CFWC’s Annual Blogger Tours are an opportunity for us to give bloggers an in-depth look at how our food is grown in California for them to share with their followers. Food and lifestyle bloggers are a trusted source of information for hundreds of thousands of their followers. They help spread a positive message about California farmers, the food they grow, and the water needed to do it. Each tour highlights a different region of California’s agriculture. The focus of this year’s event was on winter farming in the Coachella and Imperial Valleys. To comply with social distancing, we took the tour virtual!

Our Guests

We were joined virtually by food and lifestyle bloggers from across the state. Liren Baker is a food blogger based out of San Francisco. She has always enjoyed food and transformed this affection into her blog Kitchen Confidante. The second is Chelsea Foy of Lovely Indeed based out of Modesto. Her blog has blossomed over the years into a full lifestyle theme, including motherhood, travel, shopping, and of course, food. We were also joined by Whitney Bond, a food blogger out of San Diego. Whitney shares approachable recipes made with fresh ingredients to brighten your week.

Taking It Virtual

Our team traveled to the region to film videos and interviews of romaine, broccoli, artichoke, and brussels sprout harvest. After diving into this footage, the bloggers had the chance to ask the farmers questions on a Q&A Zoom call. Despite the distance, we all had a great time and are excited to see the blog posts and recipes the bloggers create!

Meet the Farmers

Ocean Mist artichoke harvest in the Coachella Valley

Adrian Zendejas
Ocean Mist in Coachella, California
Artichokes & Brussels Sprouts
Artichoke Video: https://vimeo.com/554079683
Brussels Sprouts: https://vimeo.com/554079283

Brent Peterson
LaBrucherie Produce in El Centro, California
Romaine Harvest
Video: https://vimeo.com/554078395

Fresh-picked romaine, El Centro

Thomas Cox
Lawrence Cox Ranches in Brawley, California
Broccoli Harvest
Video: https://vimeo.com/554077900

Ellen Way
California Women for Agriculture in Coachella, California
Video: https://vimeo.com/554078945

Sharing Their Experience

This tour gave our bloggers a great introduction to how food is grown and deeper topics like water efficiency, labor, and the challenge of unexpected weather. It started a great conversation about the pride of California’s farmers in growing fresh and safe food that feeds Californians, Americans, and even people across the globe.

Broccoli harvest, Brawley

For the bloggers, this new knowledge will now accompany the incredible dishes they make for their blog using fresh California-grown foods. We are so glad they joined us for the adventure and can’t wait to see where the California Farm Water Coalition Blogger Tour is headed next!

Check out the delicious recipes and experiences the bloggers shared:

LIREN BAKER | @KITCHCONFIDANTE

We’re headed into the most abundant time of the year, when the produce is plentiful. But have you ever stopped to think about where our food comes from in the middle of winter? We often take for granted that we are able to find salad greens in December or broccoli in January – chances are, those veggies are grown in a very unique region in California. Thanks to the Coachella and Imperial Valleys, we have delicious produce, even through the winter! I was able to join my friends at @farmwater for another tour of the farms in my beloved California. We chatted about the abundant variety of produce they grow, their challenges, and the technology that allows them to help them feed us all while conserving the land and its resources.

https://kitchenconfidante.com/broccoli-slaw-with-ramen

CHELSEA FOY | @LOVELYINDEED

As a farmer’s daughter, I have seen first hand how hard farmers work to grow the best crops, use resources responsibly, and get their crops to our tables. California’s agriculture literally feeds the nation, and we’re so lucky here to have access to the fresh foods that farmers grow for us. Next time you’re grocery shopping, take a look and see what farm grew your produce! I’m grateful and proud of the farmers who grow our food, and so thankful for the abundance available to us. P.S. Have you ever seen artichokes being harvested?! It’s fascinating.

https://lovelyindeed.com/easy-artichoke-bruschetta/

WHITNEY BOND | @WHITNEYBOND

Grilled Brussels Sprouts are the surprise summer side dish that will knock your socks off! Thanks to California’s many microclimates, Brussels sprouts are grown year-round, which means you can grill them up all summer long! Serve them as a side dish, as an appetizer with Harissa Tahini Dipping Sauce, on top of a salad, or try all three! You really can’t go wrong!

https://whitneybond.com/grilled-brussels-sprouts/

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