The California Farm Water Coalition partnered with Western Growers Association to hold its most recent tour for food and lifestyle bloggers in the amazing Salinas Valley.
The first stop of the day was at Tanimura and Antle near Salinas where artisan lettuce harvest was underway.
With multiple varieties of lettuce planted in each row, harvest crews moved quickly, cutting the lettuce and passing it to others who pack it into retail-ready containers.
Next, Brent McKinsey at Mission Ranches discussed what it takes to grow snow white cauliflower: Securing the large leaves over the cauliflower head to shade it from the sun. Who knew?!
Near Moss Landing, Jackie Vasquez at Andrew & Williamson strawberry farms discussed irrigation sustainability and worker benefits designed to maintain employee health and wellness.
Lunch was hosted by Western Growers at their fabulous Center for Innovation and Technology, an incubator for new technology aimed at finding solutions to help make agriculture more efficient and sustainable. Kate Hitchcock from American Farms spoke about her experiences farming in California.
Taylor Farms processing plant was the final stop of the day where the tour made its way through an immense, energy independent operation that processes and packages fresh produce for wholesale, retail, and foodservice customers across the country.
Batches of salad are washed, spun dry and packaged, ready for transport to the grocery store.
Broccoli waiting to be cut into florets. Unused parts go to cattle feed or compost, part of a zero-waste approach adopted by Taylor Farms.
Farm tours are a great way to help consumers make the connection between farm water and the food they eat. Learn more by following these wonderful bloggers who joined us on a fantastic tour!
http://www.acraftyspoonful.com
http://morethanthursdays.com/category/writing/being-me/
