Olsen Organic Farm

FARMLAND: 20 acres in Lindsay, California, located at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range below Sequoia National Park (about 180 miles to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market)

PEOPLE: Ken Olsen and his son Kevin Olsen along with 4 part-time helpers during harvest

FARM HISTORY/PHILOSOPHY: Ken Olsen grows organic citrus on twenty acres in Lindsay at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. When the Olsens purchased this land in l996, it had been farmed using conventional methods. From the beginning, the Olsen family took steps to restore the balance of nature and become a certified organic farm. Each year they add rich compost to the soil. They plant cover crops between the trees to bring beneficial insects into the neighborhood.

SOIL: Clay loam, built with compost and cover crops

WEED CONTROL: Machine cultivation and hand weeding

PEST MANAGEMENT: Creating a habitat for beneficials and releasing of beneficials

WATER USE: Water comes from Lindsay irrigation district, and they irrigate with micro sprinklers

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION: CCOF since 2002