Prima Wawona bankruptcy (2023-2024)
The private equity-led peach grower filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2023. After failing to find a buyer, it issued WARN notices for 5,400 workers, mostly seasonal, as it liquidated.
Thousands of seasonal workers were not recalled; 121 full-time positions were cut.
The collapse removed one of the Central Valley's largest peach growers and showed how quickly ag employers can shed workers.
Prima Wawona's WARN notices in the same region show how Central Valley agriculture handles mass layoffs, and how seasonal workers dominate the workforce. Baloian's smaller notice follows the same pattern.
