From June 23^rd to June 27^th, the UC Davis Postharvest Center hosted the field tour component of the 36^th annual Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops Short Course. The tour, organized by Center Director Dr. Beth Mitcham, allowed participants the opportunity to visit packinghouses, cooling and storage facilities, produce distribution centers, field harvest, packing, and transportation facilities all over California, from the Sacramento area to Bakersfield, Salinas, and San Francisco.

Observing Stonefruit Harvest in Dinuba Area of California

The field tour was a great experience for all participants involved. One participant, Veronique Froelich from Murray Valley Plums, remarked that she “learned so much, was inspired, and will go back home rich of ideas and projects”. Other participants were impressed by the sheer volume of tour stops and their content; one participant stated “most of the tour stops we visited introduced advanced skills and ideas, which was very useful for me to study.” A favorite tour stop among the participants was the renowned Driscoll's Strawberry Association where participants were able to gain valuable information on quality assurance and innovative technology. Additionally, participants were able to interact with the employees and gain valuable contacts over a delicious lunch. Another highly regarded tour stop was Paramount Citrus, a state of the art operation, and one of the leading companies in growing, packing, and shipping quality citrus. Participants commented that all tour stops were “highly relevant”, “well organized”, and “very impressive”. Overall, the field tour was a unique, informative, and fun experience!