Visiting Monterey County Agriculture
Monterey County offers a wide variety of tourism activities, but visiting a local farm or ranch is becoming an activity of the past. Food safety concerns, along with protections for farm and ranch employee safety, have overriden the opportunity for farm and ranch tourism.
Visiting Monterey County Agriculture
Known as the Salad Bowl of the World, the Salinas Valley in Monterey County produces primarily fresh food products in an intensive crop management system that includes nearly year-round field activities. While the majority of these fresh food products are destined for value-added processing and fresh marketing outlets, the farms and processing facility must follow strict guidelines to ensure food safety is maintain throughout the supply chain.
Our local processing facilities for value-added products, such as bagged lettuce kits and vegetable trays, are no longer allowing tour groups to visit their facilities. This dynamic has changed in the last five years, particularly since the global pandemic.
Local farms are also cautious about group tours and are, in many instances, unable to accommodate large tour groups. While there is on-going research into how food pathogens are transmitted in the environment, and particularly how they survive in various conditions, most farms are no longer providing access for tour groups until the research better delineates the on-farm risks from food pathogens.
In short, food safety concerns are now overriding the consideration for farm tours.
Thus, Monterey County Farm Bureau recommends that tour groups work with a professional tour operator, contact our Innovation Center for Ag Tech, and follow our Wine Trail; all have available possibilities for farm tours in the Monterey County area. Below is contact information:
Ag Venture Tours & Consulting, Inc.
Website: www.agventuretours.com or Phone: 831-761-8463 or E-mail: evan@agventuretours.com
Innovation Center for Ag Tech
Website: https://www.wginnovation.com/ or Phone: 831-272-0661 or E-Mail: info@wginnovation.com
Monterey Wine Country
Website: https://montereywines.org/
Monterey County Farmers Markets
Website: https://montereycfb.com/farmers-markets/
See Monterey – Find Your Way Here
Website: https://www.seemonterey.com/
California Grown – Experience the Central Coast
Website: https://visitcaliforniagrown.com/california-region/central-coast
Monterey County Farm Bureau does not arrange or provide tours for visiting groups or delegations.
