Through trial and error, Mike's farming philosophy evolved into a vision focused on long-term planning instead of on the short-term "almighty dollar."
McCutcheon Farms
Organic Pistachios and Raisins, Caruthers, California
It's easy to see that Mike McCutcheon stands apart from the commercial growers in his area. Mike is a third-generation farmer on the same land his grandfather Phillip acquired in 1940, 
with Mike's father operating the farm until his death in 1972. During this time, Mike studied hard, received a degree in engineering and was employed in the aerospace industry on NASA programs for several years. With a desire to put his feet back on earth, he returned to Fresno to reclaim the family farm.
After experimenting with various conventional farming methods, Mike found that using chemicals not only did not offer solutions to the many problems he encountered, but actually resulted in worse problems later. Through trial and error, Mike's farming philosophy evolved into a vision focused on long-term planning instead of on the short-term "almighty dollar." In 1982, Mike committed to organic farming methods and earnestly embarked on a strong soil amendment program, planting various successive cover crops between his vineyard rows.
The process has been slow but has brought the McCutcheon's farm many long-term benefits. In Mike's words: "Proper soil nutrition provides better nutrient assimilation by the vines, promoting natural immunity to infestation. As well, the use of cover crops serves to host many beneficial insects such as ladybugs, lacewings and thrips." These methods are obviously working since the farm's raisin production increased from 2-1/2 tons per acre in the early '80s to the current 3-1/4 tons per acre.
In 1987, Mike planted some pistachio trees which are now entering their peak producing years. Sue and I visited Mike at his farm for the first time last October and were so impressed with Mike's knowledge and dedication to quality that we started importing some of his wonderful organic pistachios and raisins for our Canadian customers. Judging by the rave reviews we received, you can rest assured that we will keep bringing McCutcheon's organically-grown products to you.
