Valley fruit farmers join together to buy Prima Wawona farmland for $91 million

“A lot of buyers are already on the farm and actively farming. They are looking forward to hopefully making some money this year.”

— Sullivan Grosz, president of the Ag Division for Pearson Realty

It took several months, but nearly all of the 13,000 acres of farmland that became available after the collapse of Prima Wawona fruit company have been sold.

About 1,300 acres remain of what was once the largest tree fruit grower, packer and shipper in the nation.

The company, a merger of two longtime farming empires, Gerawan Farming and Wawona Packing, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Oct. 13, 2023, after succumbing to more than $600 million in debt.

Company officials were left with little choice but to liquidate the assets. When the land became available, farmers lined up for the chance to grab some of the most productive farmland in the tree fruit industry.

Emerging as the largest single buyer of land was the joint venture partnership of Sun Pacific, which has packing houses in Tulare, Fresno and Kern counties, and Moonlight Companies in Reedley.

The two companies purchased about 5,000 acres for a total price of $91 million, according to court documents. The deal easily makes them the dominant player in the tree fruit industry. And unlike other agriculture ventures, this purchase did not require outside investors.

Russ Tavlan, owner of Moonlight Cos., said that he and his business partner Berne Evans, owner of Sun Pacific, were honored to buy a large share of property from two legacy farming families.

“We have admired them and they have been industry leaders for two generations,” Tavlan said. “They were both best in class and I am excited to have those two legendary farming companies woven into the fabric of Moonlight and Sun Pacific.”

Although Sun Pacific has carved out a lucrative niche in the citrus market with easy peeling mandarin varieties called Cuties, Tavlan said that a “vast majority” of the newly acquired acreage will remain in tree fruit.

Along with Cuties, Sun Pacific grows and sells kiwi fruit, navel oranges, grapes and lemons. Moonlight grows and sells, peaches, plums, nectarines, pomegranates, pluots, table grapes, lemons, kiwis and Cuties.

Tavlan acknowledged that though some farmers have given up on farming tree fruit because of the volatility and rising costs, he and Evans are in it for the long haul.

“I've always looked at the headwinds as opportunities,” Tavlan said. “Although we have seen a retraction in the California stone fruit industry over the decades, I believe we have been able to successfully navigate it because we are good at what we do.”

Sullivan Grosz, president of the Ag Division for Pearson Realty, said the land sales have gone relatively smoothly. Many of the properties are in escrow or will soon be.

“A lot of buyers are already on the farm and actively farming,” Grosz said “They are looking forward to hopefully making some money this year.”

Grosz has also heard from several farmers that they have hired some of the laid off workers from Prima Wawona. At least 5,400 workers lost their jobs as a result of the bankruptcy.