We are thrilled to announce the The LoBue Brothers will be recognized at the 5th Annual Tree to Table/Dinner in the Groves event at Farmer Bob’s World on Thursday, June 1st.
The LoBue Family has been farming in the San Joaquin Valley since 1934, when Italian immigrant Filip LoBue and his three sons purchased land in Lindsay.
In 1946, the family built a packing facility, which grew into a successful enterprise in the 1950s and 60s because of the number of growers selling their groves in Southern California and planting new acreage in the San Joaquin Valley. In the years since, the family has earned industry-wide respect because of their role in promoting fresh California citrus as growers, packers and volunteers on several industry boards.
The packinghouse operations in Exeter and Lindsay were sold in 2017, yet the family continues to grow a variety of citrus on 1,000 acres in Tulare and Fresno counties.
“The Lo Bue Family has an outstanding record of public service to the industry and their communities,” said Robert McKellar, owner and founder of Farmer Bob’s World. “Further, their story is the story of most, if not all, of the citrus growing families in the Valley.” Fred LoBue, a member of the third generation of the family, said family members are honored to be recognized.
He, Philip, Joe and Robert LoBue, along with Ron Lacey, husband of now deceased Phyllis LoBue, shepherded LoBue Bros., Inc. from 1962 to 2017. “We’re really awed by it,” he said. “Most of the family members were surprised because we are all pretty well retired, and still being recognized for our past presence in the industry.
It is a nice surprise to be honored this way.” Today, ownership of the family’s acreage is slowly transitioning to the fourth and fifth generations.
