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I was driving home last week when I had a sudden flash of memory. I’m standing in the green grass field at my elementary school in the suburbs of Philadelphia. It’s the late ‘80s, and my classmates and I are writing messages about ourselves on notecards and tying them to helium balloons. It’s almost time for the big sendoff: The
When The FruitGuys called farmer Vernon Peterson in late March to talk about organic apricots, he picked up the phone from the middle of his nectarine orchard. His smiling face filled up the video call’s screen, and behind him, we saw a sea of green. “These are our cover crops,” he said, gesturing proudly to what looked like long grasses
Your fruit has a story—but do you know it? We’ve gathered answers to some of the most common questions we get about where our produce comes from to help you get acquainted. 1. Where does The FruitGuys’ produce come from? We source our produce from small family farms near our regional hubs whenever we can. However, we can’t source from
“Try this one, it’s the best,” micro farmer Byron Nkhoma says, bending down and plucking a few leaves from an arugula plant. He hands them out for our little group to taste. The leaves are peppery—just as I expected—but somehow creamier than other arugula I’ve tried. Byron says it’s because they come from an older plant. Continuing through his farm
Helen, my wife’s late grandmother, loved the Christmas holiday growing up. It wasn’t the presents that made it special. (Her family lived in rural West Virginia during the Depression and could rarely afford any.) It was the fact that her dad always bought a case of Coke and a bag of Florida oranges for their family of six to celebrate.
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 your own shopping cart at some point with your eye on the USDA Organic seal. But what does the word “organic” on that sticker actually mean?
Nobody’s perfect. We were all born a tiny bit uneven, whether because of the way our freckles land on our faces or the slightly mismatched size of our feet. Nature leaves its mark on all of us — and it does the same thing to fruit. If you’ve ever bought fruit from The FruitGuys, you might have noticed that some
Every winter, FruitGuys Senior Buyer and Chief Fruit Detective Rebecca North counts down the days to the EcoFarm Conference. The event hosted by the non-profit Ecological Farming Association brings together farmers, educators, scientists, and more for four days of workshops, farm tours, and presentations. This year, EcoFarm 2024 popped up in Pacific Grove, CA, and ran from Jan. 16–20. “More
Balance feels like something we need these days. Between wild weather (in California at least) and banking instability, finding balance for farmers, and the ag industry in general has been a bit of a high-wire act as of late. The business of farming is naturally fraught with uncertainty. Our produce is living plants that are at the whims of the
As we reflect back on another challenging year, we are incredibly grateful for our clients and their positive impact on people and the planet through The FruitGuys GoodWorks Programs. Together in 2021, we fed nearly 1 million people in need and helped sustain small farms. “In another difficult year for farms and small businesses like ours, we are so grateful
Rebecca North, The FruitGuys Senior Buyer and chief Fruit Detective, has been awarded the prestigious 2021 Golden Pliers Award from the Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm). According to EcoFarm, a non-profit based in Soquel, CA whose mission is to “nurture safe, healthy, just, and ecologically sustainable farms, food systems, and communities,” the Golden Pliers Award is given to “the person or
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 agricultural nonprofits in 14 different states were awarded a total of $51,098.87 in funding for sustainability projects that reduce power use, increase yields, conserve water and soil,
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 announce the 2020 grantees chosen to receive grants up to $5,000 for sustainability projects that will reduce power use, increase yields, conserve water and soil, and promote pollinators. A
Small, independent, and family-run farms need all the help they can get, as evidenced by the record number of applicants for The FruitGuys Community Fund’s 2016 sustainable agriculture grants: in a 55 percent increase from last year, 110 farms and agricultural nonprofits from across the country detailed sustainability projects aimed at increasing pollinators; conserving soil, water, and energy; and increasing
In the Community Fund’s first year of operation, we gave nearly $20,000 in grants to five farms and agricultural nonprofits in California and Pennsylvania. Here are some updates on how their projects went. 2013 Grantees New Family Farm in Sebastopol, CA; Red Heart Ranch in Finley, CA; Snipes Family Farm & Education Center in Morrisville, PA; SAGE Ag-Park in Sunol,
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