Vigo

Today was our field trip to Vigo manufacturing and distribution center. It was very interesting to me (although most of the kids became bored and tried pretty quickly ... until the food eating time). I've been intrigued by how products come into existence in the form that I see them, and we got to walk through this huge center where there were huge barrels of spices, vats of olive oil holding over 6,000 gallons of oil, machines pouring rice into bags and then sealing the bags, cutting them apart from each other and sending them along the conveyor belt to be put in boxes, and later pallets of boxes carefully stacked by another machine and then twirled around and around as the cellophane wrap wound around the whole crate. Then there was the bread crumb oven which was made from the same material as space ships because it had to withstand the heat from the fire going inside of it. It was a huge cylinder that was constantly rotating and for every 100 lbs of shredded bread they shot into it, 60 lbs would become completely toasted (40 lbs are lost through moisture) and therefore become light enough to float in the air as the cylinder rotated, and consequently become sucked out by the vacuum at the end and shot into the huge bins to collect the bread crumbs. This in turn got put into another system of machines which got the crumbs put into the appropriate cylinders, labeled and sealed, boxed and cellophane wrapped and sent out for distribution. Amazing. The variety of smells and sites throughout the tour was impressive.

Because of the manufacturing and packaging of all these foods, we were required to wear silly paper hats (similar to the Krispy Kreme hats) to keep our hair out of the food. I wondered if they made us wear them just because they could and it would be funny to see 30 kids and 5 adults wearing paper hats which obviously did nothing to keep our hair from going anywhere if it had wanted to.

So the part that the kids loved best (and which I also enjoyed and was definitely ready for after walking all over the plant for over an hour): Lunch! They served us food which they make and distribute: yellow rice (their specialty) with hot dogs, green beans with special flavoring (chicken stock, I think), delicious bread with a yummy sauce, olives, feta cheese and Greek peppers. Yum! After that, the kids were very appreciative and positive about the field trip....

We had a good time overall. I was interested in watching the whole conveyor belt processing of everything and the incredibly designed and exact machines. I also enjoyed watching the various kids' reactions to things. One girl who was absorbed in watching the olive oil be exactly measured into the bottles and sent along to the appropriate boxes. The rest of the class moved on and she just stayed there glued to the processes. All of the kids sprinting out of the "cooler" area (35 - 40 degrees) once they were given the chance, exclaiming about the freezing temperatures! The boy with the amusing question: "Who's with me for an extreme game of hide and seek?" in the huge warehouse filled with pallets of boxes stacked 3 or 4 stories high in long row upon long row. All the kids covering their faces with the shirts or hands in the spice room, desperately trying to keep from gagging at the pungent and unfamiliar odors.

At the very end of the tour, before walking into the quaint "restaurant" area to eat our lunch, we passed by the tiny kitchen where they prepare foods and try out new ideas for products. It was a perfect little kitchen that I wish I had taken a picture of. It was small, but bright and clean and just made me want to go in and start cooking or experimenting with different food products and coming up with new ideas. It also made me think of Sarah Ann and how she would fit perfectly into that scene. Maybe someday I'll be able to go back and get some more pictures of the place.