It must be in the genes, this “love of growing things.” Or, is it passed from one generation to another because of a loving example seen by those who come later? Whatever the reason, there has been and continues to be a love of the soil, of the things that grow in it and are harvested from it, in the family of Rey Allred.
Rey grew up on the farm his father and grandfather established in 1926 on University Avenue in Provo. The original barn built in 1893 still exists today as a retail outlet for their peaches, nectarines, apples and dried cherries.
In 1957 Rey and is father, Bliss, purchased a farm in Payson and began to plant peaches, apples, sweet and tart cherries. That year Rey graduated from BYU with a degree in horticulture and has spent his time fulfilling his dream of growing the best fruit possible.
If Rey had time and the inclination to have a hobby, it would be doing what he is doing on the farm and with the people in the fruit industry. He is always looking for new ways to do things: new varieties to plant, new rootstocks for plantings, new machinery to plant, spray, transport, prune and harvest the fruit, new spacing’s for trees, new trellis systems to train the trees on, new irrigation systems, and anything else that he can think of. In short, he had never stopped learning how to do his job better. He has never stopped teaching those around him what he has learned, and his excitement and enthusiasm continue to inspire those around him.
Rey and his wife, Mary Carol have passed on this “love of growing things” to their children and grandchildren and they are finding that same enjoyment in working with the creator to beautify and make productive this earth we live on.
