Murray Family Farms started in 1989, when Steve Murray bought 20 acres of land in Kern County, near Bakersfield. Since then, the farm has grown to 320 acres, fueled by the success of famously sweet grapes, extensive farmers market presence, and popular roadside attractions. Murray Family Farms is, as the name suggests, a family farm, with everyone contributing to the year-round operation.

From day one, the farm has placed huge emphasis on growing a wide variety of items, growing 700 types of fruit and over 6,000 varieties. As their loyal fans know, they prefer to breed for taste, rather than cosmetic look, and make some of the sweetest grapes on the market.

Murray Family Farms also has a number of attractions that are open to the public, including two large fruit shops – The Little Purple Barn and The Big Red Barn, as well as frequent U-pick events. Fun for a visit, coupled with agriculture education, they have a giant bouncing pillow that visitors can jump around on, a corn maze, and a rocky outcropping that rises 100 feet above the farm. Second-generation Steven loves to give tours of their greenhouse and is passionate about sharing his knowledge, which comes in handy at the 25 different farmers markets the farm attends. They also have many holiday-themed events on the farm throughout the season; on their busiest days, the Murray Family Farms gets up to 7,000 visitors.

Murray Family Farms sees sustainability as core to the farm’s operations – regarding both the land and the people who work the land. Founder, Steve Murray says, “farms should build people up, not use them up.” This is why Murray Family Farms is known for treating its employees well – Steven Murray’s daughter, Katie, heads Human Resources, and sees to this. The farm implements sustainable and organic practices, and even got a grant from the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) weather station to help measure and reduce the amount of water they’re using on crops.