Our Story
Long before ProFarm Produce was founded, a young boy named Ryan Stonemetz was learning the value of hard work in the orchards of Washington State. While many kids spent their summers on vacation, Ryan spent his days climbing ladders, picking fruit, driving tractors, and working alongside his parents and grandparents on the family's orchard. Those early mornings, long days, and harvest seasons taught him lessons that could never be learned in a classroom—integrity, perseverance, responsibility, and an unwavering commitment to producing the highest-quality fruit possible.
As a fourth-generation farmer, Ryan grew up with a deep appreciation for the land and the people who dedicate their lives to farming. But he also witnessed the uncertainty that came with it. Year after year, his family invested countless hours, tremendous financial resources, and endless hard work into producing premium fruit, only to have its value determined by warehouses and middlemen. Too often, the growers who assumed all the risk were the ones receiving the smallest share of the final sale.
Like many children raised in agriculture, Ryan wasn't sure farming would be his future. He pursued a college education and began building a career away from the family farm. Yet no matter where life took him, one question never left his mind:
Why were consumers paying premium prices for fruit while the families growing it struggled to earn a fair return?
That question became the foundation for what would eventually become ProFarm Produce.
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In the summer of 2008, Ryan and his brother, Shane Stonemetz, decided there had to be a better way. Together, they purchased a small 12-foot refrigerated truck, loaded it with organic cherries, and headed to Portland, Oregon, with no established customers—only a vision to connect growers directly with consumers. Their goal was simple: provide exceptional fruit at honest prices while ensuring hardworking farming families received the value they deserved.
They began selling at local farmers markets, where customers quickly discovered the difference that truly fresh, orchard-direct fruit could make. The quality spoke for itself. Loyal customers returned week after week, wholesale accounts began to grow through referrals, and what started as one small truck gradually became a thriving produce company.
As the business expanded, Shane chose to return home to continue the Stonemetz family farming legacy, proudly carrying on the work started by his grandparents and parents. Ryan continued leading ProFarm Produce, building the company around the same values they learned growing up in the orchard: honesty, hard work, exceptional quality, and treating customers the way family farmers deserve to be treated.
Today, ProFarm Produce proudly supplies farmers markets, grocery retailers, restaurants, schools, and wholesale customers throughout the Pacific Northwest. While our trucks are bigger and our reach has grown, our mission remains exactly the same as it was in 2008—to eliminate unnecessary middlemen, support family farms, deliver fresher produce, and offer customers exceptional quality at a fair price.
For us, this has never been just about selling fruit.
It's about honoring generations of hardworking farmers, building lasting relationships with our customers, and proving that when growers and consumers are connected directly, everyone benefits.
From our family's orchard to your table—welcome to ProFarm Produce.