Post Harvest Handling with Ave 33

Join us for a hands-on workshop covering Post-Harvest Handling with Avenue 33 Farm!

This session will guide growers through the essential steps to prepare their harvest for its next stage—whether that’s storage, sale, or distribution.

Many farmers and beginning growers may not realize the importance of post-harvest practices. The way you cool, wash, and handle your produce directly affects its quality, shelf life, and ability to reduce food waste. Our speaker will guide you through each stage of the post-harvest handling process—from harvesting and cleaning to sorting, packing, storing, and transporting—all from the perspective of an urban farm.

We’ll begin the day by exploring key food safety standards, such as GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) and FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act), and how urban farms can move toward compliance. Participants will then engage in an activity to assess their own post-harvest areas, identifying potential improvements based on their current workflows. The session will conclude with a tour of the farm and its harvest facilities, offering a firsthand look at a GAP-compliant post-harvest system.

Eric Tomassini | Avenue 33 Farm, Executive Director

Eric Tomassini founded Avenue 33 Farm with his wife, Alison Greer, in 2018. He has been farming for over 17 years in Colorado, Oregon, Northern California. His experience ranges from small to mid-size farms, primarily focused on mixed vegetables, and has also worked with small livestock. Eric has experience with wholesale, direct-to-consumer sales, CSA’s, and farmers markets. Eric has been a part of designing and starting several farms, school gardens, and offers technical assistance for garden and farm design. Currently, Eric is working on creating a farm incubator program to be hosted by Avenue 33 Farm with the goal of providing hands-on training and management experience for aspiring Los Angeles farmers.

Andrea Oloughlin | Avenue 33 Farm, Program Manager

At Avenue 33 Farm, Andrea has her hands in all aspects of the farm! On the farm, Andrea trains and educates K-College students, volunteers, and Avenue 33 Farms interns and staff. In her past work, Andrea has facilitated youth workshops, assisted with curriculum development for a local youth organization, and worked as an outreach specialist and community organizer. Her diverse experience, passion for learning, and infectious energy have been a critical part of Avenue 33 Farm’s growth.

Data Collection Notice

Thank you for registering for the Cultivating Farmers workshop series. As part of our commitment to equity and impact, we are collecting information to better understand who we’re reaching and how we can improve our programs.

Your responses will be used by the Los Angeles Food Policy Council (LAFPC) for reporting and program evaluation purposes only. This helps us ensure that our workshops are accessible, relevant, and responsive to the needs of farmers and food growers across Los Angeles. All questions are optional, and your responses will remain confidential and anonymized in any reporting.

Host or Publisher Los Angeles Food Policy Council