With more than eight billion people on our planet, we’re all a blend of diverse histories, cultures, environments and jobs. Despite the many challenges life may present, one universal need connects us all: the desire for nutritious, wholesome food.

While we all depend on fresh produce, not everyone has the background or means to grow it. For those fortunate enough to do so, they have a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on society.

“It’s the connection to the ground, and the idea that with discipline and hard work you can provide a piece of fruit to the world that you are proud to put your name on,” says Harold McClarty, Owner and CEO of HMC Farms.

Raised in Parlier, Calif., McClarty grew up with his parents and three sisters in a two-bedroom house that his grandfather built by hand. While the family didn’t have much in the way of luxury, they had everything they needed. Like others in their small farming community, the McClarty kids worked hard from a young age. McClarty spent many of his childhood summers picking fruit, pruning and boxing raisins – tasks that may not have been exhilarating for a 14-year-old boy, but instilled in him a deep appreciation for the value of honest, hard work and the pride that comes from it. Determined to not be defined by the 90 cents an hour he earned in the fields, McClarty set his sights on a different future.

A graduate of Selma High School’s class of 1969, McClarty pursued higher education at Reedley College and the University of California, Santa Cruz. At UCSC, he encountered some of the brightest minds he’d ever met and took every opportunity to share the responsibilities he’d grown up with in the Valley. Though he cherished his time away from the farm and the memories he made while at college, he realized he preferred the “real” world he had left behind. McClarty found himself following in the familiar footsteps of generations of farm kids before him, returning to the very farm that shaped him.

The McClarty family’s agriculture legacy began well before Harold’s return. The family’s first 40 acres of farmland were purchased in 1887 by McClarty’s great-grandfather and remain in the family name to this day. After working in nearly every facet of agriculture, from picking fruit to inspecting and selling produce, McClarty knew he wanted more. Reflecting on his upbringing, he said, “I grew up in the ’60s and ’70s, a time when we believed we could make a difference. That belief still drives us today. If you have been given an opportunity, you need to give back and be appreciative of opportunities you were lucky enough to have.”

In 1987, with 40 acres, $5,000 and the support of his wife and two young children, McClarty founded his marketing company. He transformed those 40 acres from a modest family farm into the multi-faceted operation known as HMC Farms today.

For the McClarty’s, farming is more than just a business – it’s a way of life. Harold reflects on the nature of their business, noting, “The only reason we still exist is because we’re a family business. Working with family on a daily basis has its challenges, but the rewards are so much greater.”