After the Safe Fruits and Veggies Farm Tour concludes, it always takes a few days to process and reflect on all that transpired.  Each tour is such a whirlwind of big and small moments which are filled with learning, realizations, conversations, connections and, of course, lots of laughter.

What really comes through is all our connections to food.  For those who farm, they are immersed in the production aspects and daily challenges as they work to provide safe and healthy foods to consumers.  And, that is an integral part of what is shared with our guests.

However, we also share that end result by enjoying delicious food as we all sit down for meals together and talk about the day and what we learned as well as our families, travels, life experiences and our guests’ challenges as they work to improve the diets of their clients and consumers.  (All of the Alliance for Food and Farming guests are registered dietitians.)

That combination of learning about food production and the care and commitment of farmers and later breaking bread together really brings it all home and solidifies the shared appreciation of food and farming.

I always enjoy conveying some of my favorite tour moments to give more insights and understanding into our days so here goes:

• Watching our guests taking a bite of a sun-warmed strawberry they picked right off the plant at Good Farms and how their faces lit up. And, I won’t name names, but a few guests had strawberry juice stains on their shirts after eating so many berries.
• Meeting the Paniagua family. They were so warm and welcoming to us. Their farming story and their passion for what they do shines through in the beauty of their strawberry fields.
• The incredibly smart, young scientists and grad students at the Cal Poly Strawberry Center. The industry is in great hands with their involvement and their determination to continuously improve production practices.
• Seeing our guests posting videos and photos to their social channels while in the field and facilities so their audiences can learn about farming too. It’s like a content creation class is happening right in front of you.
• Walking into the small restaurant, Pico, in the tiny town of Los Alamos and seeing the beautiful long table setting in the garden and all the twinkle lights. Then enjoying a locally sourced, delicious, produce-laden dinner.  Thank you Pico!
• The team at Limoneira! What a great morning and what a wonderful tour.  As a citrus farmer’s daughter, the lemon grove and surrounding area was eye-candy for me.  As a 100-year-old company, hearing about the history of the buildings onsite was also a highlight.  And, lunch and the discussion that followed with the Limoneira team and the guests was so informative and we enjoyed some very funny moments too.
• Seeing the next generation of the Terry family conduct the tour of their pepper and pimento fields. Since I know Will’s dad, Edgar, it was fun to see Will’s knowledge and expertise on display during the tour.  Multi-generation, family farms, like the Terry and Paniagua families, are such an important part of our industry that we just can’t lose.
• The guests picking green peppers at Terry Farms and some eating them like apples on the drive back to the hotel.
• And, yes, our guests deciding to do karaoke on one bus ride. Sorry tour alumni groups year one through six, tour group seven OWNS most entertaining and hilarious bus ride ever!

I have to say as I briefly share these memories and try to give a glimpse into the tour experience, it is so hard to convey how much is learned and discussed over these two-plus days.

But one thing really comes through as I reflect on the importance of these tours – It is crucial we show what we do and what we know with others who have influence with consumers.  We need their help to communicate how much farmers care. And to battle all the misinformation about farming, food and diets that is so prevalent today.

To learn more about the tour and to see our guests’ social posts, visit @safeproduce.

Teresa Thorne, AFF Executive Director

The 2024 tour guests are contributors to Good Morning America, The Today Show, Washington Post, ABC News, Food and Wine, Vogue, Southern Living, Parents, Eating Well, Food Network, Shape, Forbes, among others.  In addition to their significant reach in mainstream media, they have millions of combined followers on social media.  The AFF’s list of tour guests included:  Steph Grasso, Samar Kullab, Angela Lemond, Carolyn O’Neil, Kylie Sakaida, Ayat Sleymann, Dalina Soto, and Caroline Thomason.