FARM STAND FANS Ojai’s country roads offer freshpicked produce — and nostalgia for simpler times
By Hannah Little
All photos by Misty Hall
New Ojai residents often wonder why there are helicopters flying over the orchards on cold winter nights. It’s not helicopters, but wind machines, keeping the warm air low to protect the fruit that will soon fill farm stands across the valley.
When winter retreats and spring begins, the Ojai Valley citrus trees bulge with juicy and delicious oranges, lemons, and Pixie tangerines. But thanks to the valley’s ideal growing conditions, you can find fresh fruit year-round in this corner of Ventura County. Locals know that when the trees overflow with fruit, so too do the wood-framed farm stands that dot the roads across the valley. “The sweetness of a freshly picked Pixie from a farm stand during Pixie season just can’t be beat,” said Ojai’s James Grigsby. He and his partner, Carrie Switzer, admit that they are a product of a very spoiled town. “People who don’t like oranges have never had an orange off a farm stand in Ojai,” said Grigsby. “I have a friend who can’t drink store-bought orange juice because he grew up here.” This is not a new phenomenon. Since the late 1800s, farming, especially avocados and citrus, has been a major revenue source for Ojai residents. Ojai itself has changed in many ways over the years (think tourism dollars), but the farm stands, luckily, have remained. 82
Summer 2022
Driving down rural roads in the Ojai Valley might not always yield a farm stand, but beautiful views are all but guaranteed. california101guide.com
