Dr. David Headrick, Professor, Horticulture and Plant Sciences Dept., Cal Poly SLO (Vertebrate Pest Management)

David Headrick is a specialist in basic insect biology, invasive insect species and their effects on the environment and economies, biological pest management, and native and introduced pollinators including European honeybees. Headrick teaches courses in agricultural pest management, vertebrate pest management and biological control and conducts research on insect pest management in vegetable, citrus and greenhouse cropping systems. He can speak to the use of biological control in pest management, an approach that uses beneficial insects that prey on pest species to achieve sustainable pest control without the need for pesticides. Over the years he’s conducted extensive research searching for and establishing beneficial predators in California. Headrick earned his Ph.D. from UC Riverside, where he studied biological control of weeds and became a specialist in tephritid fruit fly ecology and behavior. His research on agriculturally important insects and other research has resulted in 100 publications and over 130 professional presentations.

Laura Ramage, MS, Biologist, SLO County Agricultural Commissioner's Office

Laura Ramage is an Agricultural Inspector with San Luis Obispo County Ag Commissioner’s Office. She and her colleagues are tasked with ensuring growers adhere to all pesticide related regulations through enforcement and education. With over 15 years of experience as an Agricultural Inspector, Laura has worked with hundreds of growers on pesticide related issues.