Harvest Luncheon celebrates locally produced food

Mark Jansen, president and CEO of Blue Diamond Growers, was the speaker at the 54th annual Harvest Luncheon at Modesto’s Graceada Park on Friday.

Organizers of the lunch, which raises scholarship money for Modesto Junior College agriculture students, noted both the heat of the day and the somber Sept. 11 anniversary.

Hundreds of attendees braved the smoky, hot day to enjoy Mape’s Ranch tri-tip and other local food, including grapes, tomatoes, cheese and melon.

Jansen, whose Sacramento-based cooperative has processing plants in Salida and Turlock, spoke about the almond industry, saying it has taken an unfair hit from the media concerning its contribution to the drought. He said almonds have an undeserved reputation for using more water than other crops, and pointed out that the majority of the world’s almonds come from California.

This story was originally published September 11, 2015 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Harvest Luncheon celebrates locally produced food."