Calif. farmers bulldoze acres of apple trees after Martinelli's ends contracts

https://www.sfgate.com/centralcoast/article/calif-apple-farmers-martinellis-22289705.php

Karell Reader’s heart sank when she saw acres of apple trees piled up on her neighbor’s Watsonville farm last month. Her neighbor used to sell apples to California cider empire S. Martinelli & Company, but he was forced to bulldoze dozens of apple trees after the company canceled his contracts.


For farmers in Pajaro Valley, a fertile region between Monterey and Santa Cruz, growing and selling Newtown pippin apples to Martinelli’s had been a lifeline for over a century. But now, apple farmers like Reader’s neighbor are scrambling to find solutions after the 158-year-old company blindsided them by canceling their apple contracts, according to Lookout Santa Cruz. The fallout includes razing their apple orchards so they can lease their land to berry farmers as one way to survive.



“It’s a painful change for our valley,” Reader told SFGATE. “I don’t support the decision. Turning away from people who have supported you feels like a betrayal.”

The exact number of canceled apple contracts is unclear, as Martinelli’s declined to share any details regarding its work with local farmers. In a statement to SFGATE, Martinelli’s CEO Gun Ruder said that the company could not discuss its “sourcing strategy” or “internal operations practices” but stressed the company’s commitment to “growing and sourcing apples in the Pajaro Valley