Natalie had his first son, Bernard Bertagna, who followed in his fathers’ footsteps and acquired a natural green thumb and a passion for farming. Lit’ Ben started volunteering to work in the almond orchards of neighboring farmers at the early age of twelve. By the time we was seventeen years old he had earned and saved enough money to buy his first twenty acres of planted almond trees. He had committed his whole life the laborious yet rewarding livelihood of tending and farming his almond orchards, striving to save and invest in more acreage every opportunity that came forth.

Meanwhile, Ben and his wife Carmen started their own family. Having three strapping boys, Ben Jr., (Maisie Jane’s father), Nick, and Andy. These three boys started working the orchards with their father the day they could walk. In fact Ben, the oldest son can remember driving tractor long before his feet could reach the pedals, “my dad would just stick wood blocks on the pedal to work as extensions of my short legs”. Teaching these strong work ethics to Ben Sr. three sons paid off, as all three of them eventually joined their father in the newly formed family farming corporation, Bertagna Orchards, Inc.

Today, the family farming legend lives on! Maisie Jane & her husband Isidro, and Maisie Jane’s brothers, Berton and Jason continue the farming lifestyle. Four generations deep and the family farm still survives!