Who I Want to See at the PMA Fresh Summit

Who I Want to See at the PMA Fresh Summit
I’m getting up early tomorrow morning to drive up to the Fresh Summit Convention in Anaheim to blog my little heart out. This event is the epic gathering of produce growers both local and international. As a blogger, I’ll be looking for creative, unusual and delicious ideas and I’m sure there will be no shortage. I’ve already decided to stop eating until tomorrow, because I have a feeling that my stomach will be working overtime.

I’ve downloaded the #FreshSummit app and am marking off booths I wish to visit. Some stops of interest (and I’m adding many more):

Hurst Berry Farm – HBF International LLC, booth #1048 – A big thank you to them for inviting me to the Fresh Summit. They grow delicious berries (U.S. & International) and produce those fun little Kiwi Berries that I recently wrote about.

LotPath  – They are tweeting about giving away free Refractometers. Why would a blogger need a refractometer? And, what the heck is a Refractometer? A refractometer is an instrument for measuring a refractive index. What? Ok, let’s delve further. Without a refractometer, your beer and wine would taste pretty bad. A refractometer is an essential piece of test equipment used to determine the sugar content in a liquid, for example beer wort. You’ll often see vintners out in the field with a refractometer. Winemakers know there is a direct correlation between the amount of sugar present and the ability to make wine. This portable instrument (it’ll fit in your pocket) allows the winemaker to assess the ripeness of fruit by measuring Brix in the field or vineyard so he or she can decide the proper harvest time depending upon the readings taken.  So, again – why does a blogger need one? My husband brews beer and it would be useful. Secondly, next time I go wine tasting at one of the many wonderful wineries in California, I want to run out to the vineyard, whip this puppy out and do a Brix reading. It will most certainly freak everyone out.

LotPath creates software for capturing fresh produce inspections. My inner tech geek is dancing around my foodie persona right now. So, let’s say you are out in the field and want to track some real time data about the crops. Their app shares product quality data and photos as it goes from packing thru shipping.

Frieda’s Produce, booth #2830 – They will have some of the weird fruits I adore. I remember being on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands and throwing my shoe at a Jack Fruit tree trying to knock one down. I’m so happy I don’t have to throw a shoe this time – I can just go sample some of my tropical favs. They will also have some weird ones I haven’t yet tried! #fearnofruit

Cal Poly SLO Ag Dept – Finally, they won’t have a booth, but the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science (CAFES)team  will be circulating and I hope to run into them as my husband and I are both Alumni. I received my B.S. in Dietetics ‘92 at Poly and it’s so exciting to see how much they have grown since then. For starters, they make wine now. I think of all those times when we drank cheap light beer and now these fancy pants Poly kids are now making wine. Clearly this is where my daughter will (also) be going to school. She has no choice.

If you have something creative-special-weird for me to see at the Fresh Summit, please hit me up so I may add your booth to my visit list.    info@boredmom.com

Can’t wait! #FreshSummit   

@LotPath #CalPoly #FreshSummit


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