Evan Oakes brings the fields of Monterey County to people through agricultural tourism.

Sometimes people are called to unexpected careers, and Evan Oakes is an example. He grew up in San Diego, practically raised on the beach. Sometimes, he says, parents would send Oakes and his friends to the shore for the day, using it as a babysitter. Beach volleyball became a passion.

So naturally, Oakes gravitated toward a career in agriculture.

The owner of Ag Venture Tours & Consulting since 1997, Oakes earned degrees in agriculture from UC Davis and Fresno State with a focus on viticulture. He worked for a large winery operation in Australia before coming to Monterey County, where in 1992 he became a research scientist for the University of California Cooperative Extension in Salinas.

With such a background, Oakes understands the cycle of farming. Through Ag Venture Tours, he brings others into the fields, as well as vineyards and tasting rooms, in order to see crops up close and learn about agriculture.

While intended to be fun, there is an emphasis on education. The tours are led by Oakes, with stops at different locations that put the range of produce grown in Monterey County on display.

But Oakes still enjoys a day at the beach.

Weekly: Why ag tourism?

Oakes: I think people want to learn where their food comes from. I learned about [ag tourism] when I lived in Australia. There, ag tourism usually involves farm stays where guests work. That’s geared to city folk who want to experience the country, the farm. Often farms are far away, but not here. We have ag, we have tourism. I thought I could make a business about this.

What sort of questions do people ask?

People have so many questions. On a farm tour, it would be about the workers – do they live here or migrate? That’s a common question. I tell them they live here. Another is, is the product washed? They don’t know that it’s not. I say that in order to store the product, they pack everything dry. And they ask how often things are picked.

The people on the farm tour are interested in the information. Wine is more about trying the wines of this region. They compare them to Napa and Sonoma.

Obviously you are visiting tasting rooms. How else are wine tours different?

The wine tour is the most popular. I started in ’97. At that time no one was doing wine tasting tours. I thought I could make them fun and educational. It’s like a wine class on wheels. You don’t have to worry about driving. I think it’s a great concept. On my wine tour I take people to a vineyard. They get to touch the grapes, to eat the grapes, to walk the vineyard. Whether it’s a bachelorette party or an industry group, I want them to make that connection.

Bachelorette party? That must be interesting.

Oh, yeah. I’m not going to pursue that business, but if they contact me, that’s fine. I tend to get very nice bachelorette parties. Not all of them are crazy. They just want to have a nice time.

Do farm tourists have a favorite plant?

Artichokes. I take them to Pezzini Farms. All of my tours start and end there.

Why artichokes?

I don’t know. I guess they’re unique to the area. But they are impressed by the diversity of what we grow here. We grow some cool things and it’s fun for people to see that. In a huge chunk of the U.S., it’s corn and soybeans, wheat, cotton – big field crops that go on forever. There’s not much change.

Clearly this has been successful.

I’ve been able to stick it out. You can’t get an ag tour anywhere else in California, as far as I know.

So you’ve become an ag expert. What do you like to do when you’re not on tour?

I’m a beach volleyball player. I grew up in San Diego; I grew up on the beach. I’ve always been a volleyball player.

I also like to travel. I love going on other people’s tours, seeing what information they like to talk about, how they interact with guests. I was inspired by an eco tour in Costa Rica. I was inspired by how knowledgeable [the guide] was. I thought, “That guy really loves his job.” I take that attitude. I love my job. It’s unique.

AG VENTURE TOURS & CONSULTING, 761-8463, agventuretours.com