Meet the Family Farm Bringing Exotic Fruit to The FruitGuys’ Boxes

In the chilly heart of winter, Rising C Ranches is alive with colorful exotic fruit. Bright yellow Buddha’s hands dangle from trees, reaching for the ground with bumpy fingers, and golfball-sized mandarinquats hang overhead like orange teardrops. It’s a winter wonderland of citrus—and Jacob Labogin, the director of farm and harvest operations, keeps it all going. 

“We pack around thirty-five different commodities,” Jacob told The FruitGuys when we called to check in on his winter harvest. “We have our bread and butter—the navel oranges, Cara Caras, mandarins, blood oranges, and stuff like that—but we also have a heavy position in specialty fruit like yuzu, bergamot, Buddha’s hands, mandarinquats, and Nagami kumquats. That’s what we’re known for: those specialty items that not a lot of people grow or pack in the valley.”

A Winter Wonderland of Exotic Citrus

December and January are the busiest months of the year for Rising C Ranches. The 200-acre family farm in Orosi, California, grows citrus and avocados and packs fruit for its neighbors under the name Fruition Sales/Ripe to You. The FruitGuys first partnered with Fruition Sales in 2016. We sell its exotic fruit to offices and schools in bulk cases and add bites like blood oranges and kumquats to our winter fruit mixes to keep things fun and colorful. 

“It’s cool to [help The FruitGuys] supply schools and offices with niche products, things their customers weren’t even aware were out there,” Jacob said. 

The Family Behind the Farm

Fruition Sales/Ripe to You may have a wide reach, but it’s a family farm at heart. Eric and Kim Christensen bought the land where Rising C Ranches sits in 1988, when it was just an apricot orchard. Eric already had a passion for exotic fruit at the time. He’d previously owned a small plot of mandarin orange trees and packed the fruit for sale in his garage. Fresh mandarins lovingly tucked into old wooden persimmon crates were a regular Christensen Christmas gift. 

In the winter of 1989–1990, a bad freeze wiped out Rising C’s apricot crop. Luckily, they already had sweet lime trees on hand! They quickly pivoted to growing specialty citrus—including their beloved mandarins. 

Today, Eric and Kim still own and operate the farm, and Jacob is their right-hand man. He spends his days walking the fields, managing the harvest crews, and crunching numbers to make sure they’re picking each type of fruit at just the right time for the best quality and flavor. 

Growing and Picking the Perfect Fruit

Jacob loves working outside and navigating the curveballs the weather throws at him. He and his team steward the land by avoiding harsh chemicals—spraying only when they absolutely have to—and picking every piece of fruit by hand as orders come in, which can sometimes be tricky. The winter days are short, and the weather has to be perfect for picking: not too cold or too wet. 

“Each commodity needs to be harvested differently, cared for differently, and packed differently,” Jacob explained. 

For example, irregularly shaped Buddha’s hands and delicate mandarinquats get special treatment: They’re plucked from their trees and snuggled gently into small totes. But that’s all Jacob will say about the TLC he gives his crops. 

“We don’t want to give away the tricks of the trade!” he joked. 

Farmer Jacob’s Favorite Bites

Fruition Sales/Ripe to You is known for growing exotic fruits like Buddha’s hands (a unique citrus variety without juice, pulp, or seeds that has a sweet rind and is best zested) and kumquats (sweet-skinned, tart-fleshed citrus you can pop in your mouth and eat whole). But Jacob is partial to its mandarin oranges. 

Satsuma Mandarins

The Satsuma mandarin is Jacob’s top pick. It’s a larger mandarin with an oblate shape, bumpy skin, and a bit of a topknot where the stem attaches. 

“When it’s good, it’s so good that there’s nothing better,” he said. “…I eat them all day long when I’m checking the fields. I’ve always loved that piece of fruit. It has a little bit of bite to it sometimes. It’s not overly sweet—just a really good, balanced piece of fruit.”

Kishu Mandarins

Tiny Kishu mandarins take second place on Jacob’s list. They’re bright orange and about the size of a quarter, so it’s easy to eat a handful at a time. 

“It’s a super-sweet, seedless, easy-peeler mandarin that’s really cool to grow and eat,” he said. 

Coming Soon from the Farm

When we called Jacob in late December, his team was busy picking Buddha’s hands and mandarinquats. The harvest of Satsuma mandarins, Page mandarins, navel oranges, Cara Cara oranges, and blood oranges was right around the corner. Soon, our fruit boxes will be bursting with fresh and juicy California citrus!

Get a Taste in The FruitGuys’ Exotic Fruit Boxes

We make it easy to try new and exciting fruits from Fruition Sales/Ripe to You and other family farms. Here are two ways to get your hands on something unique for your office, school, or home. 

Mixed Boxes with a Wide Fruit Variety

Our mixes vary by region and change every week, but we often add exotic fruits, especially in the winter months. West Coast fruit lovers can look for bites from Fruition Sales/Ripe to You in many of our mixes, especially the Harvest Mix and Season’s Best Box. 

Bulk Cases of Exotic Fruit

Browse our Marketplace by the Case page to see the fruits available in bulk near you. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, just ask customer service for help. Our fruit supersleuths can probably track it down.