California

Farmer of the Month: Emily Ayala of Friend’s Ranches

By Lex Flamm on March 11, 2024

Emily Ayala’s voice is both exhausted and euphoric. “We’re starting the harvest of Ojai Pixies today!” she told The FruitGuys over Zoom on Feb. 28, grinning into the camera. “I’ve been up since …

Filed Under: Profiles Tagged With: California, citrus, family farm, farmer of the month

Farmer of the Month: Bianca Kaprielian of Fruit World

By Lex Flamm on February 23, 2024

At 9 a.m. on February 3, 2024, swimmers lined up on the shore of the San Francisco Bay. The chilly water beckoned, droplets leaping up and causing shivers. Then — splash! They dove in and surged …

Filed Under: Profiles Tagged With: California, citrus, farmer of the month, farmers, small farms

Farmer of the Month: Vince Bernard of Bernard Ranch

By Lex Flamm on January 30, 2024

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, …

Filed Under: Profiles Tagged With: California, citrus, family farm, farmer of the month, sustainable farming

Fun and Healthy Valentine’s Day Activities for Students

By Lex Flamm on January 23, 2024

Valentine’s Day in the classroom typically features an avalanche of chocolates, conversation hearts, and sugar highs — but you don’t have to join the chaos! With a bit of foresight, you can plan fun …

Filed Under: Health and Fitness Tagged With: California, farm-to-school program, fresh fruit, healthy kids

Save an Apple and Help a Farmer

By Chris Mittelstaedt on August 15, 2023

I wrote a couple weeks ago about how much I love Gravenstein apple season– and now it’s here! We will be making deliveries the weeks of August 21 and 28. You can experience this endangered heritage …

Filed Under: Profiles Tagged With: California, Gravenstein, small farms, support small farms

The Gamble of Early Summer Fruit

By Chris Mittelstaedt on May 9, 2023

Long ago I wondered why slot machines used cherries as the winning images for hitting the jackpot. It didn’t make sense to me. Maybe a dollar sign, or a star, but cherries? It seemed odd. Yet a …

Filed Under: Chief Banana Tagged With: California, stone fruit, summer fruit

Women Growing Change: The Class of 2022 FruitGuys Community Fund Grantees

By Pia Hinckle on May 5, 2022

A diverse group of women farmers dominate the 2022 class of grantees for The FruitGuys Community Fund, the nonprofit’s 10th year of providing grants to small farms and agricultural nonprofits that …

Filed Under: Impact Tagged With: California, Chicago, fruitguys community fund, New York, small farms, small grants, sustainability

Farm Grantees Make Progress Despite Pandemic

By The FruitGuys Community Fund on September 18, 2020

The FruitGuys Community Fund 2020 grantee farms have sent us their interim updates, and in spite of the pandemic, these farms and organizations have done some incredible work! These 15 small farms and …

Filed Under: Impact Tagged With: California, Chicago, farm, farmers, fruitguys community fund, New York, Pennsylvania, pollinators, small farms, support small farms, sustainable agriculture

The 2020 FruitGuys Community Fund Grantees

By The FruitGuys Community Fund on May 13, 2020

During the COVID-19 crisis, small farms are showing once again just how essential they are to keeping our local communities fed, healthy, and functioning. The FruitGuys Community Fund is excited to …

Filed Under: Profiles Tagged With: California, farm, farmers, fruitguys community fund, New York, Pennsylvania, pollinators, small farms, support small farms, sustainable agriculture

Eat the Endangered Gravenstein Apple

By Pia Hinckle on August 1, 2019

“Farming is a complex math problem,” sighs Dave Hale as he looks sadly at piles of wood chips that had been Gravenstein apple trees in the lot next to his thriving Sebastopol, CA, orchard. He tended …

Filed Under: Profiles Tagged With: California, farm, Gravenstein

Less Time to Chill

By Pia Hinckle on April 23, 2015

Cherries are finicky trees. They don’t like it when it gets too hot, when there’s not enough rain, and when it doesn’t stay cold enough during the winter. For the last few winters, California’s …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Profiles Tagged With: Agriculture, California, drought, stone fruit

Buy a Box; Save an Apple

By Miriam Wolf on July 25, 2014

Like the snowy owl and the snail darter, foods can be endangered too. If farmers stop growing your favorite variety of tomato because it’s too hard to ship or too prone to pests, we come that much …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Profiles Tagged With: California, farm, GoodWorks, Gravenstein

Perspectives on Drought Part 1: Alexis Robertson of Skyelark Ranch

By Alexis Robertson on January 29, 2014

Recently, California’s growers and water districts approached Governor Jerry Brown to declare California in a state of drought. It has been one of the driest winters on record and the state’s …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Profiles Tagged With: California, drought

California’s Bitter Drought

By Pia Hinckle on January 23, 2014

Image courtesy of NOAA California Governor Jerry Brown declared on January 17, 2014, what farmers and ranchers have known for some time -- the state is in a drought, possibly the worst one in …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News Tagged With: California, drought, farm, fruitguys community fund

10 Fun Facts About Citrus

By Alexander Scaletta on December 12, 2013

Once again, we have felt a monumental shift in the weather here in the valley. Pleasantly warm fall days have given way to frosty mornings that turn into short frigid days. Many trees have been …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Profiles Tagged With: antioxidants, California, citrus

The Last Pixie Show

By Friend 's Ranch on October 23, 2013

Ever wonder what an Ojai Pixie does during the off-season? Well here is a little insight about the secret lives of out-of-season Pixies. Lately some friends of mine, during our usual after-school …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Profiles Tagged With: California, citrus

Chicken with Apples, Potatoes & Escarole

By FruitGuys Staff on September 27, 2013

Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop INGREDIENTS 3/4 lb potatoes, cut in to 1 inch cubes 4 boneless chicken breasts with skin (I also use pork chops in this recipe) Salt and pepper to …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Recipes Tagged With: apple, California

Raw Carrot Onion Salad

By FruitGuys Staff on September 19, 2013

Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop INGREDIENTS 3 carrots, grated 1/2 small onion, diced 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, grated (optional) 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Recipes Tagged With: California, salad

A Look Back At August On Riverdog Farm

By FruitGuys Staff on September 5, 2013

Image by Riverdog Farm, Guinda CA Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop 8/27/13 The first sign of the changing seasons in our region is cooler nighttime temperatures. Last week we had nighttime …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News Tagged With: California

Tales of Tomato Season

By Seth Wright on August 29, 2013

As I drive around the valley, everywhere I look, tomato plants are quickly growing larger. Watching them grow is torture because tomatoes have been on my mind since they went out of season early last …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Profiles Tagged With: California