ToursPlease review the following tour selections. You may sign up for as many tours as you desire, but seating is limited, so register SOON! Once you have made your tour selections, send your responses to Lyle Stewart with the following information:
- Please tell me what tours you want to participate in
- How many will be going on specific tours
- How many total dollars you will owe
Lyle is still continuing to set-up additional less costly tours that will be in the Fresno area; however these tours will not be announced until Sunday Registration.
Sunday, June 8:
Adult Tour #1: Madera Wine Tour
Cost: $15/person
Tour guided minibus trip to three of the best wineries out of the Madera Wine Trail. Bus will leaving the hotel at 2:00 p.m. and returning to the hotel by 5:30 p.m. The $5 glass fee at all three of the wineries has been waived for our group! You can preview this tour at www.maderavintners.com
Family Tour #2: Boomers (4 miles from hotel)
Cost: $11/person
Sunday Hours: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
UNLIMITED ATTRACTIONS: Miniature Golf, Go Karts, Bumper Boats, Laser Tag, Outdoor Rock Wall, Rookie Track (Go Kart Drivers must be between 42” and 58” tall), Tiny Tots Cars (for drivers under 42” tall), and the GameRoom.
Boomers' special 11th Birthday Celebration June 6th – 8th; $8 saving per person.
You can preview this tour at www.boomersparks.com/park/fresno/index.html
Family Tour #3: Forestiere Underground Gardens (7 miles from hotel)
Cost: Adults $12; Teens (13-17) $8; Seniors (60+) $10; Children (5-12) $7; 4 and under Free
Public tour schedules: Friday: 11 am, Noon, 1 & 2 pm; Saturday & Sunday: 10 & 11 am, Noon, 1:30 & 2:30 pm
Forestiere Underground Gardens Tour Description: A hand-built network of underground rooms, courtyards and passageways. Unique underground trees, shrubs, and vines producing fruits— some over 90 years-old! Arches and stone work patterned after the ancient catacombs. Underground micro-climates -- temperature variations of 10 to 20 degrees. Underground home of visionary and self-taught artist/builder Baldassare Forestiere completed in 1906.
You can preview this tour at www.undergroundgardens.info/
Monday, June 9:
Spouse Tour #4: Monastery & Garden Tour
Cost: $45/person (meal & transportation included)
Tour guided minibus depart the hotel at 8:30 a.m. and returns to the hotel by 3:30 p.m.
Immerse yourself in nature's beauty and aromatherapy at the Squaw Valley Herb Gardens. Discover recipes and remedies with fascinating stories and history with demonstrations, tastings and lavender harvest. Visit St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center, minutes up the road, and enjoy a delicious Greek Lunch. Behold the wonder of this architectural jewel of the Byzantium inspired Church and Monastery. The Abbess’ and 15 Sisters’ purpose is to pray for our world. After the tour they’ll invite us for Greek coffee and cookies. Visit their tiny gift shop where their creations help support their ministry. The blend of sacred art and natural beauty will make for an inspiring day.
REQUIRED DRESS CODE: Covered arms, skirts and scarves or hats must be worn at the St. Nicholas Ranch & Retreat Center.
You can preview this tour at www.SquawValleyHerbGardens.com
Tuesday, June 10:
Parent / Children’s Tour #5: Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad and the Gold Gulch Museum Tour
Cost: $40/person over age 13; $32.25/child 3-12 years old; and $24.25/child under age 3. A 10% discount is being given to our group for these tours. Note: Meal cost is NOT included in fee. We will be eating at Todd’s Barbeque at about 12:30 p.m. – approximately $8/meal – large portions - could be shared.
Tour guided minibus departs the hotel at 9:00 a.m. and returns to the hotel by 5:00.
Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad: Thrill to the sights and sounds of the Vintage Shay Logger Steam Powered Train. An exciting 4-mile, one hour narrated excursion at Yosemite Park’s south gate. Ride into history where powerful locomotives once hauled massive log trains through the Sierra Mountains, where mighty lumberjacks felled the timber and flumes carried lumber to the distant valley below. The Sierra National Forest’s majestic woods provide the backdrop for the narrow-gauge railroad journey back in time.
Gold Gulch Museum: Kids and their teachers, parents or grandparents can learn about early California and the Gold Rush era at the Gold Gulch Museum. Regardless of your age, you can pan for gold, walk inside a real mine tunnel, make candles, and do other crafts reflective of the Old West. There is an authentic Miwok village on the grounds and storytellers from the nearby tribes tell visitors about their culture.
You can preview this tour at the following two websites: www.Ymsprr.com and www.ksee24.com/younews/10692166.html
Wednesday, June 11:
Tours of San Joaquin Valley Agriculture
- Sign up for your specific tour on Sunday at the Conference Tour Registration table. Sign up is first-come, first-served with seating limited to 45 people per bus. You must stay on the same bus all day.
- Each bus will have local agricultural experts serving as your tour guides.
- En route to Visalia, see diversified tree and orchard crops, the Kings River and irrigation systems; on the Tulare County side of the tour, row crops and dairies.
- All buses depart the Piccadilly Inn University at 8:15 AM.
- All buses arrive at Visalia Convention Center at Noon.
- All buses arrive back at Piccadilly Inn University at 4:30 PM. Family Pizza & Pool Party begins at 6:30 PM in Ballroom.
| BUS #1 | BUS #2 | BUS #3 | BUS #4 | BUS #5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM Tours: | UC-Kearney Ag Research & Extension Center | UC-Kearney Ag Research & Extension Center | Bravo Farms Cheese Plant & Elkhorn Dairy |
Elkhorn Dairy & Bravo Farms Cheese Plant |
Sunwest Packing Co.-Thoneson Fms |
| PM Tours: | Simonian Fruit Co. | Hammertime Farms | Baloian Packing Co. | On-farm Visit: SE Asian Diversified Farmer | Sun-Maid Raisins |
Bus #1: University of California- Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center (AM) / Simonian Fruit Company (PM- Tentative)
University of California- Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center: Located in the central San Joaquin Valley, one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world, Kearney is the University of California's largest off-campus agricultural research facility. The center’s mission is to provide state-of-the-science research and educational programs to promote sustainability of California's $24.5 billion agriculture industry, and to enhance the quality of the rural environment. For more than 35 years, Kearney has achieved international acclaim for leadership in areas such as development of new fruit, nut and grape varieties, innovative cultural and irrigation practices, and pest and disease management techniques. In addition, Kearney specializes in postharvest biology, working with growers, packers, and shippers of fresh market crops to reduce losses and provide consumers of California produce, near and far, with top quality products. Current research includes air quality effects on crops, groundwater management, and specific pest management biological control techniques.
12:00: Luncheon at the Visalia Convention Center, sponsored by Monsanto, Inc. Welcome by Visalia Mayor Jesus Gamboa; Monsanto video; 2009 Conference Video Presentation. Following the luncheon, spouses and families tour downtown Visalia while NFRBMEA and NAFBAS business meetings take place.
2:30 p.m. Board your same bus for next tour.
Simonian Fruit Company: Simonian Fruit Company is a family-owned grower-packer-shipper of diversified fresh fruits, including apricots, peaches, nectarines, grapes, plums and pomegranates. The company sells fruit both domestically and internationally. They are part of the “Summeripe” program, which is a quality control program that uses USDA certified inspectors to examine the fruit, but uses its own quality control staff to monitor fruit standards.
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Bus #2: University of California- Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center (AM) / Hammertime Farms (PM- Tentative)
University of California- Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center: Located in the central San Joaquin Valley, one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world, Kearney is the University of California's largest off-campus agricultural research facility. The center’s mission is to provide state-of-the-science research and educational programs to promote sustainability of California's $24.5 billion agriculture industry, and to enhance the quality of the rural environment. For more than 35 years, Kearney has achieved international acclaim for leadership in areas such as development of new fruit, nut and grape varieties, innovative cultural and irrigation practices, and pest and disease management techniques. In addition, Kearney specializes in postharvest biology, working with growers, packers, and shippers of fresh market crops to reduce losses and provide consumers of California produce, near and far, with top quality products. Current research includes air quality effects on crops, groundwater management, and specific pest management biological control techniques.
12:00: Luncheon at the Visalia Convention Center, sponsored by Monsanto, Inc. Welcome by Visalia Mayor Jesus Gamboa; Monsanto video; 2009 Conference Video Presentation. Following the luncheon, spouses and families tour downtown Visalia while NFRBMEA and NAFBAS business meetings take place.
2:30 p.m. Board your same bus for next tour.
Hammertime Farms (tentative): Bill Hammerstrom, Kingsburg, a diversified family farm; or HMC Fruit Packing, Kingsburg, grower-packer-shipper of fresh market tree fruits.
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Bus #3: Bravo Farms Cheese Plant & Elkhorn Dairy (AM) / Baloian Packing Company (PM)
Bravo Farms Cheese Plant: Bravo Farms began in 1979 as a small dairy farm in Visalia, California. Owners Bill and Pat Boersma ran the dairy several years before deciding to evolve into farmstead cheesemakers. This was not an easy task, being the first farmstead cheesemakers in the San Joaquin Valley was a challenging endeavor. Recently, Bill and Pat have partnered with a young artisan cheesemaker, Jonathan Van Ryn, who studied cheesemaking at California Polytechnic University. Jonathan was building a small cheese factory to make his own varieties of cheese, but after meeting with the Boersma's, they came up with a plan to form a partnership in Bravo Farms; they could now make enough cheese to meet the demand. Bravo Farms now makes several varieties of cheese.
Elkhorn Dairy: Elkhorn Dairy is a family-owned dairy with about 3,000 cows and features state-of-the art milking and handling equipment. Milk production is the number one agricultural commodity in Tulare County.
12:00: Luncheon at the Visalia Convention Center, sponsored by Monsanto, Inc. Welcome by Visalia Mayor Jesus Gamboa; Monsanto video; 2009 Conference Video Presentation. Following the luncheon, spouses and families tour downtown Visalia while NFRBMEA and NAFBAS business meetings take place.
2:30 p.m. Board your same bus for next tour.
Baloian Packing Company: The Baloian Packing Company is a diversified vegetable and fruit packing facility. View packing of fresh market bell peppers. The Baloian family is one of the premiere grower, packer, shippers of fresh vegetables in California, using new technologies, continually performing agricultural research and being relentless when it comes to the application of food safety programs. To make sure that these goals are pursued and accomplished, you can find 2nd, 3rd, 4th and some days, 5th generation Baloians on site at Baloian Packing Company.
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Bus #4: Elkhorn Dairy & Bravo Farms Cheese Plant (AM) / On-Farm Visit with a Southeast Asian Diversified Farmer (PM)
Elkhorn Dairy: Elkhorn Dairy is a family-owned dairy with about 3,000 cows and features state-of-the art milking and handling equipment. Milk production is the number one agricultural commodity in Tulare County.
Bravo Farms Cheese Plant: Bravo Farms began in 1979 as a small dairy farm in Visalia, California. Owners Bill and Pat Boersma ran the dairy several years before deciding to evolve into farmstead cheesemakers. This was not an easy task, being the first farmstead cheesemakers in the San Joaquin Valley was a challenging endeavor. Recently, Bill and Pat have partnered with a young artisan cheesemaker, Jonathan Van Ryn, who studied cheesemaking at California Polytechnic University. Jonathan was building a small cheese factory to make his own varieties of cheese, but after meeting with the Boersma's, they came up with a plan to form a partnership in Bravo Farms; they could now make enough cheese to meet the demand. Bravo Farms now makes several varieties of cheese.
12:00: Luncheon at the Visalia Convention Center, sponsored by Monsanto, Inc. Welcome by Visalia Mayor Jesus Gamboa; Monsanto video; 2009 Conference Video Presentation. Following the luncheon, spouses and families tour downtown Visalia while NFRBMEA and NAFBAS business meetings take place.
2:30 p.m. Board your same bus for next tour.
Southeast Asian Diversified Farmer: On-farm visit with a Southeast Asian diversified farmer. Met by Richard Molinar and/or Michael Yang, of the U.C. Cooperative Extension, Fresno County. Fresno County is home to many farming cultures, including farmers who are Southeast Asian, African-American and Latino. The U.C. Extension Service works with these small producers to help them become economically self-sufficient while preserving their culture and communities. Some of the programs include a marketing and technical assistance cooperative, a farmer training program, health and safety workshops and business seminars. View diversified specialty vegetable crops produced by Southeast Asian farmers.
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Bus #5 Sunwest Packing Company- Thoneson Farms (AM) / Sun-Maid Raisins, Kingsburg
Guide Greg Thoneson tells you the Sunwest Fruit Company is a provately-owned, vertically-integrated farming operation that controls all aspects of production. Sunwest Fruit Company farms more than 9,000 acres of Navel and Clementine oranges, peaches, plums, nectarines and pluots. Sunwest is also one of the owners of the "ripe 'n Ready" organization, a leader in the "premium tree fruit" category.12:00: Luncheon at the Visalia Convention Center, sponsored by Monsanto, Inc. Welcome by Visalia Mayor Jesus Gamboa; Monsanto video; 2009 Conference Video Presentation. Following the luncheon, spouses and families tour downtown Visalia while NFRBMEA and NAFBAS business meetings take place.
2:30 p.m. Board your same bus for next tour.
Sun-Maid Raisins: Sun-Maid Raisins has served consumers since 1912, providing raisins and dried fruits from the raisin and fruit farms from the San Joaquin Valley. As a cooperative, Sun-Maid Growers of California is owned by family farmers who grow raisin grapes all located within 100 miles of Kingsburg. This fertile agricultural valley produces some of the best fruits and vegetables in the world, including a wide assortment of grapes, peaches, plums, apples, figs, apricots, blueberries, strawberries, and melons. When appropriate, Sun-Maid reaches beyond this geographical area to source a complete array of dried fruits.
Sunday - Thursday:
Parent / Children’s Tour #6: Wild Water Adventure Park
Cost: Based on Consignment Admission Tickets (30 ticket minimum), our cost would be $16/person. We will need 30 people committed before we would be able to get the special discounted rate. General Admission: $26, Junior Admission: $19 (children under 48” tall), Children 2 and under are free.
Park hours: Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday – Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wild Water Adventure Park is located on 52 acres just 3 miles east of Clovis on Shaw Avenue. The park is filled with over 20 attractions and 37 slides. There are also 15,000 square feet of attractions for younger children. The park is surrounded by trees, lakes and grassy picnic areas. Preview this water park attraction at: www.wildwater.net/.