Art of Growing
At Reiter Affiliated Companies, we are constantly challenging ourselves to produce the finest quality berries, defining ourselves both as farmers and entrepreneurs. The art of growing is not for the faint of heart as it often requires years of experience, dedication to the plants, strong connection with the workforce, and a mind eager for innovation. Our dedicated team understands the challenges in commercial farming and have incorporated innovation, mechanization, desire, and strong values into our operations, ultimately producing some of the finest berries in the world. The journey continues as we move towards our goals and the endless pursuit for the perfect berry.
People Come First
At Reiter Affiliated Companies (RAC), we understand our success is directly tied to the commitment, passion, and dedication of our employees. For this reason, we operate our business under the “People Come First” philosophy. This philosophy is best illustrated in the way we treat our employees, the compensation and benefits packages we offer and by the encouragement and support our employees receive in shaping the future of RAC with their ideas, innovation and entrepreneurship. We understand our business is not only about growing berries, but about fostering relationships and developing the best people, who in turn help us grow the very best berries. It is in this way that RAC becomes Driscoll’s Best Berry Solution.
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Cultivate The Land
The health and fertility of our soil is paramount to the success of our operations. Therefore, we engage in sustainable practices that ensure our land will be productive for generations to come. When possible, we plant cover-crops and till in the foliage from those crops to increase organic matter and invigorate the soil. We then incorporate compost and other amendments and the soil is then tilled, disked, and bedded-up to create the proper and optimal environment necessary to grow our berries.
Growing Our Plants
At RAC, we focus on growing fruit not plants. Our field layout, plant spacing, and growing techniques are designed to optimize light and air movement, maximizing fruit quality, quantity and harvester returns. In many regions we erect tunneled structures that create an optimal growing environment for our fruit. Fields are irrigated and fertilized using advanced farming equipment that enhance fruit quality and reduce waste. We are continually learning from one another and engaging in innovative cultural practices that increase our efficiencies as well as fruit quality.
Organic
In organics, we focus on developing a soil that allows our crops to flourish and build up organic matter by using compost, algae, worm castings and other elements that increase healthy bacteria that feed beneficial micro organisms, promoting plant heath and ultimately quality berries. Our organic program is managed by people who are passionate and truly believe in organic farming, which allows for creativity, ingenuity and innovation. To learn more about organic click here.
Harvesting Our Berries
All of our berries are harvested by hand, from people who take pride in their work and in the quality of the product they deliver to our customers. Crates are checked for berry quality and efficiencies are put into place with our training and harvesting methods to ensure proper quality controls exist from field to store. We work in alignment with Driscoll’s, receiving feedback from their customers, so we can make continuous improvements to the way in which we grow, care for and harvest our berries. Our history and knowledge is rich in the art and expertise of growing and our desire is strong to continue to deliver the finest and best berries in the world.