By
Ellen Walsh
If
we have a secret, I would have to say it's in the processing.
”Says
third generation prune farmer John Taylor, when asked
how
he makes his prunes so moist. “When you dry the prunes,
you
have to think of it as cooking. It's a lot of hands on.
We
test the moisture by touch."
The
Taylor family members have been farming in the outlying areas
of Yuba City since 1916. Grandfather Earl Taylor passed the
torch on to son George, nurturing over 100 acres of land that
produced cherries, peaches, walnuts and prunes. George's sons,
John and Richard, lived the farmer's version of the American
Dream for their entire youth. Weekdays after school were spent
walking home on farm roads with hardly any traffic on them,
and weekends were spent carrying bushels of peaches and prune
baskets to the local corner, where for 50 cents, you, too, could
have your own bushel of fruit.
“We
were just typical boys, muses Richard, older brother to John.
You'd think there was no trouble to get into, but we'd think
of something. Like the time we got into a peach fight, and nobody
could buy any peaches as they drove by because we were busy
throwing them at each other?
Both
men laughed, recalling the simpler days of American farm life.
However things were destined to change. Issues revolving around
the preservation of the American agricultural system coupled
with progress, came to the forefront. In the Taylor family,
the 100 acres gradually became 300 acres, and as John and Richard
matured, the agricultural future of the family took a different
turn.
Richard
Taylor studied farm management at Cal Poly University in San
Luis Obispo, while younger brother John majored in Plant Science
at California State University at Fresno. Their education made
them unafraid to try the new improved technology and equipment
available in today's market. Wanting to grow and sell great
tasting products with preservation of the earth in mind, the
Taylors inched their way into organic farming. In 1989, Taylor
Brothers Farm's started converting their farm to organic, and
everything conformed to the California Certified Organic Farmers
(CCOF) program. Today, Taylor Brothers is a large supplier of
organic prunes in the U.S. market, however their impact in Europe
and Asia is even greater.
Harvest
Ripe, Process Ripe
The
main priority of Taylor Brothers Farms, Inc, has always been
the quality of their product. Picking their prunes at the height
of their brix levels has made them the number one choice for
taste in the American market, and it has made them the number
one choice in Japan, and other International markets. Fresh
tasting, moist prunes not only taste better, they retain a higher
level of health properties. This has created a very strong market
for them in Japan. Leading Japanese retailer Jusco Markets remains
their number one fan,and exports into Japan represents 70% of
their entire export business.
““People
take a teaspoon of this stuff a day,
because
it is so high in antioxidants, that it keeps people well."
“The
future in organic prunes is in processing, not in increased
orchard production,”says John, and in fact, 1990 and 1991
had seen increased efforts in exporting, as well as processing.
Those efforts have paid off handsomely, but not without a lot
of effort and smart work on the part of John and Richard Taylor.
Traveling to Europe and Asia over 5 times a year each in search
of new markets, their efforts have paid off in business that
has remained loyal, year after year.
Even
when the larger American Corporations have gone after our business
and tried to under cut our prices, we still keep the business.
I think it is because we understand the level of quality that
the Japanese market requires. We make a prune concentrate that
we can only sell in Japan, says John. People take a teaspoon
of this stuff a day, because it is so high in antioxidants,
that it keeps people well. Americans just don't want to eat
that –not yet, anyway!”
Prunes
as an Ingredient for
Newly
Discovered Health Considerations
The
discovery that prunes act as a bacteria inhibitor as well as
a moisture extender, has been a motivating factor to create
a prune based product that can be used as an ingredient in both
baking, and moisture retention in meat. Taylor Brothers and
the California Dried Plum Board have worked hand in hand to
create such a product. Taylor Brothers makes a prune powder
that has 4 - 5% moisture. It's high moisture retention and high
antioxidant properties have made this a superior product. Available
in 40 lb bags in heavy sealed plastic, please speak to Richard
or John about how this product can fit into your product needs.
Other
Great Links
Antioxidant
Levels in Prunes
Taylot
Brother's Product List
Magazine
PDF