Every spring, the AsaJu Asian pear trees in Subarashii Kudamono’s orchards release a shower of delicate white petals. The falling flowers reveal tiny pears the size of marbles—and that’s when the real work begins. Orchard manager Tyler Hollenbach and his crew work their way up and down the rows of trees, swaddling each petite pear by hand in a wax-lined
In some ways, a family farm is just an extra-large kitchen garden. It’s an extension of the home and the people that live there—at least, that’s how fourth-generation farmer Amber Balakian feels about Balakian Farms. “We care for the land because we live on it; it’s not just this property that is separate from us,” she told The FruitGuys when
“So, a social worker, a farmer, an engineer, and a salesman walk into a bar…” That sounds like the beginning of a cheesy joke, but if you swap the word “farm” in for “bar,” it’s pretty close to the story of how Abby Schilling purchased Mick Klüg Farms from her father, Mick Klüg, seven years ago. From Farmer to Social
When John Warmerdam was a kid, his school bus didn’t drop him off at home—or even at the corner near his house. Instead, it took him to his family’s fruit packing shed. “That’s where my parents were,” John told The FruitGuys. “All of my summers were spent around the packing shed getting into trouble and getting in the way.” John’s
Stepping out of the car and onto the soil of JSM Organics in Royal Oaks, California, felt like setting foot in an orderly kind of paradise. Spring sunshine swept over the strawberry fields and highlighted workers harvesting berries in bright red and yellow shirts. Everywhere I looked, my eyes met green plants or vibrantly blue sky. I arrived at JSM
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 4:30 a.m.” We were lucky to snag a few minutes on Emily’s calendar during the harvest of her family farm’s most famous fruit. Friend’s Ranches has grown
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 forward. That dramatic moment kicked off a 24-Hour Relay Swim. From 9 a.m. February 3 through 9 a.m. February 4, more than 50 swimmers from
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
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