Fact Brief: Did Sunsweet Growers start in Santa Clara Valley?

Yes.

Prior to becoming Sunsweet Growers Inc. the organization was known as the California Prune and Apricot Growers Association. The association was founded in March of 1917 and headquartered at the corner of Market and San Antonio streets in San Jose. During its ‘Valley of Heart’s Delight’ era, Santa Clara Valley boasted more than 100,000 acres of orchards making it one of the largest fruit producing and packing areas in the world. 

 The California Prune and Apricot Growers association started as a cooperative to help growers in Santa Clara Valley create stable prices and protect orchardists. The Sunsweet name was a common brand for the Association to sell their prune and apricots under and was adopted as the name of the company in 1958 when it incorporated into Sunsweet Growers, Inc. 

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Sources

• Sunsweet Our Story
• California Prunes The Valley of Heart's Delight
• Calisphere Stanford Brand Santa Clara Prunes, California Prune and Apricot Growers Association
• Calisphere Golden Glow Brand, Prunes, California Prune and Apricot Growers Association, San Jose, …
• History San Jose Photo Record, Sunsweet Plant No. 3, Gilroy