New apple processing facility targets Watsonville fruit

The decision by S. Martinelli & Co. to discontinue contracts with regional growers has left many Watsonville-area apple growers without a processor for fruit previously supplied to the company.

Jake Mann of Five Mile Orchards, which manages more than 40 hectares in Corralitos, said the company has sourced fruit from Washington that was originally grown for the fresh market.

"We've grown up together," Mann said. "But now they can get fruit from Washington grown for the fresh market: big, really juicy, almost perfect, because they're rejects for a grocery market or farmstand, for super cheap."

In response, Gold Ridge Organic Farms in Sebastopol is expanding its processing capacity. The company, founded in 2000, is developing Heritage Apple Press, a 1,860-square-meter organic-certified processing facility in Santa Rosa scheduled to open this autumn.

"When we saw what was happening in Santa Cruz [with Martinelli's shift in sourcing], we started thinking about some really great varieties there that can work well with what we're doing here," said founder Brooke Hazen.

The new facility is designed to wash and pack up to 10 tons of fresh apples while processing 30 to 50 tons of apples into juice, cider, and vinegar.

Gold Ridge said the project follows similar developments in Sonoma County after processor Manzana Products Company announced plans to relocate its headquarters to Washington state, although the move has since been postponed until 2027.

"When we saw what was happening with Manzana, we wanted to see if someone else stepped up," Hazen said. "Growers are terrified. Some were crying, actually. It's your livelihood."

Mann said the new facility is unlikely to replace all of the processing capacity previously provided by Martinelli but welcomed the investment.

"I get the sense Gold Ridge won't support the complete replacement for all the fruit grown for Martinelli's, but I'm glad they're running with it," he said.

Gold Ridge Managing Director Merrilee Olson said the facility is intended to support both fresh apples and processed products while expanding market awareness.

"This is about protecting growers," she said. "I also believe we can do better than Martinelli's."