Orchard Development

Since 1981 we have been directly involved with growers, encouraging them to make the transition into organic, sustainable methods of farming. Two of our three board member/owners are actively engaged in the maintenance and development of their own organic orchards.

Certification Assistance

In order to market and sell fruit as Certified Organic, the fruit must first pass inspection and receive an organic certificate from a certification agency, authorized by the USDA. This agency must verify that the grower has met 36 months worth of organic farming methods verified by grower and county records. The agency that we work with is Organic Certifiers, Inc., and they are located in Ventura, CA.

For those growers in California, there is also an annual Organic Registration program that the grower must comply with. This registration is administered through the local County Agriculture Department.

Harvest Coordination

We understand that, once it is established that the fruit is indeed organic, the primary requirement of the organic consumer is that the fruit is really ready to eat. That is why we put great efforts into timing the harvest of each type of fruit at Rainbow Valley Orchards to ensure that the fruit is at its peak in flavor and ready for shipping. Our Field Representatives are trained to give growers guidance and a fruit quality assessment (estimate) prior to harvest to give them a better idea of market supply and demand and the best time to harvest. This estimate gives growers an idea of how many field bins are in the grove and an understanding of how much money the fruit is worth prior to harvest. All fruit is hand picked with clippers and carefully transported in bins to the packing facility where it is received and immediately made ready for processing.

Sales and Marketing

Our Sales Staff is fully equipped to provide organic buyers with up-to-the-minute availability and price information to service the entire United States and Canada. Today, with the use of advancements in computer and internet system applications, we are able to provide a number of options to the supermarket industry, which keep us at that important, desirable position of the first-call supplier.

Our weekly sales-field meetings and daily communications between our field and sales staff is a mandatory requirement for the effective and timely movement of fruit from field to carton to final shipment and customer receipt of goods. Our growers benefit from this performance, as our field personnel are able to provide more accurate pre-harvest fruit value estimates and post harvest sales updates, if necessary, after the pack-out has been completed.

Customer Satisfaction

Quality Service doesn’t stop when the cartons are packed and loaded on the truck. Our Sales Staff follows up every sale to its destination, making sure that carriers use temperature controls and that fruit is accepted in good condition upon arrival. Following sales protocols like this helps maintain grower trust and gives our team a great sense of personal satisfaction.