It’s a long road from planting a walnut orchard to delivering fresh, delicious walnuts to food professionals. Each step in the process from propagation, to harvest, to packer, and finally to market, is handled with care and attention. There are 4,800+ walnut growers, a large majority being family farms, many of which have been in the walnut business for several generations. After a walnut sapling is planted, it takes four to five years for it to grow into an adult tree suitable for commercial harvesting. Although many varieties of walnuts are grown in California, four varieties account for over 90% of the market and are similar in their taste and functionality.