Brendon Flynn
Pacific Farms has been growing California Prunes since the 1940s. We met with third-generation prune grower, Brendon Flynn, to learn more about his family’s Tehama County operation.
Brendon Flynn was born into a Central California farm family. He proudly states, “Our family has been growing prunes for as long as the operation has been in business – back clear into the 1940s. We’ve been Sunsweet Cooperative members since the inception as well.”
Brendon’s grandfather originally purchased Pacific Farms as an investment, but it soon became his family’s legacy. Brendon’s father relocated from Southern California to help build up the business, and for Brendon this means fond memories of helping out on the farm as a child. After earning his Agricultural Business degree from California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, Brendon returned to his hometown of Gerber, California, to join the family-run operation.
Central California: The perfect place to grow prunes
Brendon believes that California is the perfect place to grow prunes – and there are plenty of statistics that support this claim. In fact, California growers are responsible for producing 99% of the nation’s prunes and over 40% of all prunes globally!
And virtually all of California’s prune orchards are located in the fertile San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys. Brendon explains, “The Central Valley is an ideal location for growing tree fruit. California Prunes are unique in many ways, particularly due to our climate. Abundant water, plenty of sunshine and good temperatures create the high-quality taste and flavor of our prunes.”
Facing the challenges of farming
The Central Valley may boast a near-perfect growing environment, but that doesn’t mean that growers don’t face challenges along the way. Brendon notes, “Prune farming is, at the end of the day, a fresh fruit, even though we end up drying them. There are some inherent challenges to growing fresh fruit, starting from the dormant season through to bloom. We need to grow prunes of a certain size and quality, which generally indicates the sugar content of the prunes. There are a number of things that are out of our control, just the proclivities of Mother Nature. Temperature, frost events, wind, bugs and diseases -those types of things.”
Mother Nature may be unpredictable, but preparation is the best form of protection. Brendon monitors his orchards carefully to stave off any potential issues before they arise, and Pacific Farms employs careful pruning techniques, advanced irrigation practices and integrated pest control to keep the prune plum trees in peak condition.
From the orchard to the dryer
Once the fruit is harvested, it goes straight to the dryer, where it’s carefully cleaned, graded, and prepared for dehydration. The prune plums are arranged on trays and stacked on rolling racks. Finally, the fruit is moved into climate-controlled tunnels where it is dehydrated until it reaches prune perfection.
Brendon notes, “Once or twice a day, we’ll go over there and check and see how things are coming and make sure that the quality of fruit that we’re delivering out of the field is what the dryer managers want.”
Of course, those frequent check-ins have another perk. With a grin, he admits, “My favorite way to eat prunes is right out of the dryer—warm, gooey, and full of sugar. They’re just so fun to eat that way.”
Good for your gut…and so much more!
Everyone knows that prunes are good for your gut, but Brendon wants folks to know that his favorite fruit is no one-trick pony. He states, “There are a number of other benefits to consuming prunes beyond digestive health – you know, what your grandma used prunes for. Prunes have a lot of nutraceutical benefits. They’re very high in potassium, with a good phytonutrient makeup. We’re also finding that prunes promote good bone health – particularly in women but also in men.”
Prunes aren’t just healthy and delicious, they’re also the perfect portable snack. Brendon adds, “They’re easy to keep with you, as a snack to promote good health and nutrition.”
Want to learn more about the health benefits of prunes? Here’s some food for thought…
