Churchill Orchard is in the magical Ojai Valley, a coastal area north of Los Angeles, known for producing flavorful citrus. The Ojai Valley runs east to west, allowing more sunlight to reach the trees. Ojai also gets strong temperature fluctuations, hitting below freezing on many winter nights, and reaches the high 90s on many summer days; we are lucky some citrus varieties love these conditions. Jim Churchill, owner and operator of Churchill Orchards, says these are important factors in making Ojai Valley tangerines taste great.

Jim Churchill also goes by the name The Tangerine Man, and for good reason. He was one of the first to grow and market the Pixie, Kishu, and Satsuma in the early 70s, a time when most California citrus growers were only planting traditional varieties like the Valencia orange or Eureka lemon. Today, Churchill Orchard grows twelve acres of high-flavor tangerines – mostly Pixie, seedless Kishu, and Page Tangors as well as three acres of avocados, which include Hass, Fuerte, Bacon, and Mexicola Grande varieties. In addition to growing their own premium fruit, Jim operates as a broker, moving fruit for many of his organic neighbors.

Churchill Orchard grows some of the most delicious fruit in Ojai, and has a well deserved reputation, almost a ‘food cult-following’. They measure their fruit on the Brix ‘sweetness’ scale, and wait to harvest until the tangerines reach optimum sugar levels when tested. This is no easy feat, as the trees must be protected until the fruit is sweet enough to be harvested. As Jim Churchill puts it, “We don’t pick them ‘til they’re ready.”

Churchill Orchard works hard to care for the land and the trees. While hardy tangerines may be incredibly temperature tolerant, they don’t do well in extreme wind, rain, or draught; each tree must be protected and nurtured. This means shielding tangerine trees from freezes, insect pests, and gophers. Surprisingly, a single gopher can kill an adult tree. The orchard also grows insectary plants to encourage a diverse population of beneficial insects. Churchill Orchards has a very robust web-based direct sales program, and is highly prized by fruit lovers and chefs nationally.

The orchard has been certified organic since 2007.

You may already be familiar with some of the labels used by Churchill Orchards for their fruit over the years, some for different varieties or when packing with neighbors: Tangerine Man, Ojai Pixie Growers, Pearl of the Dragon, Timber Canyon Ranches, Shore Packing

Click here to see videos about life on the orchard.