The California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Farm to Fork (CDFA-F2F) helps all Californians access healthy and nutritious California-grown food, and through the California Farm to School Network, CDFA-F2F connects schools, students and institutional buyers directly with California’s farmers and ranchers. This year, with the support of Specialty Crop Block Grant funding, CDFA-F2F coordinated a series of four field trips for culinary students to visit local farms and get a taste of the fresh, local food raised in their community.

Outside of Modesto, California, culinary students from Riverbank High School visited Burroughs Family Farms, where they toured, tasted and discussed the many ways that California agriculture thrives. One highlight came when students reflected on the foods they tasted and their experiences on the farm. Organic products like strawberries, olive oil and almonds made a splash, and one student said they were more likely to eat fresh produce in the future, saying “Now I know where everything comes from—I actually saw it.”

Stay tuned for more specialty crop student farm tours in the coming weeks.

– CDFA Farm to Fork Staff

This article is part of a series chronicling the Office of Farm to Fork’s student farm tours. Made possible by Specialty Crop Block Grant funding, these farm tours aim to increase students’ knowledge of and appreciation for California specialty crops through direct interaction with local specialty crop farmers.