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2025
Today & Tomorrow
I am grateful that Ventura County, and the Heritage Valley in particular, continues to support a future where farms can thrive and eaters can stay connected to where their food comes from. It is a privilege to grow healthy fruit on land cared for by long-time employees and families who truly love what they do. Each avocado we harvest carries with it not just flavor, but the history and heart of the people who tended the land before us.
Rooted in Santa Paula Since 1883
Six generations, one farm
Heritage Valley Family Orchard
family history
For more than a century, our family has called Santa Paula home. What began as a homestead in the late 1800s has grown into a multi-generational orchard rooted in hard work, resilience, and love for the land. Each generation has left its mark, shaping not only the crops we grow, but also the values we carry forward.
Today, our farm is dedicated solely to avocados, but the true harvest has always been the connection between family, community, and the land we steward.
The Beginning
1883
My great-great-grandparents homesteaded this land in 1883, planting walnuts and lima beans as their main crops. Their son, my great-grandfather, expanded into cattle and Navel oranges in the 1920s, later adding navel oranges.
As time went on, the farm continued to evolve. My grandfather planted lemons in 1952, and when my uncle began working alongside him, they added avocados. In those early years, the whole family pitched in — there’s even a photo of my grandparents and their children baling hay to feed the cattle during winters when the grass ran out.
Over the years, changing markets and climates reshaped the direction of our farm. Cattle, lemons, and oranges, once the backbone of our livelihood, are no longer considered sustainable or profitable here.
Today, we grow almost exclusively avocados (which I must say, I much prefer to lima beans!).
One of the biggest changes I remember from childhood was the removal of all the commercial orange groves. And when winters turned harsh, we used to light orchard heaters to protect the citrus from frost, a practice known as smudging. Thanks to shifts in climate, our ranch no longer needs smudge pots, and modern farmers now use less-polluting methods.
Shifts in the Land & Market
A Legacy of Stewardship
Stewardship of the land and care for community have always been the heart of our family’s story.
My great-grandfather served as president of the local Walnut Growers Association, my uncle worked to protect agricultural lands through the Williamson Act, and my mother devoted her life to preserving and celebrating the history of this valley.
Each generation has carried forward the belief that farming is about more than crops, it’s about connection, resilience, and honoring the land that sustains us.
Our farm has been shaped by those who came before us, and it continues to grow because of the community that surrounds us. From our family to yours, thank you for allowing us to share a little piece of this valley — and this legacy — with you.