Video series peeks behind the barn door, sharing ups and downs straight from farmers
San Joaquin Valley-based fresh produce marketing company Homegrown Organic Farms will take viewers into the fields this spring in a YouTube series launching Friday, Jan. 6, 2023.
“Grown By” follows four farmers through their respective seasons, offering education and a peek behind the barn door along the way, according to a news release.
“There is nothing quite like the ‘Grown By’ series out there. To hear from growers in real time and experience things as they are farming day to day,” Scott Mabs, CEO of Homegrown Organic Farms, said in the release. “Our hope with this series is for customers and consumers alike to connect with and better understand not only where their fruit comes from, but the people that cultivate it.”
Where to watch
"Grown By" debuts Jan. 6 at 6 p.m. PST on Homegrown Organic Farms’ YouTube channel. Following the launch, viewers can catch weekly episode uploads every Friday, according to the release.
“We are excited to share our grower's stories in a different way,” Elise Smith, Homegrown Organic Farm’s marketing manager, said in the release. “This series gives viewers the chance to engage with our growers in a unique setting, and each episode will feel like a visit to the farm.”
Related news: In extreme weather, organic farming produces higher yields, report says
Meet the farmers
The series profiles four Homegrown Farms growers: the Peterson family, Agustin Cardenas, France Ranch and the Pipco Fruit Co.
Vern and Erik Peterson grow tree fruit for Homegrown Organic Farms, including peaches, plums, nectarines and persimmons. A multigenerational farm, the Petersons carry on a long-lasting family dedication to soil health and farmworker fairness, achieving the first Equitable Food Initiative certification for a stone fruit farm. Additionally, the Petersons recently achieved the Regenerative Organic Certification at the Gold level, the highest level.
Agustin Cardenas was introduced to farming by working in the fields when he moved from Mexico to the U.S. in 1984. Agustin’s passion for growing fruit led him to lease and later purchase the land from his employer’s ranch. Agustin’s stone fruit farm is EFI certified and is working towards ROC certification in the 2023 stone fruit season.
John and Cindy France of France Ranch founded Homegrown Organic Farms in 1998. They also were among the first growers in California to become organic certified in 1989. France Ranch grows EFI-certified organic grapes and citrus for Homegrown Organic Farms.
Pipco Fruit’s Paul family has farmed stone fruit in California’s Central Valley for more than 70 years. As the fourth generation farming, John Paul continues the family legacy, growing organic stone fruit for Homegrown Organic Farms. His father, Homegrown Organic Farms Category Director Stephen Paul, joins his son in this inspiring profile.
