In California's Central Valley, two teenagers working the fruit harvest with hands sticky from peach juice never imagined they'd one day circle back to these same orchards as owners. Tod and Traci Parkinson's story reads like a novel where separate chapters eventually weave together into something larger than either could have written alone.
After building Valliwide from the ground up in 1992, the Parkinsons spent nearly two decades moving other people's fruit from farm to market. Their office buzzed with phone calls about shipping schedules and quality specs, but by 2010, something shifted. The farmers they had worked with for years were asking about organic certification, and consumers were demanding it. The transition wasn't just a business decision; it felt inevitable.
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| (Valliwide Organic Farms/Parkinson Family) |
The real turning point came when the Harris Family, who had grown fruit on their Grand Island Ranch for generations, decided it was time to step back. The Parkinsons saw a chance to close the loop on everything they'd learned about what makes fruit truly exceptional and leased acreage of prime farmland in Reedley, Calif. Years into farming organic peaches and nectarines, the Parkinsons have discovered the profound satisfaction of watching fruit ripen on trees you tend yourself.
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| (Valliwide Organic Farms/Parkinson Family) |
Walk through their orchards during harvest season, and you'll encounter three generations of Parkinsons. While Tod and Traci oversee operations, their six grown children contribute to both the farm and marketing sides of the business, and nine grandchildren have claimed small plots where they're learning that food doesn't simply appear in the fridge or pantry.
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| (Valliwide Organic Farms/Parkinson Family) |
The Parkinsons decided early on to use their profit to help change lives where they could. They provide scholarships for local students from migrant farming families, and partner with organizations working to alleviate poverty across the Global South. It's their way to guarantee that growing fruit becomes about more than just growing fruit.
Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood. You can even get your whole office in on the fun with our office snack packs. Find more information about our office deliveries here.
