HISTORY
OUR FAMILY IMMIGRATED TO OAKLAND CALIFORNIA,
in the 1870’s and began farming in the 1920’s in Sunnyvale, CA. The Winters Fruit Tree business developed when Phillip and Pauline Lupertino began selling mostly cherries and apricots to local food processors as a small farm. Pauline’s son, William Arthur Carter Jr., a Stanford and USF graduate, later opened one of the first organic food stores in San Francisco in the 1960’s called The Granary.
The beginnings of the farm in Sunnyvale, early 1920s. Phil Lupertino sits on the porch ledge on the newly purchased farm. Pauline is pictured standing to the right.
With the urban growth of the Santa Clara Valley and the rapid loss of prime farmland, Pauline, Phillip, William and his wife Michelina relocated to Winters in the Sacramento Valley in 1968. As one of the last farm holdouts, the decision was made to move up north as housing eventually surrounded the farm. Santa Clara Valley, once considered one of the most fertile regions of California, changed during the housing boom of the 60’s. Cherry orchards were unfortunately replaced with homes.
In Winters the family began to concentrate on the drying of fruit, mostly Royal Apricots, a Blenheim Apricot variety developed in the region, and prunes under the name Merry Rose Orchards. By 1968 William built and opened a year-round fruit stand on State Highway 128 were he sold dried and fresh fruit. With the development of the stand they began growing and selling other products such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts and eggs.
From left to right: Phil, Paula & William III in Sunnyvale, CA
Merry Rose Orchards label from the 1960's
Cherry pickers in Sunnyvale, CA
Apricot measurement ruler from the 1960's
William Snr. & Will Jr. in Treasure Island
The orchard in Winters, CA in the 1970's
Civic Center SF, 1930's. Pauline with Will Jr.
Apricot lugs heading to the train to ship to the east. From left to right: Phil jr, Phil Lupertino, Michelina, Will III
William’s son, Phil Carter, grew up on the farm and learned about farming from his step-grandfather Phillip Lupertino – who brought his knowledge of farming from the old country. Phil graduated from USF in 1980 and returned to the family farm full time. His area of expertise is with fruit orchards.
He currently farms and operates the business with his son and family who are focused on maintaining the business and the family farm tradition.
We currently service many Bay Area and Sacramento farmers markets and continue to operate our farm stand.
OUR MISSION
Our farm stand location in Winters is currently one of the last farms inside a growing and expanding town. As urban development continues and more houses replace fertile farmland (a story repeated), our mission is to continue farming sustainably—something that is becoming more difficult as urban growth spreads. Although California is considered to be the capitol of the farm to fork movement, small family farms are rapidly disappearing in our state. We are dedicated to farming sustainably along with what is left of the natural environment. Our history in CA farming reflects the increasing changes of the CA landscape because of its inevitable modernization through economic growth. As 4th and 5th generation Northern Californians we have seen the many changes in our environment and our goal is to preserve a tradition of family farming that is becoming increasingly rare as California enters another chapter in growth.
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