Attending agricultural trade shows comes with the territory for those of us who write about and photograph crop production. I’ve attended dozens through the years, but until the International Fruit Tree Association’s recent tour of Northern Italy, I had never been accompanied by growers.

Sure, I’d often see grower-friends at shows, and would spend some time with them visiting the various exhibits. But usually not for long, as they would often stop for long conversations, and with time being limited, I would go off and search for the latest and greatest thing.