It all started with the Kian Family. Fourth generation pistachios farmers from Rafsanjan, Iran. We had to migrate to the US to escape the unstable political climate of our homeland caused by the 1979 Iranian Revolution. After three years of extensive research, studying the U.S. climate data, We chose to transport and introduce our Persian Kerman cultivar, the most widely planted variety to the City of Delano, located in Kern County California called KianFamily Farms. Delano’s ideal climate and fertile soil was the closest match to that of Rafsanjan and would therefore produce similar crop yields.
Since its inception in 1983, the entire Kian clan has been involved in the farming, processing, irrigating, budding trees, pruning, spraying, roasting, sorting and hulling/drying of the farm. The family dedication and true labor of love has been the main catalyst for the growth and success of the business. What started as a 60-acre pistachio orchard in 1983 has blossomed into a 1200-acre pistachio farm today. The vision from the start was to implement sustainable farming methods that do away with persistent pesticides and fertilizers which are harmful for both human consumption and the environment. In addition to being held to the standards of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Kian Family Farms are also routinely inspected and are Certified Organic by the USDA.
The full-service pistachio processing operations at Kian Family Farms has always been dedicated to the wholesale export business with only a minimal domestic foot print. In 2015 however, due to the increasing domestic knowledge and demand for pistachio products, the Kian family launched a private label brand called Nutraw Foods. Nutraw Foods value-added pistachio products include pistachio bars, pistachio butters, pistachio oils, and a variety of additional pistachio snacks currently in research and development. Being vertically integrated allows the company to provide premium pistachio products without the premium pricing generally associated with pistachios.
