The Broetje Orchards brand -- FirstFruits of Washington -- refers to a Biblical festival during which the people offered the first and best of their harvests to God in the knowledge that they were dependent on God for their survival and blessings. Likewise, we offer our first fruits --in the form of profits-- to help people and communities around the world, and as recognition of God’s role in the success of our business.

Broetje Orchards is committed to a “servant leadership” model to guide its activities. It means that our business goals are not separated from our spiritual values.

“Sure, we have to make money or we’d have to shut the doors,” Cheryl Broetje explains. “But profit isn’t our main motive. It becomes the by-product of treating people with dignity, respect, and mutuality, and as equals in every sense of the word. We all have a role to play in creating a community of people who care for a business that then cares for them. We believe that if we ever stopped doing that, we would implode.”
That belief led our family to implement a series of initiatives to assist the first and second-generation Hispanic immigrant farm workers, and their families, who work in the orchard and packing plant. First, we provided year-round jobs, then affordable housing, then child-care facilities, schools and scholarships.