Farmer of the Month: Vince Bernard of Bernard Ranch

It can be tough to get a farmer on the phone during their busiest season. But when The FruitGuys called Vince Bernard of Bernard Ranch to check in on how his family farm in Riverside, CA, was doing, he was happy to chat about everything from his specialty citrus crops to his farm’s continued recovery from the pandemic.

“The Kishu mandarins are just absolutely phenomenal, and that season is going to be over in a month — it’s just that quick!” he told us.

The Tiny, Tasty Kishu

Kishu mandarins are tiny walnut-sized citrus fruits. They arrived in California by way of Japan in 1983. A single Kishu makes a delicious one-bite snack, but it’s hard to resist eating them by the handful. Vince said:

“It’s cute as can be. The little sections come off really easily and the flavor is magnificent. It’s light, delicate, and sweet. It bursts in your mouth like a little snow cone!”

Kishus are seedless and so easy to peel that a child can do it.

“Mothers really like them for their littler kids,” Vince said. “You’d be amazed how many mothers say, ‘This is awesome! My little 5-year-old gobbles them up 3 or 4 at a time and I don’t even have to peel them.’”

Kishus have a short blink-and-you’ll-miss-it season. Bernard’s citrus harvest keeps rolling from there with crops like blood oranges and their famous heirloom Cara Cara navel oranges, which The FruitGuys often adds to its fruit boxes. Vince’s voice glows when he talks about his fruit — but ask what it’s like to farm in California right now and his tone turns grim.

Water Worries In Citrus Paradise

In 2020, Bernard Ranch’s sales fell almost 70% due to COVID-19 restaurant and farmers market closures. Vince had to tear out 500 of his citrus trees so he could afford to water the rest. (You might remember that The FruitGuys also sold 10-pound bags of Vince’s oranges to help him reach a larger market.) Today, Vince said most of his restaurant and farmers’ market business is back, but water remains a serious problem. He told FruitGuys that the issue is twofold: It’s expensive and there isn’t enough of it.

As of January 2024, Riverside County isn’t currently experiencing a drought according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. But more than five years of extreme drought have already created fierce competition for the western region’s water. Californians are facing depleted aquifers and pressure to reduce water use from the Colorado River.

For farmers like Vince, this has manifested in steep irrigation rate increases, sometimes twice a year, from Western Municipal Water District and Valley Center Municipal Water District with “no relief in sight.”

In May 2023, California, Arizona, and Nevada agreed to reduce their water use from the Colorado River by 13% through 2026. Cal Matters reported that “Growers in the Imperial Valley [which includes Imperial and Riverside counties] are expected to weather the bulk of California’s cuts.”

“I haven’t been able to slow down,” said Vince, noting that he’s still working 20-hour days, just like he did during the COVID-19 crisis. “We’ve really been addressing this water issue, desperately trying to get some water out of the ground and doing any and everything to save the long-term growth [of our trees]. … If we don’t get more water and more help getting water from our federal government and state government, you’re literally telling people, ‘You can’t grow fruit here, you can’t grow your food here. You’re going to have to grow it in other parts of the world.'”

Vince is also having trouble sourcing young citrus trees from local nurseries because of a federal quarantine of the Asian citrus psyllid — a disease-carrying invasive pest that threatens California citrus.

Bright Spots on The Farm

There is some good news on the farm, too. Vince is hopeful that his son, AJ Bernard — who has been working with him on the farm for years — will take over the groves one day. In the meantime, Vince and his wife Vicky love connecting with their regular customers at the many farmers markets they attend, including the recently-added Campbell Farmers Market.

Markets are “just great social time, and it feels meaningful to grow fruit and watch people you know eating your fruit,” Vince said.

Vince also turns to his tractor when times get tough. When FruitGuys last visited Bernard Ranch, he told us that tractor rides are his version of therapy.

How You Can Help Family Farmers Like Vince

If you’d like to help family farmers like Vince, consider investing in fresh fruit delivery from The FruitGuys. We source from more than 200 small, regional farms and producers across the U.S. including Bernard Ranch. You can also support organizations like The FruitGuys Community Fund, a nonprofit that provides annual grants to small farms for sustainability projects including water conservation.