A group of attendees at this week’s Winter Leadership Meetings got an opportunity to see California production up close during a tour of three member facilities in the Coachella Valley area.

Starting at the DiMare Company's packing operation in Indio, General Manager Marco DiMare highlighted the company's citrus packing line and explained the advantages and challenges associated with production in the Coachella Valley.

After an appetizing lunch at Sun World's Coachella operation, (courtesy of Sun World's Mike Whalen and his team) the tour visited one of the company's nearby strawberry fields. Tour members learned from Sun World’s Stuart Musashi about harvest labor management and strawberry production.

The group's final stop was to see the hothouse pepper production facility at Prime Time International in Coachella, with an informative tour hosted by Mike Aiton. Of special interest was Prime Time's geothermal heating, which uses groundwater to help maintain glasshouse temperatures.

United Fresh thanks tour sponsors DiMare Company, Sun World and Prime Time Industries for their generous hospitality in making the valley tour possible.