The 18th annual Fruit Ripening and Retail Handling Workshop, sponsored by the UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center, will be held March 27–28 at the UC Davis Conference Center. The two-day workshop is organized by Carlos Crisosto, a Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences.

The workshop is intended for shippers, fruit handlers (wholesale and retail), quality control personnel, and produce managers who are involved in handling and ripening fruits and fruit-vegetables. Lectures, group discussions, and hands-on demonstrations form the workshop. Topics include how to increase profits by developing ripening protocols, evaluating arrival condition, proper re-tail handling strategies to protect fruits and fruit-vegetables, and delivering ready-to-eat quality produce to the consumer.

Registration is $750, which includes two days of lectures and labs, instructional materials, small group discussion, lunches, coffee breaks, and an evening networking reception. For more informa-tion, visit http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/Education/fruitripening/.