Speakers & Presentations

Meet the 2026 Festival of Fruit speakers covering Eugenia & Syzygium growing, climate-smart strategies, pest control, and various fruits.  As you scroll down,  you will see who is speaking, what they will be presenting and what time that presentation will be happening on June 13th.

Presenting:  Eugenia Fruits And Beyond: Tales from the Fields Around The World

Fascinating Eugenias and Syzygiums I’ve encountered, including a notable Pitanga tree from the late Roger Meyer’s collection with exceptionally large fruit.

Keynote Presentation Time:  June 13th 8:45pm

Steven Murray – bio:

Steven Murray earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Cal Poly Pomona, majoring in Plant Science with a focus on Chinese language studies. He currently manages the Farmers Market Department at Murray Family Farms in Bakersfield, California.

An avid world traveler and fruit explorer, Steven has visited 125 countries across every continent except Antarctica in search of rare and unique fruit varieties. He cultivates a diverse collection of more than 2,000 varieties and has tasted approximately 6,000 different fruit species throughout his life. His collection began with Eugenia varieties, including Pitanga and Cherry of the Rio Grande.

Steven is a member of the International Horticultural Society, a lifetime member of the California Rare Fruit Growers (CRFG), and participates in Sister City organizations. He was voted Santa Monica’s “Most Loved Farmer” and sells fruit there every Wednesday. He can also be found in Bakersfield at the Big Red Barn Fruit Stand at Murray Family Farms.

A polyglot, Steven speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and Mandarin Chinese, and has studied French, Italian, Romanian, Japanese, and several other languages.