SANTA PAULA, Calif. - Rolling hills lined with avocado trees stretch across parts of Ventura County, where generations of farming families have helped shape California’s agricultural landscape.
For Rachael Laenen, those groves represent much more than a livelihood.
“Some of the best days that I have on the ranch are when I'm up here working with my dad… and when my son is up here with us as well… and we're just walking through the grove, checking on the health of the trees and seeing him discover the wonder that comes from growing avocados is pretty awesome,” said Laenen, Director of Farming and Operations for Kimball Ranches.
Her family has farmed the land in Ventura County for more than 100 years, making her the sixth generation to continue the work.
“It's not a job and it's not even a career,” Laenen said. “It's a full time lifestyle.”
Surrounded by sprawling hillsides and orchards along California’s Central and South Coast, farms like Kimball Ranches help produce many of the avocados that eventually make their way into grocery stores across the country.
But for the Laenen family, the work carries a deeper meaning tied to stewardship and legacy.
“It generates a real connection to the land and instills the sense of responsibility for good stewardship and continuing the legacy for our family,” Laenen said.
While summer marks peak avocado season, farmers say the work behind each harvest comes with mounting challenges.
“There are always challenges within farming, and right now we are feeling the pinch of rising input costs,” Laenen said.
From fuel and fertilizer to labor concerns, California farmers continue navigating increasing costs and uncertainty across the agricultural industry.
And during a time when fire season once again threatens parts of California, the memories of the Thomas Fire remain deeply personal for the Laenen family.
“In 2017, we were hit by the Thomas fire, and we lost almost everything. Our house, our barn, all of our farming equipment, and about 70% of the orchard,” Laenen said.
Nearly a decade later, recovery efforts are still underway.
The family has replanted 100 acres, and many of those new trees are now beginning to produce fruit again.
“We've replanted 100 acres and our trees are finally coming into production, and we're seeing the rewards of that,” Laenen said.
Now, as her young son walks through the same groves and helps pick avocados alongside earlier generations, Laenen says she sees the possibility of the family’s farming roots continuing into a seventh generation.
For more information on the farm and avocados, you can visit their official website.
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