Fields tours are a key part of SPC conference
Fields tours are a key part of SPC conference
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- Participants of two recent field tours had an opportunity to visit two of Florida's premier grower-shippers, where they saw produce growing in the fields and under glass, watched packinglines in action and heard about the latest advances in celery research.
The all-day field tours held March 3 were part of the Southeast Produce Council's annual conference and expo, held here March 2-4.
After leaving around 7:30 a.m. from the conference headquarters hotel, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, the two busloads traveled to Pero Vegetable Co., which began in 1908 and is today headquartered in Delray Beach, FL.
Frank Pero and other family members told the group a bit about the company and what goes into growing and harvesting its many vegetable crops. The group also toured its greenhouse operation and saw peppers, one of the company's key items.
The group then reboarded the buses to travel to the second stop on the tour: A. Duda & Sons, where after being welcomed by Drew Duda, the first order of business was a delicious outdoor lunch featuring fresh salads, steak, corn-on-the-cob, baked potato and desert.
After lunch, the group went into the fields and heard a presentation by Larry Pierce, Duda's manager of seed research, who offered some insight into the company's celery program. A number of varieties of celery were set up for attendees to compare, and samples were available for tasting so that attendees could experience different varieties of celery.
Dr. Pierce outlined some of what goes into producing the kind of celery most consumers prefer -- mild to sweet and not stringy -- as well as some of the research going on to produce celery with large cavities, which is preferred by chefs and others who want to utilize the vegetable for stuffing.
The tour group returned around 5:30 p.m. to get ready for the evening's opening reception, tired but more aware of what the two companies are continually doing to produce the best and safest vegetables possible.
The all-day field tours held March 3 were part of the Southeast Produce Council's annual conference and expo, held here March 2-4.
After leaving around 7:30 a.m. from the conference headquarters hotel, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, the two busloads traveled to Pero Vegetable Co., which began in 1908 and is today headquartered in Delray Beach, FL.
Frank Pero and other family members told the group a bit about the company and what goes into growing and harvesting its many vegetable crops. The group also toured its greenhouse operation and saw peppers, one of the company's key items.
The group then reboarded the buses to travel to the second stop on the tour: A. Duda & Sons, where after being welcomed by Drew Duda, the first order of business was a delicious outdoor lunch featuring fresh salads, steak, corn-on-the-cob, baked potato and desert.
After lunch, the group went into the fields and heard a presentation by Larry Pierce, Duda's manager of seed research, who offered some insight into the company's celery program. A number of varieties of celery were set up for attendees to compare, and samples were available for tasting so that attendees could experience different varieties of celery.
Dr. Pierce outlined some of what goes into producing the kind of celery most consumers prefer -- mild to sweet and not stringy -- as well as some of the research going on to produce celery with large cavities, which is preferred by chefs and others who want to utilize the vegetable for stuffing.
The tour group returned around 5:30 p.m. to get ready for the evening's opening reception, tired but more aware of what the two companies are continually doing to produce the best and safest vegetables possible.
