[From the ACE 199 "Farm, Food & Environmental Policy" experiential learning study tour, spring break 2015]

Today we travelled to JS West in Atwater, California. JS West is involved in many business ventures including egg production, propane, almonds, trucking and more. We toured the egg production facilities at JS West. Upon arrival we separated into groups and we got to see everything from how the hens are housed to how the finished eggs are packed for distribution. We then listened Mr. Silva and a few of the other employees discuss the important aspects of the production line. They talked to us all about how Proposition 2 has effected their business.

After JS West we headed over to E & J Gallo Winery, Inc. in Livingston, California. When we arrived we were joined by Alan Reynolds. Alan is the Director of Central Valley Operations. He took us around to the various vineyards on the property. He discussed the differences between the various grape varieties, as well as the differences in how the grapes are produced. We even got to watch the vines being pruned for the season by one of their employees. We then headed back to the winery where we met Mariel Zare who is an Environmental Specialist at Gallo. He took us on a guided tour of the facility, which is considered the largest winery in the world. We saw various pieces of equipment such as storage and filtration tanks, and talked about Gallo’s environmental, water-saving practices. After finishing the tour we again boarded the bus and headed to the Gallo company store where those of us who are old enough had the opportunity to purchase some of the company wines. We then headed to a group dinner in Modesto where we were again joined by Alan Reynolds and Mariel Zare. After enjoying supper with our guests at the Gallo family’s Italian restaurant, Galletto’s, we went back to our hotel for the night.

Today we witnessed firsthand how hens are housed at JS West. It was interesting for us to see how they interact in the cages as well as how the eggs are brought to the production facility from the henhouse. We also got to see the in-depth cleaning process that all eggs must go through before being distributed. We were surprised to find how computerized the process is and that the eggs are not touched by human hands during this process. When we arrived at E & J Gallo we were surprised to find out how industrialized the process is. We learned that the winery is the largest wine producing facility in the world, and it is maximized for efficiency. Finally, we learned about the differences between how white wines are produced in comparison to red wines. We found that they both have completely different fermentation processes. Overall we all had an enjoyable and enlightening experience at both of our unique visits.

You can enjoy more photos from our trip by clicking here.