Kicking off a year-long celebration of its fiftieth year, the San Joaquin County Historical Museum has opened a 9,600-square-foot exhibition on an era that revolutionized agriculture.
The museum is at Micke Grove Park midway between Lodi and Stockton.  Winter hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and major holidays. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for those 13 to 17 and 65 plus, and $2 for children 6 to 12. There is a parking fee for entering the park.
The new “Innovators in Agriculture” exhibition features historic equipment, smaller artifacts, historic photos, murals, large-screen videos, and interactive touch-screen displays. The exhibits tell the stories of the families and innovations connected with six crops identified with the county: fresh produce “truck farming,” dry beans, asparagus, cherries, walnuts, and canning tomatoes. The exhibition was funded by the Cortopassi Family Foundation.
 “Opening this incredible new exhibition is a great way to start the celebration of the museum’s 50th year. We are very proud of San Joaquin County’s rich agricultural heritage and this state-of-the-art exhibition tells many fascinating stories of our agricultural roots,” said David Stuart, director of the San Joaquin County Historical Society. “To me, the element that makes this exhibition so special is the many video interviews of farmers who took part in the innovations; it lends such an authenticity to the stories. We can’t thank the Cortopassi Family Foundation enough for their generous support.”
 Throughout 2016, the museum will reminisce with historic photos, exhibits, and events celebrating the Historical Society’s development of the 18-acre museum site in Micke Grove Park. Coming up, for example, are the March 12 Notably San Joaquin gala dinner and wine auction, a golf tournament on May 6, and a barbeque on the Museum grounds tentatively scheduled for June 26. Later in the year, the Jedediah Smith Society will celebrate at the Museum (October 8). The Museum’s golden anniversary year will end with the traditional Festival of Trees event on December 3-4.
 In the past year, the museum has added new, permanent exhibits on the Native Peoples of San Joaquin County, the trappers and the founding of French Camp, the early American settlers of the region, and the Gold Rush. Later this year, the renovated Sunshine Trail living exhibition of plant habitats will be reopened, as will a new Delta Water Path.
 These and the new “Innovators in Agriculture” exhibition may be enjoyed during regular museum hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the museum is $5 for adults (18-64), $4 for seniors (65+) and teens (13-17), and $2 for children (6-12). Children 5 and under and SJC Historical Society members pay no admission fee. There is a parking fee upon entering Micke Grove Regional Park.
 The nonprofit San Joaquin County Historical Society operates the Historical Museum. The museum includes eight exhibit buildings, four historic buildings, and several exterior exhibitions. The Society provides a Critter Corral of small farm animals on weekends from May through August. It conducts programs for school groups from throughout the county, including “Valley Days,” “Pioneer School Day” (in the 1866 Calaveras School), and “From Farm to Fork.” The Museum is fully accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. For more information see www.SanJoaquinHistory.org.