|
 The
Ojai Valley has a rich and extensive farming history.
Family farms were a major source of revenue for early
Ojai settlers. In fact, in an 1883 article in the Ventura
Signal, Ojai was identified as "the place where
crops never fail." (We certainly keep our fingers
crossed that this fantasy holds true on our watch.)
The first olive orchard was planted in the 1880s, oranges
and lemons were planted in 1872 and walnuts were a major
crop throughout the last half of the 20th century.
For us, our choice of crops was inspired by the history
of our land and our Mediterranean experiences. On the
ranch, the Pixie tangerines help us to remember the
springtime intoxication created by the citrus in bloom
along the French and Spanish coasts. Our own lavender
fields remind us of our fragrant summertime walks through
the lavender spreads of Tuscany, Provence and Croatia.
And when we look out over the olive grove, we are reminded
of the community hustle and spirit demonstrated when
the olives are harvested and trucked off to the nearest
village to be pressed. We are fortunate to have been
able to transform these happy memories into our daily
reality.
The
Grosso lavender in full bloom. |
Lavender
Nearly 5,000 "babies" planted from mid-2004
to early 2005. Varieties include Grosso, Provence, Hidcote
and Buena Vista. We are open for "U-Pick"
when lavender is in bloom. Most of the crop is harvested
for distillation into essential oils and hydrosols and
for dried lavender bundles and loose lavender. All of
our lavender is grown using organic farming guidelines.
Ojai Pixie Tangerines
300 trees planted in June 2004. Truly seedless these
sweet and easy to peel "lumpy-bumpy wonders"
are the perfect snack. Available in the spring and early
summer. Contact ojaipixies@yahoo.com
for more information.
Olives
In June, 2005, we planted 1200 trees. The orchard was
expanded by another 200 trees in October of the same
year. Altogether, we've planted a mix of mostly Tuscan
varieties...chosen to provide a fruity, slightly spicy,
rich oil. We've got our fingers crossed that we'll be
producing our very first pressing of tasty, fragrant
oil in the fall of 2007.
Walnuts
Once farmed as a dryland crop in the Upper Ojai, many
of the stately walnut trees have been removed as they
had succumbed to insect infestation and rot. We are happy
to have preserved 42 trees on our ranch for limited production
and a reminder of our heritage. |
