News from the Grove
Jim’s thoughts on the current immigration enforcement activities
July 18, 2025On July 17 I was interviewed by Martha Raddatz, co-anchor of the ABC Sunday news magazine show This Week with George Stephanopoulos, about current immigration enforcement activities. Why me? I’ve been doing production agriculture for 47 years; I work and have worked a lot with Mexican farm workers, and I’m… Read more
“Native Planter” Episode Two: Sharing the Landscape
March 25, 2025Native Planter Episode Two: Sharing the Landscape Mike’s been farming Churchill Orchard for 12 years now! He’s developed his own game… Mike talks about learning how to farm with nature and still bring in a delicious harvest in this 3-minute video. Mike: “The oak trees take what, 5% of the… Read more
Churchill Orchard’s Native Planter: Mike Sullivan
January 15, 2025Video: Churchill Orchard’s Native Planter: Mike Sullivan Since Mike came to Churchill Orchard 13 years ago, he has steadily embroidered its citrus and avocado groves with a crazy quilt of native plants. There is a method to this madness. Meet our resident plant freak and deep thinker. Read more
One week delay on Ojai Farmers Market
January 11, 2025I thought last week that we would be in the Ojai Sunday Farmers’ Market starting January 12, but alas it ain’t a gonna happen – some of us got a little sick, all of us had too much to do, we are affected by the tragedy of the fires in… Read more
Jim & Gael got hitched!
January 4, 2025Gael and I went to Yosemite in September and got married! Gael has been working with me at the Sunday Ojai Farmer’s Market starting now on her 5th year. Here we are last year with our friend Doug LaBarre’s 1953 Chevy 3/4T truck, which he was kind enough to let… Read more
New Year’s Eve at Churchill Orchard
January 1, 2025This time of year the sun aligns perfectly with the orchard rows, making sunset a delicious time of day. The kishus are almost ready and the pixies have begun to show themselves on the trees, relieving my annual anxiety that we won’t have any fruit for you all. Happy New… Read more