Семилетний путь восстановления: семейный сад Noble Orchards открыл новый склад для хранения яблок

Noble Orchards marks 106 years on Paradise Ridge, opens rebuilt cold storage facility PARADISE, Calif. — Noble Orchards celebrated 106 years on the Paradise Ridge on Monday, marking the occasion with another major milestone in its recovery from the 2018 Camp Fire: a rebuilt cold storage facility that is now up and running. Noble Orchards has been part of the Ridge since 1921. The Camp Fire destroyed 11 of the orchard’s buildings in 2018, including its sorting, packing, and cold storage facilities that supported preparing, storing and distributing fruit. It’s been a long time in the family, and after the Camp Fire, the desire was to go on, and it’s taken us seven and a half years to get here,” co-owner Jim Noble said. “And so we thought we’d celebrate and let the town know what we have going on for us. Jim's wife and fellow co-owner, Laurie, said the orchard’s trees largely survived because they were located in a lower part of the property. The family lost about 1% of its trees, which allowed the orchard to produce a crop in 2019 even after losing equipment and facilities. “We had no equipment, et cetera, but we had thousands and thousands of apples, so we did a free you-pick that a lot of people came to,” Laurie said. Rebuilding has happened gradually, with the family restoring the operation piece by piece. “It’s been piecemeal, 'let’s make something work, something new each year,' and here we are now with the buildings and actually being able to operate much more efficiently,” Laurie said. The new cold storage facility replaces temporary solutions the orchard relied on after the fire. Noble said the family initially stored apples inside their house at about 71 degrees before adding a 20-foot refrigerated unit and later a 40-foot unit. “And now this cold storage is just a game changer,” Jim said. The new facility is also an upgrade from what existed before the fire, Laurie added. “It’s way more state-of-the-art than anything that had been here before and efficient,” she said. “It’s an amazing construction.” With the new facility and the expected arrival of sorting and packing equipment, the couple indicated the orchard hopes to expand distribution again. “We will maybe once again be able to go wholesale to school districts and such type things,” Jim said. The facility upgrade isn't allowing the orchard to expand acreage, but Jim said it will focus on increasing production from existing land. Asked whether the goal is to return to pre-Camp Fire levels of operation, the Nobles said, “To be determined.” with Jim adding, “We’ll play it by year to year, see how things go.” Laurie said conditions on the Ridge have changed since the fire, including increased winds and heightened awareness of wildfire, but she said the family feels safe at the property and views the rebuilding as part of a broader message for Paradise. She said rebuilding remains difficult for some residents and communities affected by wildfires. “I think we’re trying to set the bar that if you stick with it, you can do it,” Laurie said. The celebration included live music, food, Noble Orchards fruit and apple cider. The Paradise Ridge Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new cold storage facility. “We just decided we needed to celebrate for us and for u, and so it’s an open invitation for anybody that wants to come,” Laurie said. --