All Organic, All in the Family

It’s a warm, sunny June morning as we walk through the orchards of Burkart Organics, family owned and operated since 1965. During our tour with third-generation farmer Alyssa Burkart Gonzales, a gentle breeze whispers through trees loaded with stone fruits, persimmons, and pomegranates in varying stages of ripeness.

Endless trays of apriums (an apricot-plum combination) are drying in the sun, ready to be turned. September commemorates 60 years of providing the highest quality organic fresh (and unsulphured dried) fruits to the local community and farmers markets up and down the state. Today that translates to about 50 varieties of stone fruits, persimmons, blackberries and jujubes, grown with experience, intentionality, and love.

Bob and Irene Burkart founded Burkart Farms in 1965. Though they met in the Los Angeles metro, both were raised on farms—Irene in Munday, Texas, and Bob at a local Los Angeles dude ranch. It wasn’t long before they felt the pull of their country roots and purchased a farm in Dinuba, where Bob had family. They established a wholesale and U-pick farm on 20 acres, starting with Emperor grapes, peaches, and nectarines. Over the years, additional property purchases expanded the business to 100 acres. Through the ups and downs of life, much of the land was sold, but Irene retained the original 20 acres, adding another 40 when she purchased the property next to her home.

Their son, Richard, now Burkart’s owner and farmer, was hands-on from the moment the family arrived on the farm. Participating in agricultural programs and competitions at Dinuba High School sharpened his skills, and he had many responsibilities that kids today would not have—like driving a tractor at age 12. He is the center of the business today. “My dad is the brains behind our farming practices,” shares Alyssa. “He is the reason our fruit is so amazing…he taught himself how to farm and does it at the highest level.”

Growing up, Alyssa helped with assembling wooden packing boxes, pruning, and fruit-drying processes, especially during summers. She vividly remembers washing raisins, pruning trees, and going with her mother to the San Francisco farmers market. She attended college, worked as an insurance agent in Monterey, and started a business there, but she felt the same tug to return to her roots as Grandma Irene had. She packed up her belongings, and with her husband Christopher, returned to Dinuba in 2013 to work on the farm. Their son, Asher, and daughter, Isabella, now participate in farm activities. You’ll find the family at weekly farmers markets in Clovis, Exeter, Hanford, and Visalia; Alyssa’s brother Chadwick delivers to several farmers markets in Southern California each week.

Both traditional and updated flavors grow abundantly on the farm. The orchard’s oldest trees, navel oranges planted in 1969, are still producing today. New crops (think donut peaches, apriums, pluots, and more) are added based on growing seasons through the year, stretching the availability of favorite fruits to meet growing consumer demand.

Alyssa’s favorite days of the week involve farmers markets, where she interacts with shoppers. “Everything we do is centered around getting the fruit to our customers…there’s nothing like being in-person with people that are buying and tasting and loving your products.”

Growing a successful produce business over 60 years comes with challenges. Mother Nature can force weather-related cancellations of farmers markets and, on a more daily basis, affect fruit’s perishability. Drying fruit reduces waste and makes favorite fruits accessible year-round.

Maintaining organic certification is also an intense process. As one of the first certified organic farms in Tulare County, Burkart Organics has kept their commitment to grow fruits naturally without the use of pesticides, caring for both the environment and their customers. Updating their name to Burkart Organics in the early 2000s ensured their image and marketing reflected these priorities.

Plans for the future include more ways to be active in the community, with two farm tours already given to international agricultural students. Alyssa appreciates the opportunity to talk with people from other family farms, while encouraging them to stay in the business. She hopes to offer farm tours to local schools and community organizations soon, and would love to open a farm stand on the property to serve the public.

Reflecting on how the farm shaped the narrative of her childhood years, Alyssa relates how living and working on the farm with her own children is now writing her “seasons as a mom.” She’s confident that Irene would share her joy in how Burkart Organics is growing and evolving with the times: “I’d like to think she would be very happy knowing I am continuing her legacy. It’s important to me that my kids know this is there for them in the future.”

For information on in-season fruits and farmers market locations and dates, visit: burkart-organics.com Instagram @burkartorganics