People

Victor and Angie Martino, along with 4 full-time and 2 part-time employees.

Farmland

49 acres in Denair, about 110 miles from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.

Farm History

The Martinos have been farming since the 1940s. The family has a long history of selling directly to consumers: in the early 1940s, they were among the farmers who helped start the Alemany Farmers Market, the first modern farmers market in San Francisco. The Martinos pick all fresh fruit the day before it is sold at market and dry their fruit on the farm, giving them complete control over the quality of the final product. Victor, a third-generation farmer, began the transition to organic production in 2003. Some of their orchards are now certified organic by Global Culture.

Certification

Some of their orchards are now certified organic by Global Culture. Bella Viva’s fruit drying process is not certified organic because of the addition of sulfur, a natural preservative.

Soil

Built with cover crops, crop rotation, compost, organic fertilizer, and aged manure.

Water Use

Micro sprinklers, flood and drip irrigation with water from the Modesto Irrigation District and the Hetch-Hetchy reservoir.

Weed Control

Hand and machine cultivation.

Pest Management

Victor creates habitat for beneficial organisms, and uses pheromone disruption, certified organic pesticides, selection of resistant varieties.

Bella Viva Orchards is named after Victor and Angie’s daughters, Belle and Vivian. In Italian, Bella Viva means “beautiful long life.”