PLANT CITY, Fla. — From one pushcart in the streets of New York City to now delivering berries to hundreds of customers across North America, it's been quite a century for Wish Farms.
This family-owned and operated business headquartered in Plant City is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
There could be up to one million pounds of berries on any given day being boxed up and shipped out of their warehouse.
“These berries are going all across the Eastern Seaboard, into the Midwest and also into Canada,” said third-generation owner Gary Wishnatzki.
Gary said it’s amazing how far the family business has come since his grandfather immigrated to the United States in 1904.
“I think about $20 dollars in his pocket, and he started a small business. He started selling fruits and vegetables from a pushcart in New York City,” he added.
The Wishnatzki family ended up finding their way to Plant City, where berries became their main focus.
“The size of the farms back then was dictated by the size of the family. The more children you had, the more pickers you had,” said Gary.
Gary learned from his father and is now passing down the legacy to his own son and daughter.
“There’s a rich history of the company, and we’re kind of deeply ingrained in the community, so there is a sense of pride coming to work every day and doing something that I really like to do,” said Nick Wishnatzki.
However, the farm has seen its fair share of changes, including the decision to shorten its name.
“The name was Wishnatzki Farms at the time, and the name Wishnatzki, even though its a great family name, is not very easy to spell or remember,” said Gary.
So they embraced the name Wish Farms, almost like a fairytale. Their logo, which some might say is becoming very recognizable, plays into that.
“Misty the Garden Pixie is carrying her little wand with the star, so it all kind of goes together,” said Gary.
Then during the pandemic, they moved into a brand new campus right off 1-4, complete with a tree house and pixie slide. Gary’s even written a book, titled "Generations of Sweetness."
“I had written down stories from my father’s time, different stories that he told over the years, so I had all this material, and I said this would be the perfect time to get it put all together and get it compiled,” said Gary.
You could even say the future looks “berry” good.
“Two grand boys, nine and six, they are getting a little bit of training already,” said Gary.
For more information on Wish Farms, click here.
