Furry Friends from the Farm: Meet the Farm Dogs & Cats!

There’s nothing like the sweet, fuzzy face of a dog or cat to make a long day on the farm a little easier. With that in mind, The FruitGuys team asked our farm partners from across the county to send in stories about their four-legged farm hands. Here are a few of our favorites! 

Shanley Farms: Blue 

Shanley Farms grows delicious finger limes, avocados, and passion fruits for The FruitGuys’ fruit delivery boxes in Morro Bay, California. The family’s 1-year-old pup, Blue, supervises the operation. 

“He watches over the kiddos and takes walks with the family around the farm,” Shanley Farms Office Manager Lauren Kennedy told us. “One of our employees has a dog named Mia who also comes to work, and we consider Blue to be Mia’s ‘boyfriend’! They love playing together for as long as their paw-rents will let them!”

Frecon Farms: Holland and Parker 

Frecon Farms produces juicy peaches and crisp apples for The FruitGuys in Boyertown, Pennsylvania. It’s a third-generation family farm, and Steve Frecon loves taking his 4-year-old chocolate Labrador Retrievers, Holland and Parker, to work with him. 

“I actually built a shower in the garage so I can hose these two beasts off!” Steve told us. “They come home filthy all the time.”

Holland and Parker are brothers, and they each have their own specialties. For example, Holland likes to “help” the crew plant new trees in the rocky Pennsylvania soil. 

“Holland has a strange habit of retrieving rocks. He spends a lot of time with us when we’re planting, and when he was a puppy someone had the idea to throw the rocks out of the way. Now he’s obsessed with bringing rocks to you!”

Parker is part of the farm’s trash cleanup and pest patrol. He’s a professional mouser and even better at sniffing out trouble.

“Parker is great at identifying anything dead or dying in the orchard. He’ll find it and roll in it—hence the shower in the garage,” Steve said. 

Friend’s Ranches: Amber, Clover, and Monty

Friend’s Ranches has grown Ojai Pixie tangerines in California’s Ojai Valley since the 1970s. The tiny fruits offer a big burst of flavor, and FruitGuys customers look forward to them every February. They’re also guarded by two of the cutest cats around!

Fourth-generation citrus farmer Emily Ayala told us that Amber (aka Fluffy) and Clover (aka Little Kitty) keep the Friend’s Ranches warehouse rodent- and snake-free. Clover only has three legs, but she’s still the better hunter of the pair. 

“Yup, one day they were quite proud of their rattlesnake kill and very annoyed that I took it away from them!” Emily said. “Our farm shop is open two mornings a week and Clover loves visitors— she usually snoozes in a tangerine box and pops her head up with a meow to get some attention. We’ve got several customers who regularly visit them and bring cat treats. The Friend’s Ranches cats live a charmed life indeed.”

A new pup recently joined the Friend’s Ranches family too. His name is Monty and he’s an 8-month-old Great Pyrenees mix. Emily said he is “still learning about orchard life” including the spooky noises the sprinklers can make.

Beechwood Orchards: Lizzy and Charlie

Beechwood Orchards is a fifth-generation family farm in Biglerville, Pennsylvania, that turns out flavorful apples, pears, and stone fruits for The FruitGuys. Farmer Melissa Allen told us she has two canine helpers, 5-year-old Charlie and 8-year-old Lizzy. Charlie is the farm’s chief greeter, while Lizzy, an English Springer Spaniel, likes to get more paws-on with the farm work. 

“Lizzy is the head supervisor, occasional forklift copilot, and in charge of quality control for our Asian and Seckel pears. She loves to eat them and demands them throughout the day,” Melissa told us. 

Kauffman Orchard: Paris and Kelly

The Kauffman family has farmed in Bird-In-Hand, Pennsylvania, since 1911, and they grow beautiful apples, peaches, pears, plums, and cherries for The FruitGuys. Orchard Manager Clair Kauffman told us the farm is also home to two little Yorkipoos: Paris (age 10) and her daughter, Kelly (age 3).

“They are companions more than they are working dogs, but they sure love running around the farm trying to hunt voles, rabbits, and squirrels. They are also our official welcoming committee for the many visitors that come to our farm … Probably the most unusual story about Paris is that she once wet-nursed two of our kittens.”

Fruit World: Bean

Fruit World markets and sells fruit grown by more than a half-dozen family farms in California’s Central Valley. We’re big fans of its mandarins, navel oranges, apricots, and grapes. Bianca Kaprielian, the CEO of Fruit World, is a third-generation farmer. She found her pup, Bean, on her grandparents’ ranch. Bean had a rough start to life. She showed up on the ranch as a 1-year-old stray, but she quickly took an interest in farmwork. 

“Bean stuck around and loved following the irrigator around the ranch and being part of the permanent dog pack,” Bianca told us. 

Sadly, a group of stray dogs started picking on Bean. At one point, she was injured so badly that Bianca thought she wouldn’t make it. 

“When the vet said he could save her and she ‘seemed to have a real will to live,’ we decided this sweet little pup had paid her dues and it was time for the cush indoor life. She now lives with me and my wife, has fluffy beds all around the house, and gets fancy food and lots of snuggles,” Bianca told us, adding that Bean is now 8 years old and thriving. 

An Easy Way to Support Small Farms 

When you purchase fresh fruit from The FruitGuys for your office, you’re supporting our family business, the small farms we partner with, and the multigenerational farming families that keep them running. If you’re not a FruitGuys client yet, check out our fresh fruit delivery boxes. We have options for every workplace, and we donate a minimum value of 20% of our annual profits to relieve hunger and support small farms with grants for sustainability projects.