Orangewood Farm

FARMLAND: 350 Acres in Rumsey, 20 of which are farmed intensively

PEOPLE: Mother and daughter team Jackie and Bonny Scott along with 1 full-time and 4 part-time employees

FARM HISTORY/PHILOSOPHY: Jackie grew up in San Rafael, spending every weekend on her family’s farm in Cazadero. 25 years ago, her father decided to move the farm inland to Rumsey where the land was more fertile for growing. Since then, the Scotts have farmed 350 acres in the Capay Valley, where nuts have been cultivated since the 1860s. They now cultivate oranges and grapefruits, and harvest pecans that grow wild on their property. They also have a plant nursery, where they grow over 100 different types of plant starts. The Scotts own an additional 1200 acres adjacent to Orangewood Farm that is leased for cattle grazing. Jackie has been trying to restore the hills on this land to their natural state by planting native grasses—a project that her father started ten years ago.

Orangewood farm has been organic since 1988. Jackie and Bonny take their commitment to sustainability a step further, avoiding the application of even organic pesticides. Their fruit is never waxed or sprayed after harvesting. Keeping the farm family-run allows them to farm at their pace and produce the best tasting fruit and healthiest plant starts. The Scotts are always looking for new ways to improve the farm. Over the years, Orangewood farm has produced many plants and herb mixes at specific customer requests.

SOIL: Orangewood Farm rests on an old river bed, loaded with nutrient-rich loam deposited from Cache Creek. The farm uses small amounts of organic fertilizers to help keep nutrient levels high. They also use a trefoil cover crop that produces a thick and wonderful cover, improving soil health and tilth and protecting it from erosion and water loss.

WEED CONTROL/PEST MANAGEMENT: The Scotts use a variety of methods to control weeds and pests. After a watering or a good rain, the weeds around the trunks of trees are burned with a torch. The Scotts also own both a goat and a horse, which take care of most of the other weeds that pose problems in the rows. Every now and again, the farm also sets out traps to catch gophers.

WATER USE: The Scotts use drip irrigation and sprinklers for their oranges; plant starts are watered by hand. Water is supplied by an irrigation ditch from Cache Creek, and two on-site wells that are fed by runoff from surrounding hills.

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION: California Certified Organic Farmers since 1988