UC Postharvest Technology Center

Here's the agenda for our new Virtual Crash Course on Postharvest Solutions for Small and Evolving Operations, co-presented with the Innovation Lab for Horticulture!

Register today for this $300, 2-hour/day virtual crash course!

Registration URL:
https://registration.ucdavis.edu/Item/Details/981

COURSE AGENDA

Monday, June 26
-Quality & Maturity
-Packaging & Water Loss

Tuesday, June 27
-Temperature Management
-Cooling & Cool Storage
-Drying & Dry Storage
-Real-world, Small-scale Storage Applications

Wednesday, June 28
-Keynote: Director Beth Mitcham presents “In Pursuit of Flavor & Quality”
-Panel 1: Modern Trends in the Global Produce Industry
-Panel 2: Advancing the Industry Through Research

Thursday, June 29
-Postharvest Disease Management
-Produce Safety
-Grades & Standards

Friday, June 30
-Strategies for the Adoption of Postharvest Technologies

Registration is now open for our new Virtual Crash Course in Postharvest Solutions for Small & Evolving Operations! This course is for growers and industry who want a big-picture understanding of the postharvest principles and solutions for improving quality and reducing losses. Learn about temperature management and cooling systems; the principles of drying and dry storage; product quality maintenance; and disease management and produce safety.
REGISTER: https://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/Workshops/Virtual_Crash_Course_447/

We're pleased to announce that REGISTRATION is now OPEN for our new “Virtual Crash Course in Postharvest Solutions for Small and Evolving Operations,” $300. This course is being offered in partnership with the Innovation Lab for Horticulture and will offer practical solutions for an underrepresented stakeholder community. The course also aligns with Dr. Beth Mitcham's retirement at the end of June. She will present a keynote on her career in postharvest and international agricultural development. Register now! > https://lnkd.in/eeNXA4F9

Hello, Friends of the Postharvest Technology Center! Please consider following our new LinkedIn Company Page. It will eventually become our permanent home on the professional networking platform and we would love to interact with you over there, too! https://www.linkedin.com/company/ucpostharvest/

Attention! Change is coming to our flagship Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops Short Course, and other annual workshops and courses! Read our announcement to learn more about this exciting shift in the Center's 45-year history as a leading educator of postharvest professionals around the world!

Thank you to the in-person participants who joined our 2023 Fruit Ripening workshop, March 7-8, at UC Davis. It was great meeting you all!

Thank you to the virtual participants who joined our 2023 Fruit Ripening workshop, March 7-8. It was great seeing you all there!

Our 2023 Fruit Ripening & Ethylene Management Workshop, held March 7-8, provided participants from around the world extensive scientific knowledge and research-backed information about how to ripen a variety of commodities, manage ethylene delivery and exposure, and deliver delicious produce to consumers. As always, an exciting round of Ripening Jeopardy with longtime host Dennis Kihlstadius, provided a fun overview of key takeaways.

How do we get oranges to turn, well, orange? The degreening process, of course! Learn more about fruit ripening and citrus degreening at our Fruit Ripening & Ethylene Management hybrid workshop, March 7-8. There's still time to register (deadline is Friday, March 3rd) for in-person and virtual attendance! > https://tinyurl.com/msptxcky

The UC Postharvest Technology Center recently visited three facilities across the Golden State (tarped, tarpless and degreening) to film behind-the-scenes videos that will be shared with participants of this year's Fruit Ripening & Ethylene Management workshop, March 7-8, 2023. Register today! https://registration.ucdavis.edu/Item/Details/886

The Postharvest Technology Center is now on ! Our page is still just a seedling, but fresh content will be planted on a regular basis, so there will be much to harvest in a few seasons! Grow with us! 👉 https://lnkd.in/gGU7QVXc

Did you know that at the start of her career, Dr. Beth Mitcham worked on postharvest physiology of Christmas trees? As a master’s student NC State University, her research determined that the concentration of raffinose, a soluble carbohydrate, was correlated with postharvest needle retention of Fraser fir Christmas trees. The raffinose concentration in the trees was shown to increase in the fall, primarily in response to low temperatures, but also short days. This is why Fraser fir trees harvested during cold weather have better needle retention after harvest. She also showed that keeping the harvested trees at low temperatures reduces needle loss, especially when the trees had no water source. Just like fresh produce! Dive into the science here https://lnkd.in/gdAFKrkE & https://lnkd.in/gDR4wjmv! And Happy Holidays!

The fight to curb food waste increasingly turns to science - and the news media continually turns to Dr. Beth Mitcham, Director of the Postharvest Technology Center at UC Davis for her expertise in produce handling and food-waste reduction.

Fight to curb food waste increasingly turns to science Hate mealy apples and soggy french fries? Science can help. Restaurants, grocers, farmers and food companies are increasingly turning to chemistry and physics to tackle the problem of food waste.

REGISTER TODAY for our Fruit Ripening & Ethylene Management Workshop offered at the UC Davis campus and virtually on March 7-8, 2023! This workshop is for shippers, wholesale and retail fruit handlers, and produce managers who are involved in handling and ripening fruits and fruit-vegetables. Learn to increase profits, reduce losses, and deliver delicious, ready-to-eat fruits and fruit-vegetables to consumers. REGISTER NOW! > https://registration.ucdavis.edu/Item/Details/886

On this , please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help the UC Postharvest Technology Center upgrade its official website. Give today at https://tinyurl.com/mpahkmcc 💟

Please tell the Postharvest Technology Center how we can improve our yearly educational offerings, including Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops Short Course, Fresh-cut Products Workshop, and Fruit Ripening & Ethylene Management Workshop! https://tinyurl.com/yckkhxcn

It's the most wonderful time of the year...to start thinking about how you can take your produce-handling knowledge to the next level! Mark your calendar now for our next workshop, Fruit Ripening & Ethylene Management, March 7-8, 2023. Registration details coming soon!

In-person participants and instructors at our Fresh-cut Workshop held in September took two group photos: a professional one with their hands clasped in front of them - and this one! Join us for fun moments like these at a future workshop. You'll learn the science of proper produce handling, network with other industry pros, and have fun! Next up: Fruit Ripening & Ethylene Management, March 7-8, 2023 > https://lnkd.in/d8sftgxj

Do you know how to properly store grapes so they last? Drs. Beth Mitcham and Irwin Donis-Gonzalez of the UC Postharvest Technology Center shared with Kitchn, a food news website, several tips on how to ensure you know exactly how to store your favorite berry.

Grape Storage, Solved! Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Fruit Fresh. No more mushy grapes.

"It is extraordinary that a leading driver of death and disease—poor diet quality—is so infrequently monitored. Typically, diet quality in a given country is assessed no more than every 5 to 10 years, if ever, with the analysis of data taking another few years. Until now." Learn more about how researchers measure what the world eats! >>>

Global Diet Quality Project - Reports & Publications Reports & Publications

A thunderstorm knocked out our wifi for a spell, but day one of our 2022 Fresh-cut Products Hybrid Workshop still went off with only a few hiccups (thank goodness!). Thanks to our instructors, participants and student assistants for offering their personal cell-phone hotspots to keep our workshop up and running. Two more info-packed days to go!

Prof. Beth Mitcham, Director of the UC Postharvest Technology Center, recently taught a class on Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops Universidad de Piura in Peru. As usual, she brought her professorial A game to the course, teaching students about water loss and commercial cooling methods for fruits and vegetables, in addition to leading several hands-on experiments.

What's with the box? Who's that guy? And what's he doing? Glad you asked! That box is called a Pallet Dryer, which uses a solar panel, wooden pallet, plywood, plastic and a fan to dry a variety of high-value commodities. That guy is Professor Emeritus Michael Reid. And in this photo, taken by Dr. Irwin R. Donis-Gonzalez, he's drying coffee beans!

Registration is now open for our "Fresh-Cut Products: Maintaining Quality & Safety" workshop, September 20-22, 2022. This will be our fourth hybrid workshop of the year, offered both in person on the UC Davis campus and virtually. We hope you will join us for another info-packed learning experience! Register now! https://registration.ucdavis.edu/Item/Details/836

At our recent Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops Hybrid Short Course (June 13-17, 2022), in-person participants gathered during a morning coffee break for this fun group photo. Thanks to all who traveled from around the world, country and state to participate in this workshop! We hope it was everything you hoped it would be and that you made some invaluable connections in the process.

During our recent Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops Short Course (June 13-17, 2022), virtual participants located in Israel, South Africa, Myanmar, Peru, the U.S. and other countries paused for this group photo. Thanks to all who attended this info-packed ! We hope it was as enriching for you as it was for the instructors and PTC team!

Fresh-cut products are fresh fruits and vegetables that have been prepared (cleaned, washed, sanitized, cut), packaged, and held under refrigeration until consumption. Consumers demand safe, high-quality, fresh-cut products with extended shelf-life and good eating quality. Registration opens soon for this in-depth workshop, so stay tuned! https://tinyurl.com/5bab8t9m