Technology advancements in artichoke industry spotlighted at weekend festival
Salinas Valley’s famous artichoke industry will be celebrated in a big way this weekend. The Castroville Artichoke Food and Wine Festival is set to open Saturday for a second straight year at the Monterey County Fairgrounds.
On Friday, NewsChannel 5 found out how the industry has evolved with the help of technology.
“They pick the artichoke and put it in their sack, that’s on their back,then they dump them in the bin,” David Tottino, Ocean Mist cooler operator David Tottino said.
Artichoke cooler operator David Tottino said he’s spent many years working with artichokes, keeping them fresh before they’re shipped out to local stores. He said despite advancements in field equipment, the industry still has room to grow.
“The coolers are so big its difficult to locate exactly what you’re looking to load on the truck. So in that aspect, yeah, we’re going more towards you know barcoding and having, warehouse management system,” Tottino said.
Tottino said he plans to work in the Farmer’s Market portion of the festival and plans to educate festival-goers as they buy fresh food.
“I dont think a lot of people understand how food gets to their table. Its just a real long, tedious process,” Tottino said.
A process that Tottino said hasn’t changed a lot when it comes to artichokes, but seems to still work.
“What we used to do is bring artichokes into the shed and pack them there and now the packing is done out in the field,” Tottino said.
Even though technology has advanced over the years, growers said artichokes are still packed by hand, placed in boxes, then they go over to the conveyor belt.
It’s a hard job, getting artichokes from the fields to your table and Tottino has some ideas for making it a little easier.
“To actually do the receiving, out in the field, once its packed in the box, its gets put in the computer and we know that its on its way from the field. Rather than waiting for it to hit the cooler,” Tottino said.
Keeping them cool, means a better product in markets all over the world.
The festival will offer many different variations of artichoke inspired foods this weekend, from cupcakes, to hummus and even artichoke ice cream.
