This post is sponsored by Bolthouse Farms and SHE Media. All opinions are my own.
Lizzie in Lace, fashionable… farmer? It’s not very often that I wear both jeans anddd a t-shirt but recently, I traded in my frilly dresses and hair bows for a more casual look 😉 I learned about all about the process of taking carrots from the farm to the grocery store shelves with a visit to Bolthouse Farms. Read on to see more of my adventure!
It all started in 1915 with a carrot farm in Grant, Michigan, and by 1950, Bolthouse Farms, with a strong reputation for flavor and quality, became the leading carrot supplier in the Midwest. More than a century later, Bolthouse farms grew all the way to California’s Central Valley… where I live!
Being from Bakersfield, I am no stranger to Bolthouse Farms. In fact, you can usually find my fridge stocked up with a variety of their juices and dressings! The Central Valley is very rich in agriculture (80% of the nation’s carrots are grown in California!) and although I’ve lived here for quite some time, I never quite understood everything that went into growing our food.
I was thrilled with the opportunity to visit Bolthouse Farms and get a firsthand look at not only how our food is grown but how they take it from the farm to the grocery store shelves. The process was incredible, to say the least!
We started the day off at the farm, an amazing and awe-inspiring moment. You could see carrots as far as the eye could see and after talking with the farmers (one of them a fourth generation farmer), I not only understood the process a bit more but also saw the genuine passion they had for farming. And let me tell you, it is hard work and I have so much more respect for what they do for us – think long hours, 7 days a week in varying weather conditions (it can get up to 115 degrees here in the summer!). We even had the opportunity to pick our own carrots and ride the harvester, a machine that pulls thousands of carrots out of the field every day. It was such a neat experience!!
After seeing the farm, we took a trip to the factory to see how they produced various things like baby carrots, carrot shreds, and juice along others. There were so many machines that did different things like “sanding” the baby carrots to give them their unique shape, filling up bottles with the freshly made juices and my personal favorite, the crazy fast robot arms that perfectly packaged orders. The process was very simple and straightforward yet very efficient. It was really an incredible thing to witness.
After the factory tour, we ended our day at research and development. They are often the ones that develop new products, taste tests and local panels. We got to sample the carrot juice (which incredibly has no added sugar, no artificial colors or flavors, and no artificial preservatives) and create our own carrot ice cream concoctions! Before this, I wasn’t sure what to think about carrots, but this completely changed my mind. The carrot juice was really delicious! And the ice cream… well, I can’t stop talking about it! Carrot ice cream sounds a bit strange but trust me on this one…it’s soooooo good – almost like a mix of vanilla and honey flavors (it tastes amazing with fresh fruit toppings and sprinkles, of course!).
Overall, our Bolthouse Farms visit was incredible, and I respect where my food comes from so much more. I loved learning about the entire process and am impressed by the simplicity of Bolthouse Farms process to ensure freshness for all consumers with real ingredients that they source themselves. These farmers work so hard, and I’m really proud to have them in my community. This peak behind-the-scenes has really inspired me to start making better decisions when it comes to my food choices 🙂
Fun Facts:
- Carrots are an incredible source of vitamin A (an antioxidant), which helps immensely with eyesight!
- One big carrot can create 6-7 baby carrots!
- After growing carrots in a field, it’s ideal to switch them out for a different crop since carrots take out some of the important nutrients from the soil.
- There is a 3 year rotation for growing carrots in the same field so the field doesn’t get diseased.
- A 15.2 ounce bottle of carrot juice holds 3 and 3/4 servings of vegetables and is American Heart Health Certified!
What is your favorite Bolthouse Farms® product?
xo
