My Trip to Bolthouse Farms in Bakersfield

Cassidy and I have bought Bolthouse Farms® Carrot Juice for years now. The Bolthouse family began farming carrots in Grant Michigan in 1915, and by 1950, Bolthouse Farms was a leading carrot supplier in the Midwest. They had a reputation for flavor and quality. And now more than 100 years after they started, they’ve grown all the way to California’s gorgeous Central Valley.

We got to experience the simplicity and cleanliness of the total process of the carrots going from field to factory to bottle. Since Cassidy loves to garden and is interested in farming, we totally took note of what we learned that day. And that’s why I’m sharing it with you today!

What I learned about Bolthouse Farms® carrot production:

• Carrot production is regional.

• When growing carrots in a field, it’s good to grow a different crop after, because carrots take out nutrients that are important (other crops include potatoes, tomatoes, etc.).

• Bolthouse Farms grows carrots in six different regions in California.

• Bolthouse Farms also grows carrots in Georgia, Washington, and also in Canada.

• They grow in different areas depending on season.

• Bolthouse Farms® has production plants in Georgia, Washington, Bakersfield, and Canada.

• This is interesting – there is no difference in carrot taste by region.

• And you can get 6-7 baby carrots out of one big carrot!

• How do you get rainbow carrots? You plant different color varieties in the same field!

• Super cool – each color of carrot has different nutritional values.

• We learned that there’s a three year rotation for growing carrots on the same field so that the field doesn’t get diseased.

• It’s important to have land to move to, as well.

• We also learned that you could eat the carrots right out of the ground!

Like Cassidy can tell you, being a farmer means working long hours – 7 days a week – and dealing with heat and different weather conditions. 80% of our nation’s carrots are grown in California! The farmers show a lot of care because if a carrot is too big and over-mature, it won’t taste good. Bolthouse Farms® uses the whole carrot – all of the peelers that come off the carrot get turned into fiber which is used as a filler in ice cream and their many other products.

What I learned about Bolthouse Farms® Research and Development:

• The team runs panels and taste tests all of the products they’re developing.

• They run 1-2 panels a day, and the opportunity goes out to everyone who works in Bakersfield.

• The R&D team gives developers the results of the questionnaires, and they go from there!

Some carrot juice takeaways:

• Bolthouse Farms® believes that making one better choice each day is something we can all do. That totally inspires me.

• They’ve promised to use fewer ingredients and not ones people don’t want.

• Many of the products have no artificial flavors and no artificial preservatives.

• Bolthouse Farms® knows about growing sweet, flavorful carrots with antioxidants and Vitamin A.

• Carrot juice is the perfect balance of taste and nutrition – Great Taste, No Added Sugar, No Artificial colors or Flavors, No Artificial Preservatives.

• Each 15.2oz bottle has 3 3/4 servings of vegetables and is American Heart Health Certified.

And some personal takeaways:

Lastly, I learned more about the realness of the products and how innovative they are with carrot production. There is nothing like a sweet and flavorful carrot right from the ground, and the ways they grow carrots and use every part of the carrots – is truly inspiring! I also learned that carrot ice cream is quite delicious and while Bolthouse Farms® has a bunch of products I know and love, there are some new ones I was more than happy to try. I now have a much bigger appreciation for carrot juice. It was already one of my favorite juices, and I can honestly say I love it more now that I’ve seen the love that goes into it!