Aristeo and Evelia Maldonado founded Maldonado Orchards on its original 45-acre farm in Tonasket, Washington in the early 90s. As the family expanded over the years so did the farm. By the 2nd generation, the farm had grown to over 400 acres of fruit incorporating new varieties, practices, and growing methods.
Their daughter now leads the operations and ownership of Maldonado Orchards. Meet Flor Maldonado. Flor’s desire to farm the family’s fruit started at a young age. Growing up in the orchards, Flor worked alongside her parents and 10 siblings. What started as riding on the four-wheeler with her mom doing irrigation, soon grew to supervising the crew, pest management, and quality control.
Flor’s parents were early proponents of organic farming practices. From an early age, Flor’s dad began to teach her the ins and outs of pest management to protect and grow their quality fruit. That knowledge later translated into her education as she earned a degree in organic ag systems and ag food security from Washington State University.
When Flor graduated, she began her career in Yakima at Kershaw Companies. Through the experience and mentorship she received at Kershaw, Flor strengthened her ability to lead and gained the respect of her employees. The skills and rapport she obtained at Kershaw made the transition to her family farm that much easier.
Today, as the owner and operator of Maldonado Orchards you can find Flor in the office and in the field working side-by-side with her employees. Looking toward the future, Flor envisions the growth of her business to include high-density planting and a packing line for her farm and the surrounding farms. Her close-knit community relies heavily on the tree fruit industry, and Flor plans to be at the forefront of protecting the livelihood of her friends, family, and employees