Sunsweet products are available at most grocers, but Yuba City residents know that the Sunsweet Growers Store is the best place to stock up on premium dried fruit, unique sweets, locally produced gifts and more!

From the Grower Up: The Sunsweet Story

For over a century, Sunsweet has proudly produced a variety of dried fruits, including prunes, dates, nectarines and apricots. Sunsweet was founded in San Jose in 1917 when a group of growers came together with one simple goal – to share California prunes and dried apricots with the world. At the time, San Jose and the surrounding area were known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight. Over 100,000 acres of fruit and nut trees blanketed this valley, and it was widely recognized as the prune capital of the world. 

As technology slowly pushed agriculture out of what is now known as Silicon Valley, growers moved to the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. Sunsweet followed suit, establishing their Yuba City headquarters in 1975. CJ McClellan, Sunsweet’s Vice President of North American Marketing, proudly states, “Now, over 100 years later, we are the largest dried fruit processor in the nation. We produce over 50,000 tons of prunes each year, which is a lot of fruit!”

Sunsweet: a family-owned  cooperative

Sunsweet is a cooperative with over 250 grower-members throughout California. The fruit grown in these family orchards is processed at the Sunsweet processing facility and packaged and sold under the Sunsweet brand.  CJ explains, “Sunsweet is a cooperative, which means we are grower-owned.  Sunsweet is not a massive company run by executives and out for profit. It’s a group of families that came together, striving every day to grow and harvest high-quality, safe food and food ingredients for the world.”

Why is the Central Valley great for growing prunes? 

Virtually all of Sunsweet’s California growers are based in the Central Valley. The Sacramento Valley, which includes Sutter County and Yuba City, accounts for 80% of the Nation’s prune production. CJ elaborates, “The Central Valley is great for growing prunes because of the Mediterranean climate, because of the water quality, because of the soil.” He points to the climate of the Central Valley, which he says is great, “for a lot of different agriculture.”

CJ also appreciates the camaraderie of this small community. He notes, “As you drive through Yuba City with our grower relations team, they know all of the farmers. They know all of the growers. They know all of the people around that are growing the different agriculture. Having that tight-knit community is very enjoyable.” He flashes a friendly smile and concludes, “We are proud to be a part of this community and proud to be a cooperative of growers that are bringing California’s amazing prunes to the world.”

The Sunsweet Growers Store

Sunsweet’s Yuba City Headquarters not only boasts the world’s largest dried fruit processing plant; it’s also home to the Sunsweet Growers Store! Here, you’ll find an amazing selection of Sunsweet products. The growers store stocks California prunes, dried apricots, and prune juice – all stacked neatly along the shelves. You’ll also find some unique and surprising items like French Kisses or chocolate-covered prunes.

In addition to Sunsweet brand products, the growers store stocks a variety of locally-produced items including olive oils from Sutter Buttes Olive Oil Company and nuts and gifts from Maisie Jane’s. CJ smiles and admits, “There’s a pretty diverse set of products. I think my favorite product would be the Orange Essence Prunes or the Probiotic + Elderberry Prunes.”

Visit the Sunsweet Growers Store

The Sunsweet Growers Store is open to the public. If you’re in the area, swing by to experience some of Sunsweet’s more unique items, like French Kisses and Probiotic Prunes. The growers store is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Sunsweet Growers Store

901 N Walton Ave

Yuba City, CA 95993

Can’t make it to Yuba City?  Learn more about their products and shop online at sunsweet.com! You can also find Sunsweet products at grocers worldwide or order online through their Amazon store or Walmart Marketplace!

What to do in Yuba City? 

Yuba City is the county seat of Sutter County and is conveniently located along the 99. It’s a short 45 minute drive from Sacramento and an easy stop if you’re heading farther north to Chico or Redding. However, we believe that Sutter County is a destination in and of itself! CJ enthusiastically adds, “There’s a lot to do here. You’ve got the Sutter Buttes, which is one of the smallest mountain ranges in California. You can see it from the building. You can go on hikes, you can go explore those little mountain ranges. We are the agricultural hub of California. You can find a lot of farm-to-fork restaurants here, with people utilizing some of the food that has grown within the region. So, you can explore some of those locally owned restaurants and try some food that is unique to the area. And then of course, wine. It’s California!”

Article and photography by Hilary Rance.