Move over Deon, Josh is coming after you.
With NFL legend and college football coach Deon Sanders promoting almonds on television, the pistachio industry is going to counter with NFL star and Firebaugh native Josh Allen.
The star quarterback of the Buffalo Bills and the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player is joining Wonderful Pistachios for a comprehensive ad campaign to promote the snack.
It looks like a ‘Marriage Made in Heaven’ for the pairing. Wonderful Pistachios, which is owned by Stewart Resnick, is the world’s largest pistachio producer and brand, and Allen and his family grow pistachios on their land west of Firebaugh.
The Allen family has been farming for many years, and Allen Family Orchards started in 2021, according to Josh’s father Joel.
“We started this venture five years ago. We are up to 600 acres,” Joel Allen told The Express. “We keep adding 150 acres every year with the goal of having 1,000 acres. We’re getting closer and eventually we will get there.”
He added that they did not have a home for their product, noting that 2026 will be their first, true production year. That is when Wonderful and Resnick approached him about utilizing Josh’s national fame.
“Wonderful and Stewart Resnick wanted Josh to become the face of the company,” Allen said. “Wonderful has the resources and a tremendous marketing team to make this successful.”
While Josh will be featured in commercials starting this fall, next year will be very special with the unveiling of J-17 brand pistachios, which of course will feature him on the package.
The start of J-17 pistachios will begin in western New York, home of Josh’s beloved “Bills Mafia.” It will also coincide with the opening of the new state-of-the-art football stadium in Buffalo, which should make it even more special.
In a press release announcing the partnership with Allen, Wonderful said that the upcoming commercial campaign “will showcase the quarterback’s iconic presence and promote Wonderful Pistachios as a powerhouse snack for athletes, football fans, and families alike.”
The quarterback commented that agriculture has always been part of his life on his family farm.
“Pistachios have been a smart, protein-forward snack to fuel my training,” Allen said in the release. “Partnering with Wonderful Pistachios feels like coming full circle. We’re both built on strong roots, and I’m excited to help spotlight a product that’s as real and hardworking as the people in California’s Central Valley.”
According to the American Pistachio Growers, California has 811,000 acres of pistachios, by far the most of any state. In Fresno County, the snack is the No. 3 cash crop behind No. 1 grapes and No. 2 almonds.
