In late June we sent an email out to our 2009 and 2010 Postharvest Technology Short Course participants.  The Postharvest Technology Short Course is a week-long intensive study of a broad spectrum of postharvest topics, including lectures and labs, followed by an optional week-long tour of postharvest facilities around California. We were curious about the continuing impact made on those who had attended the course.  We especially wanted to know if the information they learned had made a difference in their business practices, and if the course continued to provide an ongoing benefit to those who attended.

When asked if the information learned in the lectures was helpful to them currently, 87% of those who responded...