Rice Fruit Company

08/21/2026

We have some pretty exciting news to share from Rice Fruit Company! 🍎🎉

Our President, Ben Rice, has been named The Packer’s 2026 Apple Person of the Year!

This recognition comes during a year that has tested Pennsylvania’s apple industry in extraordinary ways, but also represents more than one difficult season.

Ben’s leadership reflects a longstanding commitment to Pennsylvania agriculture, the apple industry, and the people who make it possible. His optimism, humility, and steady focus on working together have helped guide Rice Fruit Company and our grower community through both opportunities and challenges.

Ben would be the first to say that progress like this is never the work of one person. It takes growers, employees, industry partners, elected officials, agricultural leaders, and communities pulling in the same direction.

Congratulations to you, Ben🍎

Full article below:

Rice Fruit Co. President Ben Rice earned top industry honors for securing state disaster aid, advocating for local orchards and strengthening regional storage capacity.

06/24/2026

113 years. 🍎❤️

Today, we're celebrating two milestones: Rice Fruit Company’s 113th anniversary and National Family-Owned & Operated Businesses Day.

Since 1913, we've remained committed to growing great apples and building lasting relationships. What started as one family’s business has grown into a family of families, partnering with more than 40 grower families across the Mid-Atlantic.

To our growers, employees, customers, and partners - thank you for being part of our story.

Here's to 113 years of growing together. 🌳🍎

05/06/2026

An apple for the teacher🍎 - it’s a tradition most of us recognize, but few of us stop to think about.

For centuries, the apple has symbolized knowledge and learning, from ancient mythology to the timeless lessons of right and wrong. But its role in the classroom is rooted in something even more meaningful: care, gratitude, and community.

In the 1700s, families in Denmark and Sweden, often with very little to give, offered baskets of apples to teachers as payment for their children’s education. In early America, students brought apples to help support teachers who were being housed and fed by the very families they taught. Even during the Great Depression, apples became a simple, heartfelt way for farming families to give back to those shaping the future.

It was never just about the fruit.
It was about appreciation.

To the teachers who show up every day with patience, purpose, and passion, we thank you.

You help shape the next generation, one lesson at a time.
And if history tells us anything…sometimes the simplest gifts carry the deepest meaning. 🍎

04/22/2026

When you care for the land, it takes care of you right back.

04/20/2026

Big things are happening in Adams County!🚜

We’ve officially broken ground on a new controlled atmosphere (CA) storage facility at our Gardners location, an investment in the future of our growers, our community, and the apples you love.

Supported in part by a $1.25 million grant through the USDA’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program, this investment reflects a continued commitment to strengthening the food supply chain and supporting our grower partners and rural communities.

We were honored to be joined by Secretary Russell Redding whose ongoing advocacy for Pennsylvania agriculture has helped make projects like this possible.

This new facility will enhance our ability to deliver high-quality apples year-round by extending freshness, flavor, and storage life through advanced CA technology. Construction is underway with completion expected in December 2026.

Thank you to our partners Storage Control Systems and Conewago Enterprises Inc for helping to bring this vision to life!