cashbox and the essential help of Mom and Dad. “It was fun and kind of scary at that age,” said Hank, who speaks confidently about the growth cycle of nuts and dried plums. “A lot of people wanted to talk to us. … I got to have a lot of fun with that over the years.” Yet they were still youngsters in a grown-up world. When they sat down while prospective buyers walked by, Tyler reminded the siblings to stand and added: “Smiles make sales.” Community connections But there was more than personality to the business. Once, “we pulled them out of school and took them to a workshop to learn about food safety and food handling,” Tyler said. Not surprisingly, they were the only children there. In some ways, the College Fund Nut Co. is a typical business. The company buys fruit and nuts from the ranch at a wholesale price, and then prepares them for retail sale. The siblings look at prior years’ sales to figure
out how much to buy. Hank andHaley have taken onmore company chores through the years, and also have learned the importance of shaking hands and wearing proper business attire. They’ve put those lessons to use in a variety of settings, including legislative receptions in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento. These days, Hank and Haley’s main business focus has shifted from farmers markets to serving retail clients such as Julia’s Fruit Stand in Los Molinos and A&R Custom Butchering and the Enjoy store, both in Red Bluff. The fruit stand also began as a college funding effort. Owner Kathy Brandt said the stand was named for her oldest daughter, Julia, who today is a senior in college. Brandt has two younger daughters—one a freshman in college and another headed that way in a few years. Julia’s Fruit Stand mainly sells its own harvest— peaches, nectarines, tomatoes, pumpkins, etc.—from Memorial Day to Halloween. The College Fund Nut
Tyler Christensen, a fifth-generation farmer, says he is proud of his children’s dedication and hard work, and the experience they’ve gained running a business. Below, he and Haley inspect leaf samples in the walnut orchard.
Haley and Hank take a hands-on approach, delivering dried plums to Holly Coffman at the Enjoy store in Red Bluff, above left, and discussing the drying process with their father, Tyler Christensen, left, and farm employee Julie Mikesel.
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