Our Heritage
How to Grow A Family Business
Our story began when our grandparents, Joe and Maria Traina immigrated from Italy to the orchards of the Santa Clara Valley in its pre-Silicon Valley days, bringing the Southern Italian tradition of sun drying fruit to give them a rich, intense flavor. The family moved to a ranch in California’s San Joaquin Valley, near Patterson — the “Apricot Capital of the World” — and in 1926 we began drying and selling fruit.
Our Heritage
We found something special in California’s San Joaquin Valley; a rare combination of sun, soil and spirit. The front porch at the ranch house soon became a place for family, friends and co-workers to sit back and share the day’s events. You can see the porch featured in our logo, and in the lifestyle we still embrace. (The Porch Life)
By 1976, the company was incorporated as it expanded from a local farming and sun drying operation. As Traina Dried Fruit, we began supplying customers throughout North America with a variety of premium quality California Sun dried fruits.
Sparking a Healthy Trend
Traina was busy setting a new flavor standard for California Sun Dried Fruit. We were particularly proud or our Sun Dried Tomatoes, showcasing the difference our natural slow-drying technique brought to the table. When we tried selling our Sun Dried Tomatoes to the restaurant industry in the late-1980s, the product was virtually unheard of. Going door to door to demonstrate the remarkable flavor of Traina Sun Dried Tomatoes directly to chefs, the new generation of Trainas helped spark the sun dried tomato revolution; from unknown quantity to gourmet food staple.
It was the start of a bigger trend toward better food and healthier eating. Meanwhile, another revolution was taking place at neighboring Silicon Valley. Embracing the spirit of innovation from our own Santa Clara roots, we enlisted the latest state-of-the-art technology to better ensure quality control throughout our vertically integrated process.
Moving Forward, Naturally
Traina Foods remains headquartered at the original ranch house in Patterson, while we continue to expand our offerings to major suppliers worldwide. We’re also pleased to offer a growing line of Traina Foods products directly to consumers, available in fine stores nationwide and conveniently here on our website.
We continue to be a pioneer in natural farming techniques, pursuing a leadership position in the production of organic dried fruit, in sustainable farming and in business practices that ensure healthy growth for future generations.
Just as our Grandparents would have wanted.