 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 Ojai 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.
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