A broad agricultural heartland of California
California’s Central Valley grower Cesar Mora has been locked in a legal dispute over the Monalise nectarine variety since 2023. He has recently begun giving away roughly 125,000 pounds of nectarines to the public instead of letting the harvest rot, citing an ongoing lawsuit with Giumarra Brothers Fruit Co. The effort has drawn thousands of visitors and sparked debate about plant-breeders’ rights and patenting, with a trial scheduled for July 20.