HISTORY OF THE FARM
Fondest memories as a young boy in the Acores Islands was eating chestnuts with his Avo Rosa. So when Joe Avila was pondering what to plant on his small farm in northeast Modesto, California, chestnuts (or castanhas) came immediately to mind. In 1984, he planted the first 30 trees. Today he has seven acres of chestnuts. They are his babies – his passion.
Since those early days, it has become a family tradition to work during the harvest. Joe, Jenni, and their children, Shane and Laci, help with the picking up of chestnuts, sorting, sizing, and marketing. Cousin Manuela also helps at the peak of the season.
Today Joe is sometimes called “The Chestnut Man.” He sells his chestnuts from the home, donates many to Portuguese festas, and during the season, travels to the people that love and wait anxiously for a chance to buy his chestnuts.
Prior to specializing in chestnuts, Joe grew vegetables that the Avila family would sell at the Modesto Farmer’s Market and bay area markets. At a very young age, both Shane and Laci sold produce at markets, learning how to weigh, multiply, and make change (without digital or calculators) when they were just nearly tall enough to be seen from behind the table.
