Family Tree Farms Celebrates 25 Years of Industry Excellence; Leighton Dill Shares

REEDLEY, CA - An exciting milestone is being celebrated as Family Tree Farms celebrates 25 years of exceptional fruit, operational growth, and innovation!

“Family Tree Farms’ continued success is rooted in its dedication to flavor, family values, and forward-thinking innovation. As we celebrate 25 years, our mission remains the same: to deliver exceptional fruit experiences while responsibly growing for future generations,” shares Leighton Dill, Marketing Director.

With 25 years of experience behind it, Family Tree Farms plans to continue expanding in both volume and variety. Stone fruit and blueberries remain a primary growth focus, while the supplier is also exploring and testing additional commodities globally—including blackberries, kiwis, apples, mangos, and grapes—with development activity extending into regions such as Mexico and South Africa. Continued innovation in genetics, flavor, and supply chain efficiency will remain central to the grower’s long-term strategy.

Family Tree Farms was founded in 2001 by David Jackson, alongside sons Daniel and Rick Jackson, and son-in-law Andy Muxlow.

“The Jackson family represents eight generations of farming,” Leighton shares. “Early on, the family identified blueberries and stone fruit as the best opportunities to bring value to our partners with varieties that differentiate on flavor. A key to this mission was the early establishment of a Research and Development department, with the goal of finding the best-tasting varieties from breeders all over the world. Family Tree began primarily with stone fruit and steadily built its blueberry program into what is now a globally recognized operation known for premium flavor and quality.”

Today, the company continues to uphold its guiding slogan, remaining committed to providing “The World’s Most Flavorful Fruit.”

“This commitment to flavor drives our investment in research and development, with teams traveling domestically and internationally to source superior genetics and continuously improve fruit quality,” Leighton explains. “A major pillar of Family Tree’s decision-making is customer-first thinking. Each summer, customers and partners are invited to participate in fruit trials at our Research and Development Center, where hundreds of varieties are tasted and scored. The data collected directly influences which varieties are planted in future seasons.”

Several expansions have contributed to Family Tree Farms’ growth—the most significant of which is the company’s blueberry program, which continues to scale rapidly. This strategic growth has included expanded farming operations in Peru and Mexico, along with test plots and variety development in Ecuador and Chile. This international footprint has strengthened year-round supply and global reach. The supplier anticipates doubling production in the next five years to keep up with the demand that these varieties are generating.

Also supporting the company's growth is a series of strategic leadership promotions and structural updates, including:

• Jerry Guerrero – Chief Development Officer
• Brenton Helm – VP Sales Operations
• Doug LaCroix – VP Sales & Marketing
• Ryan Howard – North American Sales Director
• Leighton Dill – Marketing Director
• Jacob Peterson – R&D Director
• Carla San Martin – EMEA Commercial Director
• Chris Taylor – UK & Ireland Commercial Director

Implemented to support global growth and operational scale, these appointments reflect the company’s commitment to strengthening both domestic and international teams while preparing for continued expansion.

As it celebrates 25 years in business, Family Tree Farms upholds the core values that continue to shape its organization: Integrity, Humility, Respect, Community, Excellence, Stewardship, Family, and Innovation.

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