This is a sponsored conversation in collaboration with McDonald’s. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
A few days ago, I was able to visit the Cuties Orange Groves in Bakersfield CA, where Cuties Clementines, (including the ones in McDonald’s Happy Meals) are grown. I was also able to tour the Sun Pacific Operations Facility-where the Cuties are processed & then shipped to McDonald’s Restaurants & grocery stores nationwide.
Our tour was led by Mr. Al Bates, President of Sun Pacific- and Mr. Jose’ Marin.
Cuties 101
There are actually 2 varieties of Mandarin Oranges that make up Cuties: Clementine Mandarins which are available November through January & W. Murcott Mandarins, available late January through April. Unlike other mandarins, they are seedless, sweet, easy to peel & the perfect snack-able size for “cuties” of all ages. They aren’t naturally seedless, like you might expect though… there’s a process that must be implemented in order for the mandarins to be seedless. Before the trees start blooming- they are covered in nets. The nets help keep bees away from the flowering trees. No bees on the flowers, means no pollination, resulting in SEEDLESS mandarins! Isn’t that amazing?
The mandarin groves encompassed 20,000 acres- there were oranges everywhere! Have you ever smelled orange blossoms? They are very fragrant & between the scent of the blossoms & the mandarins, I was in heaven! I got to see the workers harvesting the oranges, they were clipping the oranges from the trees with lightning fast precision. So many workers, I wasn’t expecting to see that many. Each worker harvests anywhere from 1500 to 1800 pounds of oranges per day! That number blew my mind! That’s a lot of hard work to get Cuties from the orange groves to our plates. The workers I saw out in those groves have my utmost respect & admiration.
What about pesticides you ask? I asked too! Here’s what I found out: Yes, pesticides are used, they are needed-plain & simple. In order to kill off all the pests that would otherwise destroy every mandarin in the groves, pesticides are used. The good news, Sun Pacific performs residue testing on the mandarins to make sure they are safe for you & me to eat. Because mandarins have a thick rind, the pesticides are not able to penetrate through to the fruit. Simply stated, none of the pesticide makes it to the orange inside the rind. Sun Pacific also utilizes natural pesticide options, like ladybugs to get rid of many of the pests that would otherwise destroy the mandarin crops.
I really enjoyed learning all about Cuties, seeing them grow and watching how they are harvested. Next stop? Sun Pacific Operations Facility, to see how Cuties are processed…see you there! 
