Industry Tour - Monday, March 10

These tours are not part of the Congress Registration. Tickets must be purchased in advance so that arrangements can be made for buses and meals. Space will be limited by bus availability. The fee includes transportation, all tour stops and lunch. Tickets may be purchased by people who are not registering for the Congress and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tour buses will leave the hotel promptly at 8:30 am. Breakfast is on your own prior to departure.

8:30 am Leave hotel 9:30 am JayMar Produce 11:30 am Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (90 minute tour and lunch) 3:00 pm Santa Sweets, Plant City 5:30 pm Return to hotel

JayMar Produce

JayMar Produce is one of the largest strawberry growers in Florida with approximately 400 acres. On this tour, you will see how JayMar Produce uses plasticulture - from laser level beds to plastic and drip tape installation. During the month of March, they pick half of their annual volume - this will allow you to see the facility in full-scale production. Jay Mar Produce is also well known for cantaloupes – they double crop and lay fresh plastic. The tour will allow you to see the early plantings for cantaloupes and plasticulture...Florida style.

The group will also see JayMar’s state-of-the-art facilities complete with 22,500 square feet of pre-cooling and cooling space. This new technology allows product to cool more quickly and efficiently to improve the shelf life of the produce.

For more information, visit www.JayMarProduce.com.

Gulf Coast Research and Education Center

The Gulf Coast Research and Education Center is situated on 475 acres which has been donated by Hillsbourgh County. The fields are currently being used to grow and research the develop-ment of strawberries, tomatoes, and ornamental horticulture. The center is 1 of 13 Research Centers in Florida run by the Univer-sity. The tour will include a PowerPoint overview of the Research Center as well as the opportunity to walk through the array of fields of strawberries and tomatoes. You can even pick the strawberries!

For more information, visit http://grec.ifas.ufl.edu.

Santa Sweets

Known for their exclusive grape tomatoes, the fields of Santa Sweets offer a spectacular learning experience. With a focus on flavor, come see how the tomatoes are harvested and stored. Grape tomatoes, like the ones you will see here, are a difficult crop to grow. The tour will consist of viewing the delicate vines where these grape tomatoes reside, substantial storing process, and how each vine is individually unique in the growing process. Come with us to find out why Santa Sweets call them “authentic grape tomatoes”. You won’t want to miss their unique and state-of-the-art equipment.

For more information, visit www.SantaSweets.com.

All tour registrations are being processed by the American Society of Plasticulture.
Please contact ASP with any questions via email
at info@plasticulture.org or call 814-357-9198.