Recently our distribution manager (and resident Greek myth scholar) returned from Greece where he found an ancient "B-roll" of video on the mythic history of the fig. Here is a transcript from that …
Sonoma County Unique August 28, 2006
This time of year, I like to write about Lee Walker and his family farm. Lee's grandfather (Arthur Upp) planted the first Gravenstein apple orchard on the property in 1912, and the apples we have in …
O’ My Henry! August 21, 2006
Dan's trips to the heat-soaked central valley of California are providing us with a taste explosion. He is in search for the O'Henry peach. You can recognize this fruit from its dark red color and …
Getting Fresh with the Banana August 14, 2006
In 2006, the San Francisco Bay Guardian editors awarded us with their Best of the Bay selection for "Best Banana in your inbox." They held a party to celebrate all the "Best of" winners at San …
The Kingsburg Connection August 7, 2006
During a heat wave in August 2006, our produce buyer Dan has been suffering it more than most. On his long fruit-finding trips to the central part of California, Dan sweats the details of delicious …
Sweet & Fancy Memories July 24, 2006
It was 1982 — 7th grade at Valley Forge Junior High school. My shop teacher, Mr. Mickey, had the stereotypical nub of an index finger that he could put on his nose, so it looked like it was going into …
The tantalizing Black Apricot July 3, 2006
The Black Apricot. Our trusty fruit scout Dan discovered these treasures in Kingsburg, California and brought them back for us to experience. Even seasoned FruitGuys staffers were left speechless …
Magee & Flavor Supreme June 26, 2006
In Vernalis, California the Magee family has a farm of white peaches and nectarines. Their house is bordered on one side by a row of peach trees that run into their backyard - a 38-acre orchard. They …
Hector vs. Goliath June 19, 2006
The Aguilar family has been farming their land in Modesto for four generations. Serafin Aguilar (picture far right) and his two sons, Hector and Frank, share the duties of tending their crops. The …
Fla-Fla-Flavorosa (republished 6/12/06)
The folks around the office make fun of me when the flavorosa pluot begins to come in. I must have some synaptic cross-wiring because when I bite into the sugary-sweet flesh of the purple-plum looking …
What happens at 3am? May 22, 2006
Dan, our produce buyer, is an amiable jokester. Quick-witted with a lanky frame that can mime the backdrop to any story - he's a natural at making people laugh. He glides smoothly amongst farmers, …
The Family Tree May 15, 2006
It's mother's day, and I'm thinking about the perfect gift for my wife. Sure there will be the extra hour of morning sleep while I try to keep the kids tip-toeing around like secret prep-cooks - …
The Banana Zone! May 8, 2006
Imagine a tree, a gigantic herb really, that produces a single flower. From that frightful and fantastic flower grow 20 hands. If this seems impressive and terrifying to you, if it puts images of …
Wave A Magic Wand April 24, 2006
The kids are sitting quietly as we all read the adventures of Harry Potter and the students at Hogwarts school of magic. It's an obsession in our household lately, and the cat hates it. I go running …
It’s All of This April 17, 2006
A two-year-old boy has a blonde peach-fuzz head, long eyelashes, and sky-blue eyes. He's toddling around the office after his dad - Erik, picking up trash. The inflatable blow-up bouncy-bounce is …
The plane or the pilot? April, 10 2006
It's 4:30 on a Friday afternoon at LAX. I'm waiting for my flight to San Francisco to board. A group of five-year-old kids wearing i-pod headphones is singing out of key and out of synch. People wait, …
The Dog Days of Spring April 3, 2006
It must be spring because my son had his first little league game. An hour into the game, as tired kids slumped at their positions, the second to last batter hit a ball between first and second base. …
Guns, Butter and Fruit – March 27, 2006
According to the March 18th, 2006 San Francisco Chronicle article "Apricots fall from favor," in 1980 24,900 acres of California farmland was devoted to apricots while only 14,500 are today. The …
So then this guy walks into a giant banana. . .March 20, 2006
It must have been the time I was eating my Alpha-Bits cereal and watching "Letter-Man" on The Electric Company, that 1970s post-Sesame Street PBS show with the superhero who pulls letters from his …
Cocktails Anyone? March 13, 2006
Here's my elevator pitch: George Cunningham, the grower of this week's Cocktail Grapefruit, could be the Tom Cruise of farming. In the 1988 movie "Cocktail," Cruise moved from New York to Jamaica to …
