Our Story

OUR STORY

Karen and I have been gardening since our first apartment. There wasn’t much room then, only a small patio, but we planted strawberries in the ground and a magnolia tree in a pot. That was forty-nine years ago, we still have a passion for gardening and we still have that old magnolia tree!

Our gardening continued, but we never seemed to have enough room for all our projects. So in 2012 we purchased a home on three acres of land in Lake Mathews, in Southern California near Riverside. We moved from our urban home to start our new farm, Ridgedale Orchard and Vineyard.

Satsuma Plum Blooming

In the short time we have been here, we’ve planted hundreds of fruit trees, over 20 varieties. From apricots and peaches to pomegranates and figs and some unusual types like sapotes and medlars. Along with the trees we planted berries including blackberries, boysenberries, raspberries and olallieberries, plus table and wine grapes. Our three acres have filled up fast!

                                                 

Medlar Tree and Fruit

Karen has always had a passion for cooking. How lucky I am to have married someone who can create dishes better than most restaurants! Her creative talents have expanded to making our jams, jellies and syrups. Using fruits picked at their peak she creates incredibly flavored artisan products. All of her creations are made in small batches, hand crafted to ensure maximum flavor. We use less sugar then traditional recipes and absolutely no artificial ingredients. All of our jams, jellies and syrups are made only from the fruits we grow on our farm.
One of our honey bees in the lavender patch
Having our own farm makes all the difference in the world when it comes to making our products. We have complete control of the growing process. Knowing exactly how the fruit was cared for and when to pick, is most important to us. We are passionate and proud of our products and it is an honor to have the opportunity to make them available to you.