HMC News – June 2026
Recently, the signing for a partnership between Reedley College and UC Merced was held at the new McClarty Center for Fine & Performing Arts (pictured above.) The new partnership aims to expand opportunities for students to remain in the Central
Valley after completing their community college studies. The program, “Merced Promise” aims to strengthen and streamline
pathways from Reedley College to UC Merced, supporting an efficient and successful transition to the UC system. This opportunity will see both institutions aligning coursework, expanding advising and outreach programs, and early
engagement of students as early as middle school to improve preparation at various points in their education. We are excited
about the opportunities this could provide for Ag since Reedley College is in our backyard!
This year continues to be unlike any other. Fruit is coming off quickly, with some plum varieties being harvested nearly three
weeks earlier than last year. While this does not necessarily mean we will have an early end to the season, it does mean that if you
have big plans for upcoming ads, there is no better time than the present. Fruit quality is outstanding, and we have a full range of
products available—from organic tree fruit to Plumsicles.
Our table grape harvest is also tracking to begin earlier than any season on record. We will kick off the season with Torch red seedless, Sweet Bond black seedless, and Belcanto green seedless grapes. For the first time ever, Belcanto grapes will be available in a specialty 1 pound clamshell that showcases the sweet summer flavor of this exceptional grape.
As harvest approaches, our vineyards are progressing through veraison, the stage when grapes soften and begin changing color
as ripening begins. Color development is moving along nicely, but we are still waiting for sugars, or Brix, before we can harvest our California table grape crop. In the meantime, crews are busy with important vineyard practices such as tipping and thinning.
Tipping is trimming the end of the bunch to reduce the overall bunch size. Thinning removes excess individual berries within the
bunch to allow the berries to grow and mature to their full potential.
At HMC Farms we are family owned and locally grown, in fact 96% of the peaches & nectarines and about 60% of the plums we
produce are grown within 5 miles of our commodity specific packing facilities. Minimizing transit time is one component in
providing the ripest fruit possible factoring in that products like peaches & nectarines require different handling techniques than plums. HMC Farms has invested in commodity specific packing facilities with equipment and employees that specialize in providing the best that any commodity can offer. We focus on flavor by showcasing varieties we feel are a step above the rest such as Belcanto® the tiny but mighty green seedless grape, and Plumsicles®, the ‘Oh so Sweet’ plumcot that everyone looks forward to all year long!