The blogs about the AFF Safe Fruits and Veggies Farm Tour are always my favorite to write because I get to reflect about everything we did and all that transpired.  And, it’s always thinking about the personal connections that make me smile the most: Finally meeting our guests that we have been emailing and talking to over the months of tour planning and collaborating with the tour sponsors and seeing all our ideas come to fruition over the two-plus days.

While I have worked for farmers throughout my life (beginning with my dad), I am still in awe at how much effort, time, thought, innovation, ingenuity and resources go into bringing high quality, safe and nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables to consumers.  And, how much pride farmers and farming companies have in their people, their products, their farms and their facilities.  These tours really showcase this and our guests do an amazing job communicating that to their consumer audiences.

So here are some of my favorite memories from the week to give more insights and understanding into the 2025 tour in the Salinas Valley (thanks for indulging me since this is a long list):

• The volume slowly rising and the laughter increasing over the course of the opening night dinner when everyone is first getting acquainted. No better indicator that this is going to be another great group.
• Watching our guests harvest strawberries is always a highlight and you can really see the competitive spirit come out, especially when judged by Naturipe’s quality control team. I’m not gonna lie, most did not pass the QA inspection.
• Repeatedly hearing the term biodiversity and the importance of preserving that on the farm. The Naturipe team really underscored that farming is a balance and each farm has its own eco-system that must be understood and preserved in order to grow healthy crops.
• If you hate insects, try listening to a licensed pest control advisor (PCA). If you still hate them afterwards you will at least respect them, especially the beneficial insects which help control the “bad bugs.” To hear Naturipe’s PCA and his enthusiasm about insects and biodiversity on the farm was both fun and informative.  His daughter even has a necklace in the shape of his favorite beneficial insect!
• The Tuesday night dinner at Cella Restaurant housed in a historic adobe in Monterey. Before we enjoyed a family style dinner, our hosts took our group on a walking tour of the adobe and surrounding gardens.  So so pretty.
• Jobs openings must not come up very often at D’Arrigo because so many of their team have been there 25, 30, 40 and even 50+ years. The longevity of their team, their knowledge and their commitment was so impressive.
• Speaking of longevity, Andy D’Arrigo, the inspiration for D’Arrigo’s Andy Boy brand and logo and their longtime CEO, is still going strong at 101 years old. Time to take a page out of his book and eat more veggies!
• The automated harvest machines! I’m at a loss for words when it comes to these technological innovations.  And, while some express concern that automated harvesting could take away jobs, D’Arrigo was clear that these machines don’t replace people but they make their jobs easier and better by increasing worker safety and productivity.
• Thank you to one of the D’Arrigo harvesting managers who handed me a stem of broccoli rabe to taste fresh from the field. Absolutely delicious, sweet and nutty.  And I will try and use your preparation suggestions too.
• The D’Arrigo facility managers and their team. The work you do and the innovations you have developed to ensure consumers receive quality product is amazing.
• If you think labs aren’t fun and interesting places to visit, you haven’t been to D’Arrigo’s seed lab. We learned so much about varietal development and also about our own taste buds!

Among the best parts of the tour are the conversations throughout the day and evening discussing not only what we learned, but perspectives on consumer trends, social media, current events, plus learning and sharing more about each other.

Of universal agreement among the tour participants is the concern that misinformation about food is increasing and sources of credible, science-based information are getting lost in the escalating confusion.  There was also agreement during discussions specific to produce that, now more than ever, significant work is needed to reassure consumers about the safety of all fruits and vegetables so they can make the right shopping choices for themselves and their families.

Our thanks again to Naturipe Berry Growers and D’Arrigo California for hosting and educating our guests.  Both farming companies have been around for generations, which is the very definition of sustainable.

To our wonderful guests who we were so very sad to say goodbye to:    Laura Burak, Samantha Cassetty, Jessica Crandall Snyder, Ginger Hultin, Charlotte Martin,  Nijya Noble,  Sarah Schlichter, and Alexandra Turnbull.

To Dr. Tamika Sims of the International Food Information Council for her regulatory and food safety expertise provided during the tour (plus we just love hanging out with you!).

And finally our tour sponsors who made this possible:  California Strawberry Commission, D’Arrigo California, the International Fresh Produce Association and Western Growers Association.

To see photos and videos about the tour from our guests and sponsors, visit @safeproduce.

Final thought:  Please like and share our guests’ social posts.  Because if consumers could go on this type of farm tour, produce safety misinformation spread by groups, like the Environmental Working Group, would not stand a chance. And, since that isn’t feasible, the next best thing is ensuring more people see our guests’ posts by sharing them!

Teresa Thorne, AFF Executive Director