At one time, Silicon Valley was known more for fruits and vegetables than chips and web sites, and produce stands, not car dealerships and burger joints, lined El Camino Real.
One of the last links to those pre-computer days is CJ Olson Cherries, a family business that’s been doling out its product since 1899.
Tonight on The California Report Magazine on KQED Radio, we’ll profile the company. Last weekend I was able to follow fourth-generation grower Deborah Olson as she led one of her occasional orchard tours and cherry tastings; the final tour this season is Saturday at 10:30 AM.
One of the more interesting parts of the tour was Deborah Olson’s recollections of her grandmother, Rosie, who immigrated from Lebanon to Mexico and then to the U.S. in 1929.
“She was really the engine of the family,” Olson said, describing how Rosie Olson set up and ran the family’s fruit stand, then used the proceeds to buy more farmland. Rosie was also responsible for recruiting an unusual mix of farmworkers from Mexico and Saudi Arabia.