About The Fig Orchard

The Dinatale family’s passion for growing began with one remarkable man—Mario Dinatale—who cultivated an extraordinary backyard orchard that became the heart of family life. Mulberries, persimmons, kiwis, apples, pears, grapes, and berries all found a home in his yard, but it was his unrivaled collection of fig trees—almost exclusively rare Italian heirloom varieties—that defined his legacy.

What started with a handful of potted figs grew into something extraordinary. Over the years, trees filled massive raised beds, sunlight was maximized by removing shade trees, and an elaborate irrigation system kept every plant perfectly watered. The children’s sandbox quietly transformed into a propagation station, and soon the entire property revolved around figs.

The dream reached its peak with the construction of a state-of-the-art backyard greenhouse featuring heated floors, automatic climate control, and automated watering—designed to eliminate the annual labor of moving hundreds of trees indoors for winter. Tragically, a neighbor’s complaint halted the project mid-build. Despite multiple compromises, the town restricted the in favor of the neighbor, limiting the structure to eight feet in height. Undeterred, Mario adapted: the frame was cut down, netting was added overhead, and the greenhouse continued to serve its purpose. The unused panels from the original design remain on a trailer in the yard to this day—a quiet reminder of what might have been.

That setback never diminished the orchard’s magic. Every Thanksgiving, the family gathered to load trees onto trucks and move them into the barn for winter. Every Easter, the ritual reversed—cousins, uncles, and grandchildren working side by side to return the trees to their summer home. Laughter, sticky fingers, and endless tastings filled warm afternoons, with voices shouting, “This one’s the sweetest yet!”

Today, with the continued care of Mario’s wife, children, and grandchildren, the collection thrives stronger than ever. The greenhouse remains spotless, the trees flourish, and the traditions endure.

After years of inquiries from fellow fig enthusiasts seeking cuttings and advice, Dinatale Fig Orchard was established to honor Mario’s legacy and make these exceptional, hard-to-find Italian varieties available to the wider fig community.

These are more than fig trees. They are living threads of family history—keepers of the loudest laughs, the sweetest harvests, and the unbreakable bonds forged across generations. Through them, Mario discovered a global community of generous, passionate growers who trade stories as freely as they trade cuttings. That community lives on, and every tree shared carries forward his love, his stories, and the remarkable spirit that makes the fig world feel like family.

Dinatale Fig Orchard is proud to preserve and share this heritage—one rare fig at a time.