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LASplash.com: Domestic Limoneira Ranch Review - Recapture History In Santa Clara Valley By Andrea Kitay
Nowadays when I slice a lemon I think of a balloon. But to more than 200 Ventura County families living near Santa Paula, lemons mean Limoneira. Not a town, as it happens, but a 4,000 acre ranch. Located in the Santa Clara Valley - locally known as Heritage Valley - Limoneira is the nation’s largest grower of lemons and avocados. Though the company keeps an astonishingly low profile, its history and cultural diversity equals that of any gold mining town in Northern California.
What I didn’t know about Limoneira is that the ranch is now open to the public with a variety of adventure and educational tours, from hot air balloon rides to tours of the recently completed one-megawatt “solar orchard.” On my recent visit it was the balloon that first tempted me. And as I soon discovered, soaring on the updrafts is a great way to see what Limoneira means to the people who live and work there.
Donning windbreakers and a camera, I arrived at the crack of dawn to meet my pilot, Steve Wilkinson of Fantasy Balloon Flights, outside the historic Fireside Hall, originally a workers’dining hall. Then we were off to Area One’s soccer fields, part of the company’s planned 508-acre residential village designed to provide a variety of amenities from market rate housing to schools and an outdoor amphitheater. A short wait while the balloon inflated, and we were aloft for the ride of our lives. During the next breathtaking hour Steve and I floated over the ranch for a birds-eye view of the Heritage Valley. The ranch itself, initially just 413 acres, grew as it purchased or merged with adjoining ranches. Below us many of the original buildings came into view, some still used by the film industry for location shoots. Nearby, tucked among the trees were adobe workers’quarters, clapboard houses, and wooden commercial buildings.
Today Limoneira continues to reinvent itself under the stewardship of a forward-looking group of managers. The Ranch, as it’s affectionately referred to, has the enviable pleasure of being one of the earliest proponents of sustainable farming. Mindful of the environment, it treads lightly on the land by reducing its use of water, pesticides and electricity. The goal is to lessen its carbon footprint. The Packing and Storage facilities are recipients of this green approach.
“ Sustainability is on everyone’s list now, but Limoneira has been practicing it for over 100 years,” says John Chamberlain, the director of marketing. “It’s nothing more than using less.” Today, drip lines replace trench flooding, the traditional irrigation method for watering the orchards. Mulch produced on property by the company’s green-waste recycling plant, in conjunction with Agromin, retains moisture, further saving water.
As my lemon-shaped balloon sailed through the air, the ranch’s pride and joy came into view. A one-megawatt, five and one-half-acre “solar orchard,” the field of solar panels provides two thirds of the energy used by the Lemon Packing and Storage facilities. For a closer look at this amazing green installation, visitors can climb to the top of the two-story observation tower. While most solar arrays have gravel under them to control weeds, Limoneira instead planted native grasses. Schools, other farmers, the Future Farmers of America and 4-H club visit the facility to learn about solar power.
After our balloon bumped to a landing, my ranch guide, Helen, suggested a tour of the warehouse, built in 1893. Originally Heritage Valley’s General Store, the building is now a learning center open to the public. Educational exhibits display jars of both “good” and “bad” bugs, historic photos, and tools used in the early years of the citrus industry. An interactive computer display explores the details of solar power. The company’s newest and perhaps its most innovative product is a skin care line branded as “Limoneira Lifestyles.” These and the Orchard Fresh fruit baskets are on display and can be purchased.
Despite the ranch’s low profile, Limoneira is one of Ventura County’s best citizens. The company contributes time and money to more than two dozen charitable organizations, including Cal State Channel Islands University, neighborhood schools and sports organizations, and Big Brothers and Sisters of Ventura County. The annual Moonlight Ball, a popular fundraiser on the ranch, supports the local police and fire departments. If the longevity of a company is based on foresight and the ability to pay it forward, Limoneira should have a long future. For more information on booking a tour or event visit www.limoneiratours.com or phone 866-321-9995. Published Oct 23, 2009 © Copyright 2003-2004 by LA Splash.com |
