______________________________________________________________________________________ Carriere
Family Farms
Together, they had several children, including my grandfather. While the other children pursued their own paths, my grandfather grew the family farm, primarily cultivating rice and row crops. He also operated a metal shop where he built and repaired equipment for other farmers, especially during the winter months. Later, he had three children: my father, my uncle and my aunt. My uncle and father expanded the farm, with my father purchasing a walnut orchard in 1964, which allowed us to enter the walnut market. When they returned from college and the army, my uncle focused on managing the rice, while my father took charge of the walnut operations.“ In 1985, we partnered with a Spanish family business named Borges International Group( Borges), which was purchasing walnuts from the companies we were selling to. Seeking to vertically integrate, Borges invested in an orchard here in California, and we negotiated to manage the property. This partnership effectively doubled the size of our farm. By that time, I had returned from college and was joined by several of my cousins working on the farm. One of my cousins was an expert in water management, one in construction, another in crop production, and I focused on business operations. In 2000, we further expanded our operations by adding processing capabilities for walnuts. We began processing directly for Borges, handling their orchards and supplying their market. Five years ago, after 36 years of partnership, we bought out Borges, and now Carriere runs the entire operation. Today, we have eight family members working within the company, and our farm is large enough to support an HR director, a CFO, and an IT specialist. We aim to provide jobs and support for our community, our family, and our employees, all while ensuring we deliver quality products to our customers. Recently, we received the Plant of the Year award from Safe Food California following a surprise audit where we achieved a perfect score of 100 percent,” Bill elaborates.
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