MODESTO – Under Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture Chuck Ahlem kicked off the inaugural run of “Tour de Fresh,” sponsored by Piranha Produce. Ahlem spoke at the opening dinner reception Tuesday night, July 13, at the famed National Steinbeck Center in Salinas , California .

“You have an administration with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Secretary A.G. Kawamura of the California Department of Food and Agriculture who have passion for this industry,” Ahlem told the crowd of 100 Northern California foodservice and retail operators. “This is 2004, and you can be confident in the strongest and safest produce industry in the world,” Ahlem said.

“We wanted to expose our customers to some of the finest farmers and processing facilities found anywhere in the world,” says Jeff Sacchini, president of Piranha Produce, “Our goal was to not only educate, but also excite people about the world of fresh California produce.”

Piranha Produce helped give participants a behind-the-scenes intimate look into the $2.5 billion world of California produce with a farm tour on Wednesday, July 14th. It included Taylor Farms , the largest supplier of fresh-cut produce to the foodservice industry, where they saw the newest technology in processing, cooling and packaging. “Our group was impressed with work that Sam Liu is doing at Taylor Farms in respect to shelf life and the respiration of produce,” Sacchini says.

The tour also included Monterey Mushrooms , the largest marketer of fresh mushrooms in North America where many participants saw for the first time, the delicate world of mushroom farming. “Just 20 years ago, the production per square foot was under three pounds,” explained Mark Streig, senior growing manager at Monterey Mushrooms, “but because of newer and better growing practices, we are now producing over six pounds per square foot.”

Earthbound Farms , celebrating their 20 th anniversary this year as America 's largest grower of organic produce, was another Tour de Fresh stop. Tonya Antle, vice president for organic sales, explained that the passion for organic and foodsafety has made Earthbound Farms the leader. Pride of San Juan , with five generations of farming experience, was proud to show off it's new retail line of salad and herb products under the “Emeril” label. “He knows quality when he sees it,” said Dan Holt, sales manager at Pride of San Juan.

“For many, this was an agricultural experience of a career,” Sacchini said.