Explore the world of stone fruits as almonds and peaches shine in episode three of PBS’s “America’s Heartland,” featuring Western Growers members Mountain View Fruit and the Almond Board of California.

In the heart of Reedley, Calif., stone fruit are a family affair. Owner of Mountain View Fruit, Mike Thurlow, along with his wife Peggy and their two children, Michael and Alexandra, work together to ensure that the renowned “World’s Fruit Basket” lives up to its name.

Alexandra Thurlow, in charge of Marketing & Recipes, expresses her love for working with her family, saying: “This is home.”

When it comes to crop value in the United States, Fresno County reigns supreme. In 2020 alone, it brought in a staggering $8 billion from high-value crops, securing its place as the Central Valley’s agricultural powerhouse.

The show interviews Rick Kushman from the Almond Board of California about the booming business of almonds in California. Over the last few decades, almond farmers have made significant strides in water efficiency, reducing water usage by nearly 35 percent and climbing. Almonds, a vital component of California’s agriculture landscape, have seen an explosion of creativity in recent years.

“There were 12,000 new products introduced with almonds just last year and all of them involve health,” Kushman says.

Check out the episode by clicking here.

Episodes of “America’s Heartland” can be viewed on your area’s PBS station – check your local listings for exact date and time; more than 90 percent of all PBS stations in the country carry the show – as well as on PBS.org; the PBS standalone app; “America’s Heartland’s” website and YouTube; as well as weekly on RFD-TV. “America’s Heartland” is a production of Sacramento’s PBS KVIE.