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Fruits of their labor

Minetti’s Anxious Acres citrus farm has been a staple of east bakersfield since 1954.

With knife in hand, Sherri Minetti — daughter of owner Dick Minetti — is eager to slice up a free sample for customers who have never eaten the orange globes of fruit from Anxious Acres.

And with 10 types of citrus grown at the farm, there is plenty for customers to enjoy.

“It’s such a laid-back atmosphere here,” said Dick Minetti, owner of Anxious Acres. “People can come here and try some fruit or have some tea. We have some the sweetest oranges you will ever eat.”

But things weren’t always so relaxed at the family farm — in fact, many a night spent awake and worried about the business led to the name, “Anxious Acres.”

The original owners of the farm, Dick’s parents, Henri and Margaret Minetti, would also stress about each other’s health during those early years.

“There was no cell phones back then, no phones at all out in the field, and Mom was always worried Dad would have a heart attack,” said Dick Minetti.

Henri Minetti was a woodshop teacher at East High School when the family purchased original five acres in 1954.

When Dick graduated from East High, his parents wanted to keep him out of trouble (to which Dick admits he got into plenty of) so they purchased the land just off Niles Street and planted their first citrus, the Algerian Tangerine.

Eventually, there was less “anxious” and more “acres” for the Minetti family’s business.

Subsequent land expansions came in 1964 and 1976, which brought the total acreage to its current size of 30.

Kevin Russell of Bakersfield company American Fabrication  says his family has been buying Minetti citrus for more than 40 years.

“My mom would have me pick up oranges on the way to school when I was a freshman at Foothill,” Russell said.

Today, Russell sends out between 300 to 400 fruit baskets a year during Christmas to employees and their families.

It’s difficult to quantify exactly how much fruit Anxious Acres sells because of how they package their product, according to the Minettis.

Fruit is sold in red-mesh bags ($18) or boxes ($38); both are filled to the point of overflow.

The holiday fruit baskets, which are actually half-bushel boxes, that are so popular during the Christmas season also typically include candy and nuts as well.
Prices for the gift packs range from $70 to $105, which includes shipping. Packages shipped in California are charged $10 less.

And though citrus cannot be sent to Arizona or Florida because of state regulations, the Minettis are happy to prepare an alternative gift package for people in those states from their expanded retail line such as a variety of candy, pistachios, beef jerky, salsa and/or orange blossom honey made from bees on the farm.

Anxious Acres uses no pesticides or wax on their fruit, but are not classified as organic because they do use a type of weed killer on the ground.

Though Henri and Margaret have both since died, Dick, now 70, gets plenty of help from farm foreman Alfonso “Fonsi” Torres.

Torres has been with Anxious Acres since 1991 and oversees the day-to-day operation of the farm, along with Sherri Minetti.

“I take care of whatever comes up. Whether it be packing, sales, checking irrigation, whatever — even baby–sitting a Minetti,” Torres said.

In fact, Torres was granted an official family name because of his contribution at the farm where he’s also known “Fonzerrelli Minetti.”

“It’s hard work (working with citrus), but I love it, or else I wouldn’t have been doing it for so long. It’s fun,” said Torres.

The Minettis credit their success as farmers to the consistent quality of their fruit and their dedication to customer service.

According to Dick Minetti, Anxious Acres is the antithesis of bottom-line driven large grocery stores, who can never match their consistency in quality and service, he said.

And does anyone think the following customer service incident could ever happen at a Big Box store?:

One time, a loyal Anxious Acres customer — 64–year–old Henry Morales of Bakersfield — came in to get oranges for his sick daughter. Dick, who actually trades tamales for oranges with Morales during the holidays, gladly gave him free fruit to pass on to Morales’ daughter, a gesture of kindness not uncommon at the local farm.

For many Anxious Acres fans, the holiday season is the most popular time to enjoy the juicy products.

“People tell me if they don’t get a box of fruit from Minetti’s for Christmas, then it’s not Christmas,” Minetti said.