Over 100 years ago, back when Woodrow Wilson was President, James H. “Cantaloupe” Smith started a melon packing and growing operation in Turlock, CA. Today his son Don, his grandson Steve, and his great-grandson Alec are carrying on the traditions “Cantaloupe” started. And the Turlock Fruit Company still grows melons with the same integrity, quality, respect for the land, and standard of excellence it began with, and their customers have come to expect.
A difference you can taste
If you've ever tasted a Piel de Sapo, Hami, Honeydew, Galia, Cantaloupe or Canary melon from Turlock Fruit Company, you know what we’re talking about. And if you haven't, you should.
“Steve Smith grows for flavor, and only picks when the fruit is ripe and ready” says our produce director, Joe Pulicicchio. He says Turlock melons get picked three and four times, because the crew goes through, picks the one that is ready, sets that in the aisleway, and then another crew comes along and only picks up the one set in the aisleway. Then they come back, and they do it again. And then they do it again. “They even have one variety that they literally have to go out and put shredded newspaper over—and they do this with every melon in the field—to protect it from sunburn. That’s how much they care about flavor.”
Joe enjoys working with Steve Smith at Turlock Farms because he's committed to the same high standards we maintain at Town & Country. “At T&C, we’re after great eating experiences, and so is Steve Smith with Turlock Farms. He's not going to pick a melon before it's ready. Even if I want him to, he's gonna tell me no. He tells us when they're ready and that's when we bring his fruit.”
So while big chain markets may call Steve Smith and pound their fists for inventory because they’re running an ad or having a sale on a certain day, he won’t pick a melon before its time. “We always tell Steve, if we need to move an ad, we'll move the ad. That’s something the larger stores won’t do. They’ll get the melons from another grower, whether they’re great melons or not.”