About

It all started with Fran’s grandparents, German immigrants Daniel and Babbette Lichti. When they arrived in the United States in the early 1900s they had little more than a strong work ethic and a talent for farming. They spent years as field laborers for local farms until they managed to save and borrow enough to purchase the original 30-acre plot and house on the bluff. It is a habitat for a diverse population of birds, reptiles, and critters of all kinds. It is a safe refuge and foraging ground for bees, butterflies, and a host of other beneficial insects. It is a vibrant, educational playground for the youngest Loewens. It is a special place that grows special fruit, and you are invited to share some of it. As the farm has passed from generation to generation it has grown and evolved, and that evolution continues still. It is a “family farm” in the truest sense, with three generations of the Loewen family currently living and working within its 78-acre footprint. Because the farm is also their home, maintaining a healthy, natural environment means much more to the Loewens than simply being able to grow and market organic fruit. It is a habitat for a diverse population of birds, reptiles, and critters of all kinds. It is a safe refuge and foraging ground for bees, butterflies, and a host of other beneficial insects. It is a vibrant, educational playground for the youngest Loewens. It is a special place that grows special fruit, and you are invited to share some of it. The farm is irrigated with the use of several ag pumps from an underground reservoir that is, fortunately, ‘charged’ seasonally by the nearby Kings River. Solar arrays on the farm provide the electricity needed to power the pumps, as well as providing additional power to run the dehydrator, freezers, and refrigerated containers used for long-term and short-term fruit storage. Beehives can be found scattered around Blossom Bluff Orchards, and while they do produce excellent honey, they are primarily intended to be safe homes for valuable pollinator partners. The hives are a simple design, made from scrap lumber and commonly known as “topbar'“ hives. Unlike the standard Langstroth hive, which uses precisely fitted frames and foundation, these hives start out simply as a trough with “top bars” covering the empty cavity. Once bees are placed in the empty hive (or if they happen to move in on their own), they have the freedom to build their hanging comb in whatever shape they see fit. The movable top bars allow for inspection and manipulation, but that is generally kept to a minimum as the bees do a pretty good job of taking care of their own homes. The bees are not treated or fed (they are left with ample honey stores for the winter), following the “treatment-free” philosophy of bee stewardship.

Top crops

Stone fruit, pomegranates, kiwi, citrus, persimmon

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