Longtime Organic Grower Ferrari Farms Offers Cherries, Stone Fruit, Apples, and Walnuts

Ferrari Farms was founded in 1963 by father and son George and Wayne Ferrari and is located in the San Joaquin Valley, just east of Stockton, California.

During the 1970s, while selling their products at the San Francisco Alemany Farmers Market (Ferrari Farms was a mixed fruit and veg operation at the time), Wayne and George began noticing that customers were asking for pesticide-free produce.

Greg, Wayne, and Jeff Ferrari

“[Organics] was a movement that they spotted early and believed in,” says Jeff Ferrari, vice president of Ferrari Farms and Wayne’s son. “Initially, organic was kind of a fuzzy term with my dad learning from such pioneers as Amigo Bob [Cantisano], and then eventually certification came along, and they became CCOF certified in 1982. Our chapter number is actually BV001, so they were definitely one of the first in the area to go organic, long before it became big business.”

Jeff grew up on the farm and spent summers packing fruit with his sister and grandmother. “We’d go with Dad and Grandpa to the farmers market on Saturday, for which we got paid between $6-$8 depending on how well sales went for a day that lasted from 2am-5pm,” he says, adding jokingly, “I may have to take this up with HR.”

“Initially, organic was kind of a fuzzy term with my dad learning from such pioneers as Amigo Bob [Cantisano], and then eventually certification came along, and they became CCOF certified in 1982." -Jeff Ferrari

After graduating high school, Jeff left farm life to pursue an undergraduate degree in finance, followed by law school. However, before he even started law school, he realized he wanted to return home to farm. But his father thought it would be good for him to have a back-up plan, so he went ahead and earned his JD and also passed the bar exam before coming home.

Of his decision to return to farming, Jeff says, “It was just a realization that I loved being out in the country, growing up on the farm with orchards all around, being able to pick fruit right off of the trees, and the opportunity to work closely with my family. It's a lifestyle—sometimes frustrating—but still a lifestyle, and I wouldn't trade it.”

Jeff’s younger brother Greg is also part of the family business. With a double masters from UC Davis and a PCA license, Greg generally handles the farming side of things, while Jeff takes care of the business side. Their father Wayne, who is president, is, as Jeff puts it, “in charge of whatever he wants to be in charge of on any given day.”    

Ferrari Farms organic apples

Currently, Ferrari Farms offers organic cherries, stone fruit, apples, and walnuts. “We’re a 6-day-a-week, year-round operation,” says Jeff. “We start the season with cherries in May; go on to peaches, nectarines, pluots, and apricots all summer; follow that with apples in late summer; and then finish with the walnut harvest in the fall. After that, we spend all winter and spring processing the walnuts since we do all our own cracking, sorting, packing, and selling.” 

Ferrari Farms at Sacramento Farmers Market

Ferrari Farms’ customers for its fresh fruit include Whole Foods, Berkeley Bowl, Veritable Vegetable, Heath & Lejeune, Charlie’s, and Organically Grown Company. When it comes to the company’s walnuts, its customers include UNFI, Amy’s Kitchen, Jaffe Bros, and Berkeley Bowl.

“It was just a realization that I loved being out in the country, growing up on the farm with orchards all around, being able to pick fruit right off of the trees, and the opportunity to work closely with my family. It's a lifestyle—sometimes frustrating—but still a lifestyle, and I wouldn't trade it.” -Jeff Ferrari

Due to labor shortages, Jeff says Ferrari Farms has recently had to shift its balance of commodities. “It used to be that we were about 1/3 peaches and nectarines, 1/3 apples and cherries, and 1/3 walnuts. Now, walnuts are at least 80 percent of our operation,” he says. “It’s actually a bit sad. Last year was the first year we didn’t at least pack some peaches and nectarines for wholesale. … Unfortunately, labor being what it is, we simply couldn’t keep a large enough labor pool to grow peaches and nectarines for wholesale. They’re essentially a farmers market item for us now.”

“We’re in the same boat as everyone else,” Jeff says. “What do you plant? Walnuts are overplanted and the prices have come down terribly—but it’s a mechanized harvest.” Due to the labor shortages, Ferrari Farms recently decided to add some organic almond acreage to its operation because, like walnuts, almonds are harvested mechanically.

"Last year was the first year we didn’t at least pack some peaches and nectarines for wholesale. … Unfortunately, labor being what it is, we simply couldn’t keep a large enough labor pool to grow peaches and nectarines for wholesale. They’re essentially a farmers market item for us now.” -Jeff Ferrari

Jeff also notes that his farm will be pulling some organic apple acreage this year (Ferrari grows Galas, Fujis, and Granny Smiths). “The California apple market has gotten extremely tough the last few years, especially Galas,” he says. “Stores want to load up on imported apples or last year's Washington crop out of controlled atmosphere storage right before the California apple crop since they get a deal on them. Given a choice, I'm sure a California consumer would choose a fresh crop California apple over a months-old imported apple, but the consumer just doesn't know what the store is doing.”

Ferrari Farms organic cherries

Reflecting on the current state of the organic industry, Jeff says, “Well, as a consumer, I’m thankful that organic has gained acceptance and is more readily available. That’s a positive. On the growing and processing side, I’m a little less positive. It just seems that there is more and more consolidation in the industry. I’m a bit afraid that the trend is for all of the small and medium family operations to be slowly squeezed out, and eventually only the super sheds will be able to comply with all of the regulations and be large enough to sell to the centralized buyers.”