Category: Blog

Pistachios: Lean and Green!

If your mother’s advice to eat your greens included Pistachios, we approve! Learn a little about the history of Pistachios, expert advice on how good they are for you, and why you’d want to stock up now!

Organic Walnuts: Your Wholesome Wondernut

February has arrived and as we walk through our orchards we appreciate the buds that are beginning to form on the trees. The days are still cool, but they’re becoming a little longer and brighter. Our thoughts turn toward those we care about – Valentine’s Day is on its way after all. So how would express our care for those in our hearts? Enter the Certified Organic Walnut. Think about it: Many of us tend to focus on a healthier lifestyle after the holidays and we just spent January doing just that, right? And we want our loved ones to be healthy, yes? So

Organic Prunes: Grown with Love

Over time, we’ve celebrated our love for Prunes with you. We simply swoon over our Certified Organic Prunes and if you’ve had them, you know why. They’re amazingly large, sweet and plump and it’s hard to believe they’re organic! Not to slight our other Prunes, though, ‘cause they’re all second to none, if we may say so ourselves. You may recall from our September newsletter that we earned our designation as Certified Organic on our Prunes that we’ve grown in estate orchards that have been in our family for over 75 years. These dark and wrinkly jewels have won our hearts over. It took

Almonds: The Nut in Shining Armor

If you live ‘round here you know. If you’ve driven through the area you know. If you’ve read a little on California agriculture you know. Yes, we know you know: It’s about Almonds! Almonds have held their place toward the top of the Golden State’s top 10 agricultural commodities list year after year, and it just seems to continue growing. We’ve talked about Almonds before and we will talk about them again because they’re such a huge part of life around here. Thanks to our ideal growing climate and soil conditions, these nuts have reigned supreme in the world market. Besides being so mighty

Sunshine in Every Bite: Organic Orange Chips

There’s a lot to love about winter. Cool days, puffy jackets and anticipation of a happy year ahead. We get pretty excited this time of year – and we trust you do, too – knowing that winter also means we’re in for big, bright, sweet Organic Oranges! Thanks to our nearby grower-partners for caring for these orchards and thanks to Mother Nature for a warm growing season followed by much-welcome rain and snowpack at the end of the year, we’re seeing a very nice crop of Organic Oranges. California-grown Certified Organic Orange Chips are filled with sunshine in every bite. If you’ve had ‘em

November at Bella Viva Orchards: Enjoying Fall’s Bounty

This year, seems like the transition from summer to fall happened overnight, huh? Many of you have packed your shorts and swimsuits away and have been rediscovering your cool-weather clothes. If you’ve put on that favorite old sweater already, you’ve probably noticed the cooler air, the changing colors in the trees and autumn decorations just about everywhere. And pumpkin spice. Yep. That’s just about everywhere, too. These days, as you feel that extra nip in the air, you may be dreaming of the fall foods that make you feel cozy. You may also be dreaming of bright orange-y Persimmons and vivid green Pistachios. They

Apples, Sweet Apples: A Local Love Story

When you think about fruits that are grown in the Central Valley, you’re probably imagining Apricots, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Grapes, Apples and…! Wait, what the? Apples? Yes, you read it correctly. It’s a little-known fact that some of the most delicious Apples are grown around the California Delta and Linden areas. That’s literally right up the road from us! Because it’s not a crop that takes up the same kind of area that Almonds do, it may not occur to you that many varieties of Apple thrive in this area. We’re talking about varieties such as juicy Fujis, Granny Smiths and Galas. They just

October at Bella Viva Orchards: The Joys of Almonds!

Back in February, we talked about the countless miles of Almond trees in full bloom. It’s a truly spectacular sight for visitors and locals alike. Well, thanks to the kindness of Mother Nature, a long sunny season and the hard work of many dedicated people, we can now say we’re in the middle of Almond harvest time. If you’re familiar with California’s Central Valley during this time of the year, you know what that means: Trees bending under the weight of their bounty, agricultural equipment in the orchards and skilled workers suited up in white coveralls out in the middle of it all. It

Certified Organic Dried Black Figs: Be on a Mission!

In the mood for a mini history lesson? Great! Okay, students, today’s lesson is on Figs. We promise to keep it short, so stay with us. Figs are among the oldest cultivated fruits in our world’s history. Some say they go back around 11,000 years to Western Asia, making their way throughout the Mediterranean, including Spain. Then, around 1520, some Spaniards thought it would be a good idea to bring them to America. And are we glad they did! The California Mission Fig, named after the missionaries in San Diego, were first planted at their San Diego mission in 1769. They made their way

August at Bella Viva Orchards: New Crop of Apricots!

Every morning this summer, our Certified Organic Apricots woke up to the gentle, warm Central California sun then soaked up every drop of that sunshine as the days grew warmer – and sometimes downright hotter! It’s what happens around here. Our ‘cots love it! And we love them right back! We just can’t stop talking about ‘em so please indulge us while we tempt you! Our Certified Organic California Apricots are grown in our own organic orchard that’s been lovingly cared for over the years to produce big, beautiful, sweet organic fruit. Organic purists will tell you how good these bronzy-Apricot-hued fruits are. We