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HOW WE GOT TO NOW

We started selling CORKY'S NUTS directly to the public in the fall of 2015. From the early 80's until now, all of our walnuts went to a wholesale distributor. This can be a really great thing for most walnut farmers since we don't have to worry about marketing, packaging, or shipping product. From working all year preparing and caring for our orchards, managing harvest, to then watch our walnuts get trucked away for our distributor to be responsible for is pure bliss. Ahhh, rest. 

During the winter months in California, we prune our trees of their dead branches in preparation for new growth, and the rains begin (fingers crossed) to quench their thirst. Work is really never done on a farm. It's like having a giant house with no roof. 

For many years, we talked about selling them directly to you. The thought of additional work after our fall harvest, how to do it, along with all the other responsibilities which come from operating a farm were a little daunting. Every year we had the same question and conversation: Can it be done? Can WE do it? 

Now, it's not hard to get your hands on organic walnuts. You can find them in most grocery stores sold in bags or in bulk. The only issue is that you, as a consumer, have absolutely no idea how old those nuts are. The packaging only tells you how long the nuts in the bag are good for, which can be great, except for the fact that you don't know how old the nuts are or when they were harvested. Now you must be wondering why this is important.

All walnuts in California are harvested between the months of September and October (depending on Mother Nature). Let's say you head out the grocery store to pick up some walnuts, you have no idea how those walnuts have been stored, for how long, and in what kind of conditions. That bag of walnuts could have been sitting in storage for up to 2, maybe even 3, years from their date of harvest. There's really no way of knowing. 

This means most of the walnuts you've been eating, and are familiar with, are old nuts. That's why they taste the way they do: bitter, high tannins, and stale. When walnuts aren't stored properly, their oils deteriorate and they can become rancid. We'd bet they're not your favorite nut, and we're out to change that. 

We don't buy walnuts because we don't need to. However, as a consumer, getting your hands on fresh, organic walnuts isn't even a possibility unless you personally know a walnut farmer. Well, now you do. That's why we started CORKY'S NUTS. 

We are committed to you having direct access to amazingly fresh organic walnuts. Their taste is unlike what you know a walnut to be. Freshly harvested walnuts are creamy, buttery, smooth, and sometimes have a sweet caramel undertone. Who knew, right?

As farmers, we take pride in growing and producing a great tasting product. We shouldn't be the only ones to have access to our fresh, delicious walnuts. Finally, we aren't.