organic farming

What Does Organic Mean?

By The FruitGuys on August 2, 2024

Every year, Americans buy about 8% more organic products than they did the year before. That’s a remarkable rate of industry growth. You’ve probably put a crisp organic apple or head of lettuce into …

Filed Under: Health and Fitness Tagged With: California, organic farming, small farms, sustainable agriculture

Meet the Farmers Growing Your Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

By Erin Mittelstaedt on July 17, 2024

I have two little boys at home, one three-year-old and one eight-year-old. Their art projects aren’t exactly museum-worthy (although I hope you won’t tell them I said so). Still, when they run over to …

Filed Under: Chief Banana Tagged With: family farmers, fresh fruit, organic farming

Farmer of the Month: Amber Balakian of Balakian Farms

By Lex Flamm on July 15, 2024

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 …

Filed Under: Profiles Tagged With: California, farmer of the month, organic farming, stone fruit

Arizona’s Own Valley Farms

By FruitGuys Staff on November 11, 2013

At 4,000 feet, the Willcox area in Northern Cochise County, AZ, was known as the “Cattle Capital” in the Old West days. Situated near Dos Cabezas Mountains, Willcox is now a major producer …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Profiles Tagged With: organic farming, organic fruit, sustainable farming

Profile: Olson Family Farms

By Heidi Lewis on July 28, 2013

Olson Family Farms in California’s Central Valley is truly a family affair. Five generations have lived on the farmstead and worked the land since John and Anna Olson emigrated from Sweden in 1888. …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Profiles Tagged With: California, nectarine, organic farming, organic fruit, stone fruit

New Family Farm

By Heidi Lewis on May 23, 2013

New Family Farm of Sebastopol, California, was one of six farms awarded grants in April 2013 from The FruitGuys Community Fund, a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives. An outgrowth of …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Profiles Tagged With: California, family farm, fruitguys community fund, organic farming, sustainable farming

Farmers on Food Safety

By FruitGuys Staff on April 10, 2013

By Judith Redmond of Full Belly Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop When I first heard the term “food safety” I knew that even the term itself was a problem, representing an approach to …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Profiles Tagged With: family farm, food safety, organic farming, sustainability

The Farm Bill: Why Farmers Need to Be Activists

By Tanya Tolchin on March 25, 2013

Many small family farms switch into gear in late winter and early spring to get the farm season on track. On our farm we are busy ordering seeds, building new hoop houses, fixing fences, tuning up …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News Tagged With: family farm, farm, organic farming, organic fruit, small farms

Durst Organic Growers

By Heidi Lewis on March 23, 2013

Farming with Heart By Heidi Lewis The main ingredient in good vegetables, says farmer Jim Durst, is soil: “Feed the soil, and the soil will feed the plants." Jim and his wife, Deborah, have been …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Profiles Tagged With: family farm, farm, organic farming

Subsidizing Big Ag

By Charlene Oldham on October 11, 2012

Small Farms Left Out of Farm Bill By Charlene Oldham When the first “farm bill” was created in the late 1930s to help family farms, horses and hand plows were as common on farms as Model …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News Tagged With: Agriculture, family farm, farm, farmers, health, organic farming, sustainability

Research, Education & Farming

By Judith Redmond on May 16, 2012

By Judith Redmond of Full Belly Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Years ago, when I was studying at the University of California, I noticed that there was research being done on “organic” …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Profiles Tagged With: Agriculture, California, organic farming, pesticides

Sustainability, Resources, Food Safety are Hot Topics

By Heidi Lewis on February 7, 2012

Winter Farm Conferences The Monterey Peninsula is one of the most beautiful spots in the world, but it wasn't just the sparkly ocean breeze dancing through the pines that brought a near sell-out …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News Tagged With: Agriculture, family farm, organic farming, small farms

The Lemon Lady

By FruitGuys Staff on February 2, 2012

Karen Morss is called the Lemon Lady. She started her suburban Emerald Hills, CA (San Mateo County), an organic citrus farm, Lemon Ladies Orchard, in 2004. She has done her part breaking glass …

Filed Under: Profiles Tagged With: California, farm, organic farming, organic fruit

Reflecting on Summer

By Jeff Main on October 26, 2011

By Jeff Main of Good Humus Produce, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop It seems like a long time since I’ve had a chance to touch bases with all of you, as a matter of fact, it has been a long …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Profiles Tagged With: California, fall, organic farming, summer, sustainability

Health Per Acre

By Judith Redmond on June 8, 2011

By Judith Redmond of Full Belly Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Despite heavy rain, a surprisingly large group of people turned out for the Full Belly Open Farm Day. While we couldn’t …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Profiles Tagged With: California, organic farming, spring, sustainability, sustainable farming

Preservation Harvest plums now available on West Coast

By The FruitGuys on July 21, 2010

Introducing Preservation Harvest—produce that makes a difference. Buying plums can help save a farm and make healthier land. West Coast customers, get a box of 25 refreshing Black Amber Plums from …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News, Impact Tagged With: organic farming, stone fruit

Tale of a Scientist Farmer

By Chris Mittelstaedt on July 19, 2010

Ed Magee spends his days thinking about sunlight. When he isn’t working on his 38-acre orchard of white peaches and nectarines in Vernalis, California, he’s in a lab studying the energy of …

Filed Under: FruitGuys News Tagged With: Farm Steward, nectarine, organic farming, stone fruit, sustainability