In the San Joaquin Valley town of Reedley, farmer Cesar Mora distributed more than 180,000 pounds of nectarines to the public last week amid an ongoing legal dispute over the fruit’s marketing and sale. The giveaway, held Monday through Friday, attracted hundreds of people who lined up to receive free nectarines from large blue bins on Mora’s farm.

Mora, who has been farming stone fruit in California’s Central Valley for over 30 years, said the giveaway was prompted by a contract disagreement with Giumarra Bros. Fruit Co., a major Los Angeles-based produce company. The dispute centers on the terms of a contract governing how Mora’s Monalise nectarines, which make up roughly 15% of his crop, are marketed and sold. Both parties have filed competing legal claims, and Mora contends the unresolved conflict has prevented him from selling the fruit commercially.

Facing the prospect of the nectarines spoiling on the trees, Mora chose to give the fruit away rather than let it go to waste. “It was going to rot on a tree again, and I said, ‘Let’s give it away,’” Mora said. He expressed pride in his work and wanted others to enjoy the harvest despite the legal challenges.

Initially, Mora’s team planned to distribute 5,000 pounds of nectarines on the first day. However, the turnout exceeded expectations, prompting them to bring out additional fruit. Recipients were given the nectarines in 30-pound bags, and distribution totals escalated daily: about 20,000 pounds on the first day, 50,000 on the second, and 55,000 on the third. By Friday afternoon, the total amount given away reached approximately 182,000 pounds.

Visitors came in groups, some blocking nearby streets as they gathered fruit. Mora said the public’s enthusiastic response and gratitude were unexpectedly moving. Passing by on his tractor during the event, he noted feeling personally touched when attendees applauded his efforts—a rare experience for the farmer. Some visitors even picked up discarded fruit from the orchard at the end of the day.

Giumarra Bros., responding to Mora’s “No Nectarines Wasted” campaign, described the dispute as “a disagreement involving two written agreements” that is “being resolved the right way— in court and on the facts.” Meanwhile, Mora continues to operate his farm, which includes 50 rented acres where he cultivates plums, peaches, and nectarines, despite the ongoing contract issues.

Mora, who learned farming from a young age and has pursued his own operation for about a decade, said financing the farm has been a challenge, requiring persistence and self-reliance. The giveaway represents both a practical solution to an immediate problem and a display of resilience amid the uncertainties facing small farmers in the region.