One of the first things Bobby Jones ever told me was that he was born a strawberry farmer.
Both the Co-Managing Partner and the coveted produce his family cultivates mirror each other in characteristics of strength, passed from parent to child. Just as Bobalu berry quality has heightened and bettered, so have those growing them.
Now, as the brand marks 60 years since Founders Bob and Lupe Jones first planted strawberries in Oxnard, California, their legacy both in blood and berries continues on, stronger and more strategic than ever.
Bobby Jones, Co-Managing Partner, Bobalu: My brother RC and I have a couple of exciting things happening to mark our 60 years in business and are feeling truly grateful to be here and to be in a position of growth.
Our team is really pleased to announce, for the first time, we will be offering fresh berries from California all 365 days of 2022 and beyond. We typically rely solely on our Mexico crop during the winter months after California’s Santa Maria fall crop, and before the next spring crop in Oxnard. But now, we will have a fall Oxnard crop in addition to our fall Santa Maria crop that comes on later and will carry us into 2023. Bobalu looks forward to a full year of California fruit as well as what we bring in from Mexico during the winter to expand our availability.
We are also very proud and excited to announce a new scholarship program to support graduating seniors of Oxnard’s high school district that kicked off at the beginning of this year. The launch acknowledges the local support we have received for 60 years and will help young adults in our community take that next big step in life by continuing their education. We will definitely be sharing more about this program as things continue to unfold.
"What RC and I are most proud of is our long-standing commitment to keep family first in our company culture."
Bobby Jones, Co-Managing Partner, Bobalu
BJ: 2021 was the year in which we did all the heavy lifting to make a complete transition to an in-house operation. Our company integrated new software and built a strong team of produce professionals with a number of strategic hires for future growth. Now, 2022 will see that milestone realized as it marks our first entire year as a company with a fully integrated in-house sales and marketing team. We are completely established and ready to roll.
BJ: The team has had great feedback from both customers and consumers about our quality. This has been the core which we have built our business out from, and RC and I are both so proud of that.
This year, we are very pleased to support the loyalty of key customers with increased supply throughout the year due to our acreage expansion in California, which will ensure more promotable volume for key accounts and premium quality every day. We are also expanding our foodservice business in 2022 and have already set the stage for that growth as we build on this very important segment of the industry. Most importantly, no matter where our product is going, that quality we are known for will remain.
BJ: What RC and I are most proud of is our long-standing commitment to keep family first in our company culture. While that certainly means traditional family, it also encompasses anyone who works for us. Multiple generations have given to Bobalu, and not just from our own blood. Bob and Lupe established this belief, and it is one we have always maintained. It is represented in our slogan “Family Grown, Farmer Owned,” and everything that stands behind it.
Our biggest difference is the complete shift from being a regional supplier to a national brand. We have accomplished this balance between family and reach with controlled growth, as well as by being very strategic about how we expand our company.
BJ: While there is much to celebrate, we see this as a challenging year for us and all produce providers, with supply chain issues from last year continuing to loom ahead. We see issues with transportation, labor, availability of crop protection tools, and packaging. All of those listed come with decreased availability and increased costs. We are aware, and we are focused now on ensuring we keep the product moving and get everything in the box and sold in 2022. At the end of the year, we want to be looking ahead at what we can expand on next, not what we could have done better.
Despite, or perhaps because of, the obstacles challenging the victories, Bobby, his brother RC, and the Bobalu team prove again and again that resilience is more than what you are born into; it is the outlook with which you choose to weather and treasure these dynamic years. To learn from those before you, so that the next generation—man or berry—is that much better. 
