REEDLEY, CA — Amber Balakian’s great-grandparents were hardworking immigrants who fled the Armenian Genocide over a century ago and settled in Reedley, California, a small San Joaquin Valley farming town where they planted vineyards. Balakian Farms was founded in 1925 by Zadig Balakian. His son, John, was the eldest of Zadig’s six children. He continued the family business for many years adding tree fruit and other crops along the way. In the 1990s, Ginger Balakian, Amber’s mother, transitioned to organic practices, and began growing heirloom tomatoes.
“There are over 3,000 varieties of heirloom tomatoes in active cultivation around the world, and over 15,000 varieties worldwide. Our family currently grows up to 40 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, with the season peaking in July and August. Heirloom tomatoes have a striking colorful appearance that is beautifully diverse. Our family grows organic crops, including peaches, plums, nectarines, pluots (part plum and part apricot in heritage), apricots, lemons, eggplant, Armenian cucumbers, pomegranates, persimmons, summer squash, and heirloom tomatoes,” says Amber.
As a young girl, Amber spent long hours working alongside her family and their employees (whom she considers practically family) on their 20-acre Reedley farm. While she loved spending time on the farm, working in agriculture was never part of her dreams. “I grew up going to farmers markets (including to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco on Saturdays), and working on a farm was a major part of my life. After graduating high school, though, farming was something I didn’t consider for a career,” she says. “I studied economics at UC San Diego, and went to Harvard for my master’s degree in management and operations.” she says…