The fresh produce industry is made of a patchwork of family narratives, stories stitched together by a generation of people making a life for themselves in America. These founding farmers took what they knew from their homeland and created a legacy that continues to this day. Rice Fruit Company is one of those stories.
Daniel Rice, a young German immigrant, arrived in Adams County, Pennsylvania, in the 1790s. Like other small farmers in the area, Rice and his descendants farmed many crops, but soon came to realize that the microclimates of the easternmost ridge of the Appalachians were perfect for cultivating apples. In 1913, Arthur Rice built their first packing house in Biglerville, PA. And the rest, as they say, is history.
In the 100+ years that Rice Fruit Company has been in business, they have remained steadfast in their commitment to nurturing and growing some of the best apples on the East Coast, but also in developing relationships, embracing innovation, and utilizing the best technology for packing and shipping apples.
In addition to the commitment to their business sustainability, in the past ten years, Rice Fruit has also committed to their environmental protection and sustainability. Beginning first with a green roof on a controlled atmosphere storage building, then solar panels, the company recently began a pilot project featuring a pollinator garden behind the packing facility.
Protecting the environment and nurturing the habitats of pollinator insects is paramount in a business that directly relies on pollination of their crop for a successful season. “When we take the thoughtful and necessary steps to ensure our local ecosystems, we are laying the groundwork for the success of our future generations. Our 200th birthday is just 90 years away.” – Ben Rice, President
For more information about Rice Fruit Company and its 110th-anniversary celebrations, please visit our website and follow along for updates on our LinkedIn page. Thank you for being a part of our journey, and here’s to another 110 years of growth and success.
About Rice Fruit Company
Rice Fruit Company, a family-run fruit packing business in the heart of Pennsylvania’s apple country, is dedicated to growing, packing, and shipping sweet-natured fruit to consumers near and far. A leader in innovative packinghouse technology, Rice Fruit is situated on the easternmost ridge of the Appalachian Mountains whose peaks and valleys create a microclimate ideal for growing apples, and many other delicious fruits. Rice Fruit is committed to delivering fruit at the height of freshness. Our proximity to buyer customers also ensures a reduced carbon footprint, moving our sweet-natured fruit sustainably to market, preserving the freshness of the fruit, and our heritage of delivering quality and consistency to our customers with each and every apple.
