In The News

Turlock fava bean fest raises thousands for sick kids

TURLOCK — It started — as do so many things in Joe Fagundes’ life — as a joke. But in the past 15 years, Fava Bean Day has turned into serious help for children with cancer and their families.

Farmer uses the old bean

Reporting from Turlock, Calif.

Joe Fagundes, a 66-year-old Central Valley dairy cow broker, likes to joke around.

For four decades he has carried a photo of a most unfortunate-looking woman in his wallet, gleefully showing it to strangers as his “beautiful wife” or “lovely daughter.” He makes city kids whip around by shouting “Hey, look at that blue cow!” And Fagundes was just joshing when he invented International Fava Bean Day.

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