Nearly 40 family farms in the Ojai Valley grow Ojai Pixie tangerines! We began with a handful of trees in the late 1960’s sold by a few family farms. In the mid-1980’s Tony Thacher, Jim Churchill, Bob Davis and Mike Shore planted several hundred Ojai Pixie trees each. By the early 1990’s these four farmers pooled their fruit together and sought our marketing them. Our family has grown since as you can see below in our group grower photos.
Some of our orchards are small with just a few dozen trees while some have several thousand trees. Each orchard is tended to by the family farm following all current food safety protocols. The orchards are harvested individually when the fruit is at its peak and sold under the Ojai Pixies label. When you find our fruit at your local grocer look on the carton for the orchard name and see who grew the fruit!
See below for individual bios on some of the family farms.
1980 the Friend’s Ranches family in one of the first Pixie plantings in Ojai. Tony planted more trees to keep up with the appetite of his kids.
ATT
This orchard is a small plot of land below Tony Thacher’s parents house which was never used for much of anything. Tony didn’t like to see land going unproductive so he planted 50 pixie trees in the early 1980’s to see how they would do growing in the far east end of Ojai. They have done well and teenage sports players from the Thacher School have discovered how good they are when they sneak over from their games on the nearby athletic fields!
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Bella Collina
This ranch was an old avocado orchard that was replanted to Pixies by the Hillen family in 2006 and 2008. It was then carefully tended by the Palladini family for a decade or so. Purchased in 2017 by the Jacobs family it is one of the first orchards harvested in the spring as it is located in the frost-free Matilija canyon where the pixies ripen early and have some of the best flavor!
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Blackjack Ranch
Planted in 2009 to Pixies this orchard is at the top of a slope in abutting the Los Padres National Forest. This is one of the first orchards harvested in the spring as it is located in the frost-free Matilija canyon where the pixies ripen early and have some of the best flavor!
The current owners of this ranch are Brian and Marie Haase who have two sons, Carson and Austin Haase. Brian and Marie both grew up in Fillmore, CA and are proud to be fourth generational California farmers. Their families still grow citrus and avocados in the Fillmore and Bardsdale areas. Brian is also President of his family company West Coast Air Conditioning located in Oxnard, CA.
The Haase family likes to keep tabs on the creatures that visit the orchard. Nighttime visitors that have been caught on film by motion detecting cameras include resident bears, mountain lion and fox.
Bocalli’s
If you live in Ojai you know about the fabulous pizza and pasta that this family makes! Along with growing wonderful tomatoes, squash and basil for their Italian food, the Boccali family also grows some Ojai Pixies on their upper Ojai ranch. Visit their website to learn more!
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Burlingame Trust
This east-end orchard is tucked back among some homes where much of the fruit is enjoyed by local residents.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Churchill Brenneis Orchard
Jim Churchill and Lisa Brenneis have been growing Ojai Pixie Tangerines since 1980. Our first thirty Pixie trees turned 30 years old in 2010.
Jim says, “I’ve always liked tangerines; one day I tasted a Pixie tangerine over at Tony Thacher’s place and thought it was one of the best things I’d ever tasted”. I asked Tony if he sold them and he said that he only had a few trees, and by the time he was done picking his Dancy tangerines his kids had always eaten all the Pixies. That seemed like a pretty strong endorsement to me, so I went and planted a bunch of Pixie trees in the blind faith that we would find a market for the fruit.”
Jim and Lisa met in LA and married in 1988; just in time to spend our first anniversary sorting the first commercial crop of frost-bitten Pixies in a leaky tin shed. So romantic.
We received crucial early support from Bill Fujimoto of the Monterey Market who bought our entire production from 1989 – 1995 and slowly built a reputation for the Ojai Pixie. Bill cultivates farmers with the same care that farmers cultivate their crops, and without him it’s possible that Ojai Pixies wouldn’t ever have found their market.
Melissa’s World Variety picked up the torch in 1996 and has been instrumental in bringing the Ojai Pixie to the rest of the United States.
We have been CCOF-certified Organic since 2007. We sell Ojai Pixies and Seedless Kishu mandarins wholesale, via mailorder, and at the Ojai Farmers’ Market in season (Jan-June).
Visit our website at www.tangerineman.com
Founding members of the Ojai Pixie Growers Association.
Cline
Wonderful Pixie trees grow from this orchard that was planted on the valley floor in 1998 on a parcel of land that had never previously been planted with citrus.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Quail Run Ranch
This canyon hillside orchard overlooking the Ventura river was planted in 2008 and 2010. The orchard is surrounded by national forestlands, making it a favorite spot for beekeepers. You can rest assured that these pixies were once blossoms that fed some happy bees!
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Crooked Creek Ranch
It was just after the freeze of ’37 that Mother and Dad and my sister moved to Ojai and Dad started farming Crooked Creek Ranch. Over half the trees had died during the freeze so over half the existing ranch was planted to Valencia Oranges and the rest was kept in navels. In 1938 dad sent a whole box car of navels to a grocery store in Cedar Rapids Iowa, where, accounts have it, they were an immediate sell out.
I was born in 39, Mom died in 40, the war came. Labor was scarce and hard to keep. Dad had to get rid of Hester and Mrs. Phelps, the two milk cows, because no one knew how to milk anymore. But the Valencias kept growing and Ojai became known for high quality fruit, and Dad’s was the best. It was packed and shipped by the “Ojai Orange Association” a cooperative packing house affiliated with Sunkist.
I grew up and went to college, majoring in “Fruit Industries”. After a stint in the USAF, I and my bride returned to the ranch in 1967 and started to work with my Dad. I am not saying it was easy, but it was rewarding and the ranch prospered. We planted 10 more acres of Valencias Our Valencias were still sought after fruit and commanded a premium in the marketplace.
Dad died in 1980. We expanded the property by 20 acres in 1983 and acquired Thacher Creek Ranch in 1987, which had lemons on it, so we were starting to diversify (a little). In 1992, we partnered with Tony and Anne Thacher (see Friend’s Ranches) and purchased McNell Creek Ranch, which was 2/3 Valencias and 1/3 navels.
History was repeating itself, our son Rob, graduated from USC and came back to the ranch to work with us. In 1998 he bought Dron Creek Ranch which had grapefruit, avocadoes and Valencias, and last year he partnered with us to pick up yet another property, San Antonio Creek Ranch which has Valencias and lemons.
But, through the years, the acceptance of Valencias in the marketplace has declined and both navels and grapefruit have not been financially viable, so most of the navels and all of the grapefruit, and 20% of the Valencias have been converted to Pixies, nature’s candy, or late navel varieties and the avocado acreage has also been expanded.
Today we are farming over 200 acres of citrus and over 20 acres of that is pixies, but they are all young and we do not expect full production for another 10 years.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Friend’s Stable and Orchard
This orchard was planted in 1997 and is part of the original homestead property of the Friend family. The orchard is part of Friend’s Orchard and Stable; a great place to board your horses in the beautiful east-end of Ojai. Of course horses love to eat Pixies and the Pixie trees don’t mind a little fertile manure to nourish their roots.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
G.E.
This orchard is owned by Friend’s Ranches on a piece of property that Elmer Friend purchased in the 1940’s where some of Ojai’s first tangerines were planted. The Pixies were planted in 1998 by George Thacher after he finished college and was deciding where and what to do. The soil under these Pixies is very rocky and George wasn’t happy moving so many rocks to plant these trees. We are grateful though as the orchard produces abundant good tasting fruit which George’s children now enjoy!
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Rancho del los Conejos
This orchard was planted in 2004 and is located at the entrance to the Matilija canyon where it receives some warm canyon winter weather, resulting in extra tasty pixies! As it is a canyon orchard it is harvested at the beginning of the Ojai Pixie season.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Hartmann – Maricopa
This orchard was planted in two phases, in 2001 and 2006 replacing an old avocado orchard. The ranch is located at the entrance to the Matilija canyon where is receives some warm canyon winter weather, resulting in extra tasty pixies! As it is a canyon orchard it is harvested at the beginning of the Ojai Pixie season.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Henry
This orchard is owned by Friend’s Ranches on a piece of property that Elmer Friend purchased in from his brother Henry where some of Ojai’s first tangerines were planted. The Pixies were planted in 2005 and 2010. The first crop was harvested in 2010. Friend’s Ranches uses abundant amounts of mulch, compost and manure to keep soil fertility up in this rocky alluvial soil along Thacher Creek.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Hermitage Ranch
If you break a bone in Ojai it is likely that you will be seen by an Ojai Pixie grower as this orchard is owned by a local orthopedic doctor. The orchard was planted from 1998 to 2004 up along the avocado growing hill on the north side of our valley. The hillside stays warmer during cool winter nights lending to excellent flavored Pixies which ripen before the fruit on the valley floor.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Inman
Two wonderful Ojai teachers grow Ojai Pixies on their hillside property which they planted in 2000. Matt and Ann work at 2 different schools and on bountiful years have been known to share their Pixies with the entire school, especially during those weeks of spring testing.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Matilija Canyon Ranch
Matilija Canyon Ranch was founded in 1954 by Bill Lucking. Starting in 1997, while in his 80’s, he replaced the original Valencia oranges with Pixies. Some of the Pixie trees are Valencia trees that he grafted over to Pixie tangerines. The ranch is now owned and operated by Bill’s daughter, Carly Ford, and her husband Ernie along with their family. Carly is proud to be a third generation California farmer and has great stories about growing up on the ranches in Ojai and riding her horse to school.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
McNell Creek Ranch
Co-owned by the Davis and Thacher families this was once the biggest Pixie orchard in the world—at nine acres! Initially planted in 1997 this ranch allowed the Ojai Pixie Growers Association to have sufficient quantities of fruit to sell to large wholesale buyers, including into the Sunkist system.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
New Oak Ranch
This Ojai Pixie orchard Planted was planted in upper Ojai in 2004 by Bill and Karen Evenden who also planted lavender and walnuts. The Ranch was then sold several decades later.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Pepperwood
This several-acre ranch was planted in 1999 along the avocado growing hill on the north side of our valley. The hillside stays warmer during cool winter nights lending to excellent flavored Pixies which ripen before the fruit on the valley floor.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Poca de Gracia Ranch
We fled LA about 20 years ago to find a bit more space. Ojai has been more than that with a beautiful valley filled with really nice people- and a reintroduction to the occupation of our ancestors- growing things! Our two sons grew up here, sharing the chores and learning as we went along. We grow Pixies because we like them. In 1988 we had one Pixie tree on the ranch, didn’t know what it was, but everybody loved the product. Over several years we planted more & more trees, now with about 500. Except for picking and nutritional spray service in June, we do the chores ourselves, occasionally hiring a Nordhoff High School football player for more muscle. Beneficial insects are released every month with great control of bad bugs so no sprays have been needed this century.
We left about a quarter acre as meadow so the coyotes would have a comfy place to sleep. Most mornings you can see the flattened grass were they spent the night.
The East End of Ojai is made of a glacial moraine- the dirt & rocks pushed forward by a glacier which has since disappeared. So, we have plenty of rocks and great soil drainage- good for citrus, bad for hole diggers.
Every day seems to get prettier. By the way- poca de gracia is what you need to dance the Bamba.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Red Mountain
This Ojai Pixie orchard lies at the entrance to our valley where is receives more coastal breezes and nice exposure to early morning sun. Such sweet, juicy gems grow on this beautiful ranch where bears, wild boar and deer roam.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Ross
This east-end orchard was planted in 2004 and lies on the floor of the valley.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Rusin
This east-end orchard was planted in 2004 and lies on the floor of the valley. The owners believe in keeping the soil well nourished, using mulch to increase the soils’ organic matter. Some of the crop is sold at a roadside stand and what remains is sold wholesale.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Sheldon
www.friendsranches.com
Owned and operated by Friend’s Ranches, this is one of the first Ojai Pixie orchards. Some of the original Pixie trees were planted by Elmer Friend at this Matilija Canyon ranch in 1970. Tony Thacher subsequently replanted much of the orchard to tangerines from the 1980’s on. Friend’s Ranches sells a portion of their Sheldon ranch Pixies wholesale and much of the crop is sold at farmers’ markets and through their online mail-order business.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
The Hartmann Ranch
We live in a 135 year old farmhouse on this 9 acre property. We have eight children and eleven grandchildren. All of them help with the family farm. Over the years we have grown walnuts here and had a family run choose-and-cut Christmas Tree Farm with over 8000 Monterey Pine trees. Now we have planted the property to Pixie Tangerine Trees. We chose Pixie’s because we love to eat them and figured others would too! Our slogan says it all “Sweet, Petite, Great to Eat.”
This is our favorite crop of all. We enjoy growing and, yes, eating our sweet delicious Ojai Pixies right off the tree. Our friends and neighbors love them too. In the spring, when our trees are bowed down under the weight of the bright orange tangerines, they trade us fresh eggs and freshly caught fish for bags of Ojai Pixies. We sell some Pixies to the famous Ranch House Restaurant in town where they use this Ojai specialty in fruit compotes and lobster dishes.
Thanks for buying our Ojai Pixie Tangerines. We enjoy growing them just for you.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
Timber Canyon Ranches
Shore’s “Timber Canyon Ranches” is a family owned farming operation established in 1965 to grow citrus and avocados. Our farms are in Santa Paula and Ojai.
We planted our first Pixie Tangerine Tree in 1996 after tasting the delicious fruit grown by Friends Ranches in Ojai. Since 1990 we have participated in the Ventura Certified Farmers Markets. We believe that direct marketing is beneficial to both the grower and consumer.
We are advocates of the Salad Bar School Lunch Program and sell to the Ventura School District.
One of our orchards is C.C.O.F. certified organic. We are sensitive to good environmental practices.
The Shore Packing Company located in Santa Paula packs specialty fruits for Timber Canyon Ranches and other growers.
For more information contact Ben Shore: reevescr@pacbell.net.
Member of the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.
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