Class 14 takes a tour of the FreshPoint South Florida facility.

Last week the twelve members of the United Fresh  Produce Industry Leadership Program gathered in Florida for the third trip in their year-long program.  The class took the opportunity to visit with United Fresh members FreshPoint South Florida, Pero Vegetable Company, Pioneer Growers and Duda Farm Fresh Foods, in addition to enjoying lunch with executives from Rosemont Farms, including special guests Jim Prevor and Ken Whitacre of Produce Business and the Perishable Pundit.

Class 14 views a bin of tomatoes at Six L's Packing Company in Immokalee, Fla.

After an overnight stay in Clewiston, the group toured U.S. Sugar Corporation and Southern Gardens Citrus before heading to Immokalee for a lunch and tour hosted by Six L’s Packing Company and Custom Pak. Afterwards, the class met with the Redlands Christian Migrant Association and wrapped up the day in Ft. Lauderdale with a half-day training seminar on crisis communication conducted by Gil Meyer of DuPont.

DuPont's Gil Meyer instructs Class 14 on the basics of crisis communication.

The Class will convene once more for their graduation ceremony at April’s United Fresh 2009 in Las Vegas.  Registration is open for United Fresh 2009, and United invites you to join the class for this special event.

The Leadership Program is presented by the United Fresh Research & Education Foundation and is made possible through a generous grant from DuPont Crop Protection, sponsor of the program since 1995.  Applications for Leadership Class 15 are now being accepted until March 2, 2009.  Interested applicants can click here for more information or contact Julie Jacocks, education coordinator, at 202-303-3405.