About Us
The Van Dyke family of Gilroy, California loves farming - it’s in their blood! The family has been farming for 5 generations. Betty and her boys, Peter, Kurt and Eric, took over the farm from Grandpa in 1975. Watch an interview with Peter VanDyke.
At that time they began to transition the farm from conventional to organic farming. Son Peter Van Dyke took over full operations of the ranch in 1998 and has expanded the farm to include other dried fruit varieties. He modified and enhanced the washing equipment for the dried fruit. He also initiated a plan for pre-cooling prior to packing the fresh cherries which has improved the quality shelf-life and overall retention of nutrition and that just picked flavor for the consumer.
Peter then improved the packing systems of both fresh and dried fruits by offering catch weight bags, clam shells and bulk packaging for fresh apricots and cherries. His wholesale customers include UNFI and Falcon Trading and can also be purchased through Van Dyke Organics. Peter has just expanded the business to include direct-to-customer product sales through the website. Diced fruit is also now available upon request.
Van Dyke Organics consists of organic fresh and dried Blenheim apricots, organic fresh and dried Bing cherries, organic dried nectarines, organic dried peaches, organic dried pears, organic dried plums and organic dried persimmons.
The Van Dykes are very proud of their sweet, large organic Bing cherries, 9-11 row, and their packing line. Come harvest time you’ll find the crew putting in long days on the farm. After they finish harvesting and packing cherries they move on to their signature crop, Blenheim apricots. Their farm has great southern exposure which increases the sweetness and flavor of their fruit. The Blenheim apricot is one of the best tasting apricot varieties, very sweet with true apricot flavor.
Peter’s children, Nicholas and Cody, have grown up on the farm and are part of the family farming effort.
