Their origins are deep, and farming is the cornerstone of their business. Since the early 1950s, the Gogna and Gotelli families have operated farms in the Linden region. The soil and temperature in this area are ideal for two specialty crops, cherries and walnuts. The Gogna and Gotelli families are still one of California's top cherry growers today, four generations later, and they also have a sizeable walnut farm. To help satisfy supply demands in both the domestic and international markets, OG Nut processes and markets walnuts for more than 100 regional growers.
Second-generation farmers Al and Del Gotelli saw the necessity of vertically integrating their farming operations at a young age. For the purpose of receiving, cooling, packing, and shipping fresh California cherries, OG Packing was founded in 1965. Soon after, Vernon Gogna joined the company as a partner. By using cutting-edge equipment, OG Packing became one of the first companies in the world to automate and pack large quantities of high-quality fresh cherries before delivering them to domestic and international markets.
When the generations of OG expanded their farming and packing business in 1999, they created Grower Direct Marketing for cherries and OG Nut Sales for walnuts. These partnerships allowed for the internal sale, marketing, and shipping of premium goods.
After years of outsourcing the processing of walnuts, the decision was made in 2007 to invest in OG Nut Company, a facility that processes both inshell and shelled walnuts. State-of-the-art hulling, drying, sorting, and packing lines were installed.