Rice Fruit Company

10/20/2026

🍎 Thank you to everyone who participated and visited our booth at the Global show. We had a fantastic time at GPFS!

🏆 Give us a shout if your Plinko ticket matches!

10/15/2026

During the fall, it's the presizer's time to shine.

*You might think apples come in from the orchard, head straight to the packing line and go into a bag or box.

But for many of our apples, there’s an important step in between. Think of it like a sorting-hat.

The apple bins are lowered into a water tank where the apples gently float into the pre-sizing system to begin their journey.

The sorting-system technology evaluates characteristics like size, color differences and external quality… then determines which lane each apple should travel to.

The now pre-sized fruit is floated back into bins.

Our highest-quality fruit heads into cold storage until we need it to fill a customer order. Fruit that doesn’t meet a color or quality specification can be re-directed to processors, where it can be turned into your favorite juice, pie-filling or applesauce or c***r.

That helps us make better use of our valuable storage space while finding the right home for as much of the crop as possible.

But there’s another big advantage to pre-sizing.

When we bring a bin of pre-sized fruit to our packing line, we already know a lot about what’s inside it.

That means we can forecast the pack-out of that bin with incredible precision, right down to the pallet.

And during harvest, that information is invaluable.

Space is limited. Time is limited. And man-hours are incredibly valuable.

That consistency of quality and pack matters, so knowing size and color assortment before it reaches the packing line allows our team to plan customer orders and pack fruit much more quickly and efficiently.

Technology like our pre-sizer helps us protect and optimize fruit quality, makes the best use of every apple and dials in our packing spec to get the best fruit packed for every order, every time.*

For our full library of Keeping it Real- visit:
https://ricefruit.com/whatsnew/keeping-it-real/

10/09/2026

Sometimes Mother Nature has a subtle way of reminding us to appreciate the good stuff.

This year's harvest may look a little different, but there's still much to celebrate.

We're especially grateful for the hardworking farm families who never lose sight of the beauty in what they grow.😍

Here's to perseverance, gratitude, and finding the good in every harvest.

10/02/2026

October is National Apple Month! What varieties are you hoping to find in a store near you?!

09/22/2026

Happy Fall!

Break out your favorite sweater, snuggle up on the couch with a hot c***r (and a book, of course!) and settle into cozy season.

What's your favorite part of fall?!

08/21/2026

We have some pretty exciting news to share from Rice Fruit Company! 🍎🎉

Our President, Ben Rice, has been named The Packer’s 2026 Apple Person of the Year!

This recognition comes during a year that has tested Pennsylvania’s apple industry in extraordinary ways, but also represents more than one difficult season.

Ben’s leadership reflects a longstanding commitment to Pennsylvania agriculture, the apple industry, and the people who make it possible. His optimism, humility, and steady focus on working together have helped guide Rice Fruit Company and our grower community through both opportunities and challenges.

Ben would be the first to say that progress like this is never the work of one person. It takes growers, employees, industry partners, elected officials, agricultural leaders, and communities pulling in the same direction.

Congratulations to you, Ben🍎

Full article below:

Rice Fruit Co. President Ben Rice earned top industry honors for securing state disaster aid, advocating for local orchards and strengthening regional storage capacity.

06/24/2026

113 years. 🍎❤️

Today, we're celebrating two milestones: Rice Fruit Company’s 113th anniversary and National Family-Owned & Operated Businesses Day.

Since 1913, we've remained committed to growing great apples and building lasting relationships. What started as one family’s business has grown into a family of families, partnering with more than 40 grower families across the Mid-Atlantic.

To our growers, employees, customers, and partners - thank you for being part of our story.

Here's to 113 years of growing together. 🌳🍎

05/06/2026

An apple for the teacher🍎 - it’s a tradition most of us recognize, but few of us stop to think about.

For centuries, the apple has symbolized knowledge and learning, from ancient mythology to the timeless lessons of right and wrong. But its role in the classroom is rooted in something even more meaningful: care, gratitude, and community.

In the 1700s, families in Denmark and Sweden, often with very little to give, offered baskets of apples to teachers as payment for their children’s education. In early America, students brought apples to help support teachers who were being housed and fed by the very families they taught. Even during the Great Depression, apples became a simple, heartfelt way for farming families to give back to those shaping the future.

It was never just about the fruit.
It was about appreciation.

To the teachers who show up every day with patience, purpose, and passion, we thank you.

You help shape the next generation, one lesson at a time.
And if history tells us anything…sometimes the simplest gifts carry the deepest meaning. 🍎

04/22/2026

When you care for the land, it takes care of you right back.

04/20/2026

Big things are happening in Adams County!🚜

We’ve officially broken ground on a new controlled atmosphere (CA) storage facility at our Gardners location, an investment in the future of our growers, our community, and the apples you love.

Supported in part by a $1.25 million grant through the USDA’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program, this investment reflects a continued commitment to strengthening the food supply chain and supporting our grower partners and rural communities.

We were honored to be joined by Secretary Russell Redding whose ongoing advocacy for Pennsylvania agriculture has helped make projects like this possible.

This new facility will enhance our ability to deliver high-quality apples year-round by extending freshness, flavor, and storage life through advanced CA technology. Construction is underway with completion expected in December 2026.

Thank you to our partners Storage Control Systems and Conewago Enterprises Inc for helping to bring this vision to life!