April: Loving Our Fruits, Healing the Earth and Sharing Special News

At Bella Viva Orchards, every spring we count our blessings for the trees that bear fruit that will nourish so many people. It’s a time when we feel gratitude for our family, our friends and, our employees and you, our valued partners.

Right now we are especially grateful, welcoming our newest grandchild. We are filled with joy and optimism as we hold this precious little boy close to our hearts and surround him with love and hope for a future planet that is healthier than when we began farming it, so many years ago. As family farmers, we have always been mindful stewards of our soil and very careful about how we replenish and thank the earth and her many resources.These practices are woven into the fiber of our operation.

Bella Viva Orchards Regenerative Organic Prune Orchard

Another cause to celebrate is that we just officially received our Regenerative Organic Certification! (You may sprinkle compostable confetti now!) We’ve made it a longtime practice of mulching tree cuttings and thinned fruits right back into the earth in our orchards. By doing so, we help feed the earth valuable nutrients, help retain precious moisture and eliminate burning and transporting those valuable cuttings and trimmings off the premises for disposal. We’ve been doing this for years because we’ve long held the belief that it’s the right thing to do. Fast forward to today…we are celebrating this milestone after months of inspections, documentation and interviews with representatives from the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). We do it for you, for all of our families and for future generations.

Included in our orchards that earned this “ROC” designation are our very own Certified Organic Yellow Peaches, our Certified Organic Prunes and our Certified Organic California Apricots. Yep, we’ve been out in our orchards for decades taking care of the earth and actually healing her through our practices.

Bella Viva Orchards Certified Organic Peaches

Our Certified Organic Yellow Peaches, Certified Organic Prunes and Certified Organic California Apricots have been hugely popular and are selling rapidly, so contact us at (855) 888-8482, (209) 883-9015, email us, or complete our easy online form to talk to us about adding any of our lovingly-produced fruits to your lineup. We are here Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm PST and are here to work with you on ideas or to meet your specs! Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Also, remember to tell your associates about Bella Viva Orchards and all we have to offer. Sharing is caring!

So celebrate our Regenerative Organic Certification, love the earth, celebrate promising new generations, and since Earth Day is in April, go plant a tree and grow it organically! Be sure to give it some love with organic compost! Happy days to you, partners!

Bella Viva Orchards Certified Organic Blueberries

The great Aristotle philosophized that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” This holds true in many areas of all of our lives, and we can’t help but shout out a big YES when we count Certified Organic Cherries and Certified Organic Blueberries, and Certified Organic Strawberries as worthy of this wisdom. How’s that, you may ask?! If you’ve been a reader with us for a while, you know that we are big supporters of upcycling.

Upcycling is the practice of rescuing fruits that may otherwise be deemed aesthetically challenged to be sold fresh for use domestically AND over the world. In the case of Certified Organic Cherries and Certified Organic Blueberries (berries), the decisions about the fruits’ use is made in the fresh packing facilities. These facilities take in fruits from a number of growers and once sorted, the top choice fresh fruits are sent on to their destinations, such as supermarkets. Thanks to upcycling, there’s hope for those fruits that are left behind due to irregularities in size, shape or blemishes!

Scones made with Bella Viva Orchards Certified Organic Cherries

In the case of Certified Organic Cherries, the fruit’s varieties that don’t go to the fresh market are combined. It’s wise, it’s responsible and it’s an industry standard. Varieties such as Bing, Sweetheart, Coral, Brooks, Dark Sweet, Chelan, Garnet and their dark sweet cousins are all blended before they go on to the next step in the process. The same rings true for our Certified Organic Blueberries and Certified Organic Strawberries. At Bella Viva Orchards, we purchase the blended varieties, dry them and pack them for your use and for retail consumption. It’s a beautiful thing when you think of it. We honor the resources that it takes to get these fruits ready for harvest: People power, water, fuel for transportation and all of the other work it takes to get those perfectly nutritious fruits ready for harvest.

We are proud to be good stewards of the earth through our upcycling program and regenerative practices. We encourage you to think about how combining multiple varieties of these fruits is responsible, respectful and thoughtful – from start to finish. When you think of supporting upcycling, we hope it makes you feel like your partnership with us supports a better world.

Wouldn’t Aristotle be blown away if he was to see his wisdom applied to today’s world?! We invite you to be part of this wisdom by incorporating our virtuous Certified Organic Cherries and Certified Organic Blueberries into your product lines. Want inspiration? We are here to work with you on product ideas or to meet your specs. Just call us at (855) 888-8482, (209) 883-9015, email us, or complete our easy online form. We are here Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm PST.

We’d like to think that with your partnership, the sum of our respective efforts really can be greater together. So be earth-conscious, be philosophical, and be creative with our proudly upcycled Certified Organic Cherries and Certified Organic Blueberries, partners!

Bella Viva Orchards Certified Organic Pears

With the arrival of a fresh, promising new year, we are all surrounded by media promoting healthier lifestyles: Fitness, weight management, diet, mindfulness, chronic disease prevention and so on. It’s that time of year, right? Whether or not you’re into making resolutions we trust you are into doing things to make your own life better. Congratulate yourself for being good to yourself!

You know that part of making your life healthier includes having plenty of nutritious foods in your diet. When you think about what you’d want to eat to feel satiated and directly benefit your body, chances are unprocessed, whole foods come to mind. We’re talking about foods that are sustainably grown, socially and environmentally responsible – and without any additives! We’re talking about foods that reward you for eating them. And a positive result that comes from eating these kinds of foods is that the healthier the foods you eat, the less processed food you crave. But you know that!

Bella Viva Orchards Certified Organic Orange Chips

We’re talking about this because you are a consumer and overall, consumers are demanding more real foods than ever. Among many interesting and positive trends we are seeing is that consumers are demanding more whole foods that are produced ethically and transparently. This is our forte! At Bella Viva Orchards we pride ourselves in offering over 200 SKUs of healthful dried fruits. These are foods that actually give back to your body.

As you continue your own journey of living a more healthful life, think about what you might do to help bring better nutrition to your own consumers. We are here to help generate ideas about what you might add to your product lineup that will meet and exceed their demands.

Know what you want? Great! Looking for ideas? Just call us at (855) 888-8482, (209) 883-9015, email us, or complete our easy online form. We are here Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm PST.

Wishing you a bright and vibrant new year, Partners! Keep Beautiful Fruits and a Beautiful Life front of mind and within easy reach! While it’s our collective goal that your customers will thank you, by enriching your own life with Bella Viva Orchards’ consciously-produced dried fruits and nuts, we trust your body, your mind and your whole being will thank you!

New Bella Viva Orchards Organic Persimmons

It’s fall, and that means it’s Persimmon harvest time here in California’s Central Valley. Tucked away in our neck of the woods are acres of Bella Viva Orchards’ Certified Organic Persimmons and those of our longtime neighbor-partner who grows the same variety – the bright, sweet, super-flavorful Hachiya Persimmon. These jewel-hued Persimmons have basked in the sun and are now perfect for harvesting. Yes Partners, if Persimmons are what you want, you’re in luck, ‘cause we are having a nice yield this year!

We’re proud to grow these Certified Organic Persimmons using regenerative and sustainable practices. These practices include growing cover crops around the trees to create a habitat for beneficial insects that help keep the trees healthy. We also mulch the tree cuttings and fruits pulled off during the thinning process right back into the soil, adding to the ability for the soil to retain moisture and release nutrients.

Take a bite of these fruits that are redolent of November’s ubiquitous pumpkin spice, and you’ll understand why they are so popular with our manufacturing partners and retail customers alike. Think of how you might add them to your product offerings to celebrate and extend the coziness of November! Just call us at (855) 888-8482, (209) 883-9015, email us, or complete our easy online form. We are here Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm PST. We’re here to get those Certified Organic Persimmons to you so you and your customers can enjoy completely natural, GMO-free, additive-free, wonderfully warm and spicy flavors!

Now on to gratitude: Many of us consider November a month to observe gratitude. It’s more than a current buzzword. It’s how we feel every year, every harvest and every day. We feel it when we look out our windows to the orchards that surround us. We feel it when those beautiful, health-filled shipments of awe-inspiring fruits and nuts come in from our grower partners. We feel it when we have time to spend with our family and friends. We’re grateful to have launched many exciting new products this past year. We’re thankful to have made headway with strengthening our company culture and employee engagement. All of these feelings of gratitude are part of supporting and maintaining an environment where our people enjoy working. It’s good for them, good for you and in the long run, good for YOUR customers. When we have the option, we opt to embrace that life is good!

We invite you to reflect on your own sentiments of gratitude, big or small, as we head into the holiday season. Be thankful, be healthy and continue enjoying Beautiful Fruits and a Beautiful Life, Partners!

New Bella Viva Orchards Natural Limes in Slices

We know…it may be hard to believe, but another holiday season is just around the corner. Major retailers have had holiday merchandise out for weeks now, and that tells us it’s time for all of us to push our own holiday planning into high gear. If you’re all set for your winter celebrations, merchandising and gift-giving, we applaud you. And just maybe you haven’t completed all the tasks on your to do list. No problem, we still applaud you and we can help!

You can make the holidays extra merry for those suppliers and associates on your corporate gift list by presenting them with our organic gift baskets, gift boxes, gift baskets or gift trays – from our beautiful California-centric collection. These hand-assembled gifts, ranging from $8 to $200 each, include your personalized gift messages and your company logo. Each gift is filled with fruits and nuts that are grown with attention to quality and flavor. We even have gifts that contain our chocolate-covered fruits and nuts for those with a sweet tooth, even if it’s healthier! And the extra good news? We are here and ready to save you time while keeping within your budget.

Talk with us and we will help you make choices to please anyone on your list. Just call us at (209) 883-9015 or email us at gifts@BellaViva.com and we will get you on your way with ease. Order by December 15th and we can deliver those gifts directly to you or we can send them to individual recipients on time. So make your list, check it twice, give us a call and we’ll make it nice!

You know we’re always looking for products to delight your consumers. We’re excited to share that we are launching a NEW product line: Natural Limes in slices, dices and powdered form! Imagine the fun, interesting and maybe nutritious ways you can get Natural Limes into your products. And while we’re talking about non-holiday-specific products, check out our Natural Pears! They’re back in stock in full inventory quantities.

While it may be time to plan for the holidays, we are here to help you with your everyday ordering needs. Email skooner@bellaviva.com, ssteele@bellaviva.comor sales@bellaviva.com if you wish to reorder or inquire on a new item to try. Whether you have case ordering needs or pallet orders we are here for you! Just call us at (800) 552-8218 or (855) 888-8482, (209) 883-4146, or complete our easy online form. We are here Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm PST.

As the holidays approach, we are mindful of how grateful we are for your business. From a personal AND business perspective, we thank you for enjoying Beautiful Fruits and a Beautiful Life!

Lately, we’ve been talking about upcycling. While it’s a hot topic right now thanks to clever marketing campaigns, it’s a practice that’s been around since the dawn of fruit drying. At Bella Viva Orchards, we’ve been upcycling for over three decades, even before we started our business! We’re so happy that this practice is now getting the attention and appreciation it deserves.

For those of you who are just getting on board with understanding upcycling, in a nutshell, it’s the practice of turning misshapen fruit into perfectly edible beauty. When fresh fruit is harvested it’s graded and the fruit that makes the first cut goes to the fresh market. What’s left is often strewn into livestock yards for feed or worse yet, sometimes even discarded. This is where upcycling shines: We take that second choice fruit that’s perfectly nutritious and dry it using our proprietary method that maintains the beautiful color, texture and flavor of the fruit without using any preservatives or added sugar (or fruit juice). The result is beautiful, natural, Certified Organic dried fruit that you’d never know was aesthetically challenged at one time.

To us, upcycling is a rescue mission that’s so dear to our hearts. We love making great use of valuable fruit and the countless resources it takes to grow, harvest and process it. We’re proud to tell you that every bit of fruit we produce is upcycled!

As you celebrate National Upcycling Day on June 24, we invite you to explore the many ways you can honor the earth and this noble practice by developing your own line of products with a very happy nod to Mother Earth!

Happy National Upcycling Day, partners!

Sweets & Snack Expo: May 14 – 16

Coming to Sweets & Snack Expo in Indianapolis this month? We’ll be at Booth 20237 in Exhibit Halls A-K. Let us know and we’ll be on the lookout for you!

Magnificent May: Certified Organic Blueberries, Strawberries and Peaches

After a cool, rainy start to spring here in the Central Valley the season is now truly underway. Our Certified Organic Peach orchards are filled with fruits that are bathing in the California sunshine and filling out while developing that optimal sweetness that we all love. Fresh, sweet, plump and pleasantly tangy Certified Organic Strawberries have been arriving in our drying facilities from our trusted grower-partner in nearby Watsonville and Certified Organic Blueberries from our neighboring fields are perfectly ripening and getting ready to harvest. The arrival of these fruits fill us with promise and optimism. We invite you to take a few moments to stop, breathe and take in the miracles of the season while appreciating the measures taken by ethical, conscientious growers who are working to make the Earth a healthier place to live and people thrive through real, honest nutrition! And among those people who seek ethically-sourced foods are you and your customers, right?!

Hibiscus Tea infused with Bella Viva Orchards Organic Fruit

At Bella Viva Orchards, we grow our Certified Organic Yellow Peaches in an estate orchard that’s been in our family since 1987. The variety, the Angelus, is one that is uncommon in the fresh market. We grow it because of their incredible flavor, texture, aroma, sweetness, color and softball-like size. These Certified Organic Dried Yellow Peaches lend themselves to a broad range of sweet and savory applications (think about giving them a spicy and hot treatment for a healthier snack food or ordering them diced to spec to use in your trail mixes, baked goods, beverages or globally-inspired products). If you want to enjoy them in the comfort of your own home, get in the kitchen and make a batch of Peach Glazed Salmon with Almonds.

Salmon with Bella Viva Organic Peaches and Almonds

Our Certified Organic Dried Strawberries are harvested just when they reach optimal sweetness and don’t need any additives or preservatives. These nutrition-packed fruits have an intense, sweet and tangy flavor that is clearly true Strawberry. Use them in your products just as we package them or let us know how we can dice them to make them ready to use in your lineup. One taste and we’re sure you’ll be getting busy in your test kitchen!

And those Certified Organic Dried Blueberries: Sustainably-grown by our nearby grower-partners, they have a beautiful moisture content and have true sweetness that comes from careful growing and drying practices. While they have great moisture, they are easy to transfer to your production environment without being sticky. Order some samples and you’ll understand why Bella Viva Orchards elevates this “superfood” to a higher level! At home, add a handful to your next batch of lemonade, wine or iced tea and enjoy their subtle sweetness as they plump up. While we celebrate Spring and celebrate these Certified Organic fruits, we also celebrate their integrity. Part of that integrity is the regenerative growing practices used for each of them, the fair working conditions in these growing environments and the purity of each product. Yes, they are all completely free of sweeteners and additives – including no added fruit juices. The sweetness comes from proper growing, harvesting and drying practices. Last month we talked about consumers demanding clean foods that are free of unnecessary sugars and additives. Well, that’s what we’re talking about with each of these healthful and versatile fruits. No added anything except care, attention and many years of constant refining of farming practices.

We invite you to check out Bella Viva Orchards’ Certified Organic Dried Yellow Peach Slices, Certified Organic Dried Strawberries and Certified Organic Dried Blueberries and we trust you’ll be inspired to bring them into products to delight your customers.

Remember, getting samples of our products is just a phone call or click away!

Click here to shop Bella Viva Manufacturing

Happy spring and happy clean eating, partners!

Scones made with Bella Viva Organic Cherries

If you’ve had our Certified Organic Dried Cherries, you know what they’re all about: Dark, sweet little fruits that contain absolutely no additives whatsoever. That includes no added sugars and no added fruit juices, which is a sneaky way to lace pure fruit with more sugar! Just real, beautiful, virtuous, versatile Cherries that can easily be added to your product lineup. We say when you want quality, come directly to us for the real deal.

Cherries on Tree

To add to their aesthetic allure, they’re grown using regenerative practices that are good for you, your customers and for our environment. Included in those practices is encouraging the growth of various beneficial plants and grasses in the orchard. These plants help retain precious moisture and help provide the soil with naturally-occurring nitrogen. Those same cover crops also provide an excellent habitat for beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewing that eat harmful aphids. For many years conventional farming practices have served us all, but we believe that it’s our responsibility to take measures to heal the earth and be very gentle and kind with Mother Nature.

When you offer your customers products incorporating these Cherries, you’re doing your part to save people from consuming unnecessary sugars and you’re honoring our earth at the same time! Consumers are catching on to the fact that there are too many added sugars and other additives in their diets. Answer their demand and help boost your product portfolio by producing foods that are real and healthy. Join in the growing movement to better nourish our families, our consumers and future generations.

Available in both Organic and Natural. Whole or diced to your desired specification. And take action to better feed your customers by bringing our Certified Organic Dried Cherries on board! And remember, getting samples of our products is just a phone call or click away!

Click here to shop Bella Viva Manufacturing or Contact us at sales@bellaviva.com or 1-800-552-8218.

Happy spring and best of health to you and your customers, partners!

November Gratitude: Giving Thanks for Our Bounty and Partnerships!

The days have arrived when we throw on our favorite sweaters at the end of the day, get a nice fire going and look back on this year with gratitude. This year has been filled with heart-warming gatherings with family and friends, watching our family grow, celebrating a bountiful growing season and providing you – our dear partners – a great array of California-grown fruits. We at Bella Viva Orchards are now looking ahead to the holidays. Can you believe it’s already time?

We are truly grateful for you, our partners, who propagate the message of “Beautiful Fruit. Beautiful Life.” through your food and beverage brands. Because you look for beautiful fruits to use in your creations, we are energized to continue providing solutions to help meet and exceed your needs.

Part of the way we express our gratitude to you is to bring out our best with every harvest. Now that we’re heading into the holiday season we invite you to give our “Bella Viva Old Fashioned” a try. This recipe comes to us from Dr. Gail S. of Mesa, Arizona, who has used our Certified Organic Dried Oranges and Certified Organic Dried Cherries with great creativity! With the holiday season ahead, think of how you might include these fruits in your own products.

Besides making a dangerous but good cocktail, they can be applied to your own business needs. Our snack-worthy vitamin C-packed Certified Organic Dried Oranges and our Certified Organic Dried Lemon Slices both make great garnishes for all kinds of beverages – adult or family-friendly.

Diced, these citrus products make phenomenal tea and baking additions. When used as packaged, they make amazing infusions for recovery beverages, sparkling teas, kombucha and other brews. And when diced, our Certified Organic Dried Cherries will shine in bakery, energy bars, granolas and oatmeal blends.

To make your holiday product development a little easier, now through the end of November, we invite you to enjoy 10 percent off our Certified Organic Dried Oranges and Certified Organic Dried Cherries.

After you return from a day of creating with the Bella Viva Orchards line, kick back in your favorite comfy sweater with that relaxing Old Fashioned! Share the gratitude and enjoy the savings, partners! Happy Thanksgiving to all our Bella Viva family of partners!!

Contact Us

sales@bellaviva.com or 1-800-552-8218 for information on our organic dried lemons, oranges and cherries

With the busiest days of our 2023 harvest season behind us we’re taking some time to reflect on how grateful we are for our family and our business. We also feel immense gratitude for another good growing season, that remarkable rain that filled our reservoirs and fed our water table, for the warm California sunshine that nourishes our crops – and for you, our valued partners. We also feel thankful for the Bella Viva Orchards team that works so hard throughout the year so we can offer you so many healthful products. There’s just so much to appreciate!

As we celebrate this year’s bounty, Apples are front and center and it just so happens to be National Apple Month. Speaking of Apples, we are excited to announce that we have added Natural Sweet Apples (Low Moisture) and Certified Organic Sweet Apples (Low Moisture) to our offerings and they are available now!!

Enjoy simmering up some of Angela’s Spiced Apple Cider. While you’re making your home cozy with that amazing Spiced Apple Cider recipe, enjoy the aromas, flavors and warmth of this delightful beverage while relaxing with your favorite throw blanket. While you’re surrounded with that Apple goodness, just imagine how you might extend the simplicity, joy and goodness of these beautiful Apples to your customers. Cheers!

Contact Us

sales@bellaviva.com or 1-800-552-8218 for information on our natural and organic low moisture sweet apples.

Category: Organic

April: Loving Our Fruits, Healing the Earth and Sharing Special News

Cherries and Blueberries: Notes About Upcycling and Variety

Happy New Year: Here’s to Your Health!

November is Here: Persimmons and Reflections of Gratitude

Holiday Planning Made Easy: We’re Here to Help!

Celebrating National Upcycling Day

Magnificent May: Certified Organic Blueberries, Strawberries and Peaches

Sweets & Snack Expo: May 14 – 16

Magnificent May: Certified Organic Blueberries, Strawberries and Peaches

Consumers Demand Real Organic Cherries!

November Gratitude: Giving Thanks for Our Bounty and Partnerships!

November Gratitude: Giving Thanks for Our Bounty and Partnerships!

Awesome October: National Apple Month