Location:
, UC Davis
|
|
|
2027 |
|
January |
Thursday,
January 8, 2027 |
 |
 |
|
 |
present |
|
 |
9th Innovators
Showcase @ UC Davis
Featuring
startups and innovative companies
in ag and
food, from seed to health
12:00
to 12:45 PM -
Exhibits set up (Conference Center)
1:00 to
3:15 PM -
Pitch session (Alumni
Center)
3:30 to
6:00 PM -
Networking exhibits (Conference Center)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|