Small, brown and fuzzy. In all, California is the nation's leading supplier of the sweet-tasting fruit that's now grown in at least 11 counties in the state. It arrived in California in the early 1960s and was soon put into commercial production. Today, fuzzy kiwi fruit is grown commercially in New Zealand, Italy, Japan, France, Australia, Greece, Chile and California. Similar to a grape vine, the kiwi plant is extremely vigorous and has canes that can stretch 20 feet and more.
Farmers establish their kiwi vines on trellises, much like a vineyard.
In the central San Joaquin Valley, the fruit is hand-picked in the fall and can be stored for months, ensuring consumers of an abundant supply of California kiwi fruit well through the winter. Although most people peel the fruit's fuzzy brown coat, the skin is edible. Kiwi fruit also is considered one of the best natural sources of vitamin C, with at least twice that of an orange.