grower

Naturipe Farms’ Earth-first philosophy

Naturipe Farms, based in Salinas, California, has been a pioneering force in berry production since 1917. With origins as a marketing cooperative for strawberries, Naturipe has since transformed into a vertically integrated company owned by... more »

The success of Burger’s Farm stems from generations of a hands-on approach

Burger’s Farm is a 135 year- old working farm in Drums, Pennsylvania, owned and operated by the same family for five generations. The first generation to settle here started as a carpenter, general merchant and... more »

Tenerelli Orchards exits wholesale, focuses on farmers markets, u-pick

Leaving the wholesale end of the business for direct-to-consumer sales via farmers markets proved a successful move for a Southern California tree fruit grower. In the high desert an hour northeast of Los Angeles, Tenerelli... more »

Rice Fruit’s Lemonade apples offer splash of yellow

Rice Fruit Co., Gardeners, Pennsylvania, is kicking off Lemonade apple packing this season with increased volume due to recent plantings coming into production. “We’re super excited to offer an apple that’s fresh and bright, but... more »

Wish Farms owner inducted into Florida strawberry hall of fame

Gary Wishnatzki, owner of Plant City, Florida-based berry grower Wish Farms, has been inducted into the Florida Strawberry Growers Association Hall of Fame. “Gary has been a lifelong supporter of the Florida strawberry industry and... more »

USDA chief visits Rice Fruit apple packinghouse

The Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) visited an Adams County, Pennsylvania, apple packer, shipper and marketer. Under Secretary Alexis Taylor toured Rice Fruit Co. During... more »

Rice Fruit to showcase record Eastern apple crop at IFPA show

Rice Fruit Co. plans to showcase Eastern apples at this year’s IFPA Global Produce & Floral Show. The show is scheduled for Oct. 19-21 in Anaheim, California. The Gardners, Pennsylvania, Rice plans to Eastern spotlight... more »

Rice Fruit’s Lee Showalter plans retirement

Lee Showalter, a longtime apple industry advocate, fruit grower and Rice Fruit Company’s grower services manager for more than 13 years, plans to retire at the end of the year. In announcing his retirement, the... more »

Rice Fruit celebrates 110 years

Rice Fruit Co., a leading East Coast apple grower and packer, is marking 110 years of growing tree fruit. “The fresh produce industry is made of a patchwork of family narratives, stories stitched together by... more »

Florida ag industry leader Al Finch dies

UPDATED: Al Finch, president of Florida Classic Growers Inc., died June 21. He was 55. A longtime Florida ag industry leader, Gene "Al" Allison Finch, Jr., was active in the early days of the Southeast... more »