Winters Fruit Tree

People

Phil Carter, Carmen Villarreal and their children, with 5 full- and 6 part-time employees

Farmland

234 acres in Esparto, Winters, Sacramento, and Woodland, between 65 to 90 miles to San Francisco

About

Phil’s grandparents Paulina and Phillip Lupertino started their family farm in the 1920s in the Santa Clara Valley, growing cherries and apricots. In 1967 the farm moved to Winters, and in 1968, Phil’s father, William Carter, opened a fruit stand on Highway 128 to sell apricots. As the business grew, the farm diversified to incorporate almonds, walnuts, pistachios and pecans. Inspired by the customers they met running the fruit stand, the family branched out to farmers markets. In 2022 the farm diversified and entered into poultry farming, selling pasture-raised eggs at farmers’ markets. The farm continues to emphasize the importance of small family farms and the diversification of crops grown for a sustainable environment.