HMC Farms – Now Accepting Applications Online!

Breaking news! We are now accepting applications online for various jobs under the HMC Farms umbrella. To view and apply for year-round and seasonal jobs, visit the link below. Many of our openings include FREE access to an employer-sponsored healthcare clinic (even for seasonal employees), as well as other benefits!
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¡Noticias de última hora! Ahora estamos aceptando solicitudes en línea para varios trabajos bajo el paraguas de HMC Farms. Para ver y postularse para trabajos de temporada y durante todo el año, visite el enlace a continuación. ¡Muchas de nuestras vacantes incluyen acceso GRATUITO a una clínica de atención médica patrocinada por el empleador (incluso para empleados de temporada), así como otros beneficios!

One Year Later: An open letter from Sarah McClarty

One Year Later: An Open Letter from Sarah McClarty, HMC Farms

Twelve months ago, I wrote an open letter to give an update on how HMC Farms was dealing with the pandemic. I was asked to write a follow-up piece once everything “settled back down” in a few weeks, which became a few months… fast forward to a full year removed from that letter, and things are still far from settled.

Something people often do not understand is that there is no rest in agriculture. Beyond farming being an all-consuming way of life, there is no pause button. If you are sick, the plum trees don’t prune themselves and the grapes don’t stop growing. If we miss a harvest by a window of even a few hours, we risk losing an entire block of peaches.

When you already work in an industry with no pause button and then must deal with new rules and regulations overnight, it is exhausting. Being an essential business is a privilege, but also a burden.

Over the past year, there have been several instances when a compliance deadline for a new rule or regulation was approaching with no formal guidance or FAQs from the issuing body, which meant we put our normal jobs aside to digest the new rules and create our own policies to be in compliance.

We did not have the ability to close the office for a short time to get this done. Instead, it meant working on these special projects all day (or week) and then starting in on our regular job duties when the workday would normally be ending. It also meant waking up in the middle of the night thinking about an angle that hadn’t been considered.

Photo of CFO Sarah McClarty wearing a blue and white checkered shirt in a peach orchard with quote: For the last year, owning and operating a vertically integrated farming organization has meant laughing at the idea of being able to take a day off. It has meant being tired all the time; it has meant no rest.

For the last year, owning and operating a vertically integrated farming organization has meant laughing at the idea of being able to take a day off. It has meant being tired all the time; it has meant no rest.

We, as owners and management, are not the only tired ones, so are our employees. Working in the field or a packing house is arduous work. Having to go home after a long day of work to help children do schoolwork, worry about being around vulnerable family members, and dealing with the burden of a global pandemic has weighed heavily on them too.

Our employees are our family, and not being able to give them answers or put all their worries to rest is hard. We have been able to offer them continued access to our free health care clinic, which included same-day appointments for COVID tests when everywhere else had a 3-5 day wait to get an appointment. We have also had the benefit of working with the California Farmworker Foundation to be one of the first sites in California to give on-site (literally right on the farm) vaccines to farmworkers in early February, and then again to any employees in our organization that wanted them a few weeks later. So many people left the building after receiving their vaccine smiling, thanking us for getting the vaccines to them, and in general, being able to finally put their minds at ease. In all honesty, seeing that weight lifted from their shoulders was the highlight of the past year for me.

Just like last year when I wrote the letter, we are approaching our harvest season, which again brings a lot of questions and unknowns. We have raised wages. Packaging has even longer lead times and higher costs. We are spending more money on PPE, increased sanitary measures, testing, and contact tracing; all while losing efficiencies because of the priority we put on safely distancing employees.

Most of our retail customers are not willing to pay more for our products, even though it is costing us more to produce them and the outlook for the foodservice industry is still full of question marks. Crunching those numbers keeps me up at night.

A year without rest is hard, but we believe in what we do and are dedicated to growing the best fruit we can. As always, we will get creative in the solutions we offer our customers and put our employees’ best interests at the forefront of our decision-making. Hopefully someday soon I can write that “settled back down” update and take a vacation, but for now we will be doing our best to get fresh fruit on people’s tables all summer long.

Photo of CFO Sarah McClarty wearing a blue and white checkered shirt in a peach orchard with text that reads: one year later, an open letter from Sarah McClarty at HMC Farms

Note from The Produce Moms original blog post featuring Sarah’s letter:

One year ago, The Produce Moms Covid-19 content series provided our community of consumer followers with perspectives and real-life stories from the agriculture supply chain.  In our series, we posted a guest blog authored by Sarah McClarty, Chief Financial Officer and Co-Owner of HMC Farms.  You can read it here.

Rooting back to 1887, HMC Farms is a multi-generation family farm located in California’s Central Valley. HMC Farms is a leading grower in table grapes and tree fruit including peaches, plums, nectarines and plumcots.

HMC Farms is a leader in bringing fresh produce to schools.  You can learn more about their commitment to schools at grapesforschools.com. And you can learn more about the family farm at HMCFarms.com.

HMC Farms and The Produce Moms have been brand partners for nearly 4 years.  We are so passionate about what they do and the delicious fruit that they grow. Enjoy this reflective letter from Sarah, one year later.

HMC Farms COVID-19 Vaccinations Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

HMC Farms Delivers COVID-19 Vaccinations to Agriculture Workers 

 

Kingsburg, California – HMC Farms is excited to announce the successful distribution of 450 COVID-19 vaccines to agricultural employees in California’s Central Valley. 

 

HMC Farms recently hosted vaccination clinics which distributed hundreds of COVID-19 vaccines to employees of HMC and several nearby businesses in the ag industry. More vaccinations are on the way as the first recipients near the second dose time frame.

HMC Farms is a family owned and operated business, and the McClarty family values their employees as an extension of that family. Sarah McClarty, Chief Financial Officer of HMC Farms, stated at the event, “To watch every employee in our organization who wants a vaccine receive one over the last two days has been the biggest win in what has been an extremely challenging twelve months. Partnerships with the California Farmworker Foundation and Elite Medical that were in place prior to the pandemic have played a huge part in HMC’s continued efforts to support our employees’ health and well-being, and are what made this week’s event possible.”

At the vaccination event, it was clear to see that people were relieved to have vaccines available to them. Several employees were seen having their photos taken while receiving the vaccine to share with friends and family. “This is such a relief,” said one employee as she received her shot. Another employee commented, “The distribution process for vaccines has been confusing. It’s so helpful that HMC was willing and able to bring vaccinations directly to us.” 

 

The past year has been difficult for people and industries around the globe, and the ag industry has felt the weight of keeping employees safe and healthy while maintaining the food supply. Speaking about the partnership with the California Farmworker Foundation which helped make the vaccination even possible, Harold McClarty, owner and Chief Executive Officer of HMC Farms, expressed gratitude. “We have all struggled during these very difficult times,” said McClarty. “We are very grateful and supportive of all the work that this organization has done for farmworkers. It gives us some hope that we will persevere and continue to move forward with our work to support the nation’s food supply.”

 

HMC Farms is located in the heart of California’s Central Valley, and has been family owned and operated since 1887. All of their produce is grown sustainably, protecting the land, water, and people who make it possible to deliver delicious peaches, plums, nectarines, and table grapes year after year. To learn more, visit https://www.hmcfarms.com/  

 

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HMC News – January 2021

Man pruning dormant fruit trees with a pole pruner

Our crews have begun pruning our high density trees, and we are continuing to realize the benefits of our new orchard design. The new design allows our employees to prune the trees without using ladders, which greatly increases worker safety and efficiency. To reach the higher areas of the tree, a pole is attached to electric pruning shears, allowing employees to make the proper cuts with the simple push of a button.

Shovel with dirt and sprouted baby plants from cover crop seeds

We are in the midst of planting cover crops in our orchards and vineyards. Cover crops are planted beneath the trees and vines for the benefit of the soil, not for harvest. Below ground, fibrous roots from the cover crop feed beneficial soil microbes. Once the cover crop is decimated those roots decompose, creating channels for better water infiltration. Above ground, the cut cover crop breaks down to create organic matter, putting carbon back into the soil, feeding beneficial soil microbes, and assisting with light textured soils like ours. We do not use any irrigation for cover crops, so we have to wait long enough for rain to create moisture in the ground, but plant early enough to ensure that rains will persist to help them grow. Learn more about this topic on our YouTube channel!

Flooding near an orchard

Rain has descended upon our farms, with precipitation estimates reaching beyond 2″ in one day alone. For reference, the total precipitation recorded in Fresno in 2020 was just over 6″ and the average rainfall per year in the Central Valley is around 11″. While today is expected to provide the peak of this week’s rainfall, We expect rain through at least the end of the week, with more to start next week.

Feeling Peachy: Activity Sheets for Kids from The Produce Moms

Stone Fruit {Tree Fruit}

Feeling peachy? Stone fruit season is in full bloom, and we couldn’t be more excited that our friends at The Produce Moms created some fun peach-themed activity sheets for kids!
Original blog on The Produce Moms website

What exactly is a stone fruit (also referred to as tree fruit)? It’s a fruit with a large, hard pit or “stone” inside of it. The stone contains the seeds or kernels of the fruit. The stone fruit category includes peaches, nectarines, plums, plumcots, apricots, cherries and more!

Let’s take a little closer at the anatomy of a stone fruit…

Feeling Peachy Activity Sheets

As we know, education is key to consumption.  We love to create activity sheets focused on fruits and veggies.  It is a great way for kids to learn more about the fresh produce that they love to eat. In our first activity sheet, we have the kids complete the basic anatomy of a peach.  Using a color-by-number approach, they will also learn what each part of the peach is called.  Also on the first activity sheet is a fun math problem.  But be careful, the math problem is a bit tricky!

Our second activity sheet is a funny & peachy story created “Mad Lib” style.  Kids will fill in the blanks with words of their choice and be able to create their own story! Some of the younger kids may need help with the parts of speech. The best part is that you can create multiple stories with this activity!  We also have a fun suggestion for adding stone fruit to your next pancake breakfast!

Free Downloadable Activity Sheets for Kids

With many school districts closed or planning to close across the country, we know lots of parents out there are looking for activities kids can do at home. Check out our HMC Farms Pinterest page with a board dedicated to kids with free downloadable activity sheets and even STEM projects to help keep your kids occupied while they’re home!

https://www.pinterest.com/hmcfarms/grapes-for-schools/

HMC wins 3rd place at the Central Valley Pruning Competition!

On January 16, 2019, the Central Valley Farmworker Foundation (CVFF) hosted the first annual Central Valley Pruning Competition. Dozens of farm workers made up the participants of this event, which focused on grape vine pruning. Contestants were judged on the following factors: quality, safety, speed, and knowledge of vineyards. Two employees from HMC Farms made it to the final round of competition, and our very own Jose (pictured far left) won 3rd place in the men’s division!

We are proud of Jose, as well as all of the other participants who stepped up to show off their skills in this competition. Our talented employees work very hard, and this was the perfect platform to showcase the knowledge and expertise that they possess.

Read the full press release from CVFF:

CVFF – 2019 Pruning Competition press release

The Central Valley Farmworker Foundation aims to serve and support farmworkers by providing programs and services to better their quality of life. For more information, visit the CVFF website, Facebook, or Instagram.

Why is it better to pack plums in a different facility than peaches and nectarines?

HMC Farms made an investment and commitment to plums in 2001 for the same reason that we developed a tree ripe peach and nectarine program over 25 years ago. We believed that the industry was not dedicated to producing a good tasting piece of fruit. As a result the industry’s plum sales fell from 14.6 million boxes in 2002 to an estimated 9 million boxes in 2011. Shippers did not have the patience, finances, or commitment to rehabilitate a commodity which sees seven years elapse between the time a tree is planted and the time a full crop is realized.

HMC Farms has assembled a specialized team with farmers that only grow plums and a packing house that only packs plums. We did this in order to meet the challenges of growing, harvesting, and packing great tasting plums. Because of our consistent supply of plums from the beginning to the end of the season and our focus on taste, we only harvest plums that are truly tree ripe. The plums are then handled with the utmost care at our specialized packing house with equipment designed, and people trained, for the sole purpose of packing a box of plums that represents our passion for growing tree ripened stone fruit.