Walnuts, Cherries and More: Greenleaf Fruit Ranch

By Jo Ann Kirby | Photos by Jo Ann Kirby and Greenleaf Fruit Ranch

Greenleaf Fruit Ranch beckons visitors who have a hankering for ripe, juicy fruit with a colorful sign and a neon cherry leaf light.

The red wood fruit stand hasn’t yet opened for the season; that won’t be until the cherries decide they are ripe, perhaps on Mother’s Day. However, Lori Podesta is eager to show a visitor how a single vintage conveyer belt helps her and her crew sort fresh varieties into wooden baskets to sell. Greenleaf grows six types of cherries on its 100 acres of cherry trees; varieties include Bing, Brooke, Coral Champagne and Rainier. And don’t forget the walnut trees, with their nuts harvested each fall.

Walnut Foundation
“We try to do everything the old-fashioned way,” Lori said as she explained how cherries are divided by color and packed into cute little baskets. “I made it my mission that if you buy a basket of cherries from us, you’ll be able to eat every last one of those cherries and want more.”

Greenleaf Fruit Ranch is located east of Linden, California, on Highway 26. Lori’s aunt had originally operated a fruit stand in the same location in the 1950s and 1960s. After Lori and her husband, Bob, took over the ranch from Lori’s mom, Lori saw an opportunity to go into business. “You wouldn’t believe this, but we were cleaning this out and unpacking. Everything was wrapped in newspapers and there was a 1964 San Francisco Chronicle where columnist Herb Caen called The Beatles just a fad,” Bob said. Indeed, the farm stand is full of old treasures.

The couple unpacked everything, set up tables and displays and spruced up the old red fruit stand into a cheery and welcoming place. There is a vintage Pepsi cooler, old wooden cherry boxes that they “just don’t make like that anymore” and a unique feature that you might not see anywhere else. That’s right; inside the fruit stand are two massive walnut tree trunks that are rooted firmly in the ground and shoot up through the roof. The stand was built around the sturdy old trees!

Longevity and Heart
“After 13 seasons, I’ve built a family of my customers,” Lori said. “You get to know what’s going on in their lives. Who moved, who got a new job, how their dogs are doing, what their kids or grandkids are up to, all kinds of things.”

Lori’s fondest memories are of her mother coming down to the fruit stand daily until she passed away in 2020. She has a video of her mom, her daughter and herself doing a little boogie to music as they sort cherries on the belt.

The fruit stand is staffed by family and friends who are like family. “The first year I was open, my sister helped me. For the next ten years, a friend that I’ve known since fifth grade was my partner. But mainly it’s become a family affair,” she said. “My daughter, a teacher, and son-in-law help at the stand. He is a policeman by day and a candle and soap maker by night; he supplies us with soaps and candles. My son does all the orchard work, and my daughter-in-law, a teacher also, helps at the fruit stand on her time off.”

Husband Bob is the repairman and their cute little granddaughter, Cora, is a big help and the real boss. “I’ve also recruited a group of women, all special to my life, who rotate in helping me at busy times,” Lori said. “It has become sort of a woman’s club that has helped me make my dream come true.”

The Good Stuff
In the spring, Greenleaf Fruit Ranch sells cherries and, in the fall, walnuts. “We also carry homemade jams, homemade candles and soaps, Greenleaf trail mix, local honey, persimmons, antiques and collectibles plus any item that falls our way and I feel would be a good addition to our mix,” she said. “We raise 99 percent of what we sell. The rest is locally sourced.”

Last year, they sold apricots that were harvested by a neighbor. In the past, lavender bunches, loquats, succulents and lemons were featured. “But of course, people come for the cherries and walnuts, which are the vast majority of our sales,” she said. “Customers definitely have their opinion of what variety of cherries they like.” But if Lori can persuade a customer to taste one they aren’t familiar with, she can usually win them over.

Greenleaf Fruit Ranch is located at 20999 E. Highway 26 in Linden. During cherry season in May, it’s open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. In the fall, walnut season from the end of October through the second week of December, it’s open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. “We get great reviews from our customers. The fact that we have customers who come to us year after year speaks for itself, I think,” Lori concluded.

Visit facebook.com/cherriesandwalnuts/ or email glfruitranch@gmail.com to learn more.