Farm-to-school paving helps Clendenen Cider Works deliver apples to local schools
June 19, 2026 | Department of Food and Agriculture , Agencies under Office of the Governor, Executive, California
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Clif Clendenen, owner of Clendenen Cider Works, said a 2022 farm-to-school grant paid for paving at his Fortuna farm that was completed in 2023 and made it easier to sort and load apples for school deliveries. "We finished this in 2023 and it has really helped this operation a lot," Clendenen said.
The paving created a cement apron and a dry area that keep pallets and equipment off gravel, Clendenen said, enabling staff to move pallets more easily into a delivery van. On the day of the interview Clendenen pointed to a pallet of small apples "destined for local schools," saying there were "21 23 boxes" on the pallet as he described them as "perfect kids-size apples." A school food-service employee quoted by Clendenen told him, "The kids really like your apples. They really taste good."
Clendenen said more than half of the small storage/access area was funded by the farm-to-school grant. He described the practical benefits: safer sorting, easier loading and better ability to serve school kitchens when apples are available during the orchard's season (August through late January or early February). Clendenen framed the project as a logistics improvement that helped the farm expand its direct supply to local schools.
The interview did not specify the grant administrator or the total grant amount. Clendenen attributed funding simply to the 2022 farm-to-school grant round and said construction finished in 2023. There was no mention in the transcript of follow-up funding or additional formal agreements with school districts.
Clendenen said the school deliveries are one of his "favorite parts of the business," combining outreach and sales: children who try the apples at school often tell their families. He also said the farm uses the press byproduct as compost on-site but has not yet turned that pomace into a market product. The farm continues to supply schools when apples are available; the transcript did not state a formal schedule or guaranteed quantities.
The paving created a cement apron and a dry area that keep pallets and equipment off gravel, Clendenen said, enabling staff to move pallets more easily into a delivery van. On the day of the interview Clendenen pointed to a pallet of small apples "destined for local schools," saying there were "21 23 boxes" on the pallet as he described them as "perfect kids-size apples." A school food-service employee quoted by Clendenen told him, "The kids really like your apples. They really taste good."
Clendenen said more than half of the small storage/access area was funded by the farm-to-school grant. He described the practical benefits: safer sorting, easier loading and better ability to serve school kitchens when apples are available during the orchard's season (August through late January or early February). Clendenen framed the project as a logistics improvement that helped the farm expand its direct supply to local schools.
The interview did not specify the grant administrator or the total grant amount. Clendenen attributed funding simply to the 2022 farm-to-school grant round and said construction finished in 2023. There was no mention in the transcript of follow-up funding or additional formal agreements with school districts.
Clendenen said the school deliveries are one of his "favorite parts of the business," combining outreach and sales: children who try the apples at school often tell their families. He also said the farm uses the press byproduct as compost on-site but has not yet turned that pomace into a market product. The farm continues to supply schools when apples are available; the transcript did not state a formal schedule or guaranteed quantities.
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