“My dad taught me all I know about selecting the best fruits and vegetables at the grocery store,” wrote Kari Barbic, AFBF’s media specialist, in this week’s Focus on Ag column.

“He taught me how to judge ripeness, how to look for water damage and—most importantly—how to taste test in the field. He also taught me to not discriminate between organic and conventional. Both had value as long as they met my dad’s strict quality control standards. As you may have guessed, my dad’s office is not indoors. He’s specialized in tree fruit production in California’s Central Valley for more than three decades and farmed a few of his own acres. For my dad, the goal is getting quality produce to customers in the Golden State and beyond, and seeing his friends and neighbors succeed in their farm businesses.”