Nowadays when I slice a lemon I think of a balloon. But to more than two hundred families living near Santa Paula, lemons mean Limoneira. Not a town, as it happens, but a four-thousand-acre ranch.

Located in the Santa Clara Valley—locally known as Heritage Valley—Limoneira is the nation’s largest grower of lemons and avocados. Though the company keeps an astonishingly low profile, its history and cultural diversity equals that of any gold mining town in Northern California.

Hot air balloon rides offer a unique look at Limoneira and the entire Heritage Valley. What began as a 413-acre ranch is now the nation’s largest producer of lemons and avocados.

What I didn’t know about Limoneira is that the ranch is now open to the public with a variety of adventure and educational tours, from hot air balloon rides to tours of the recently completed one-megawatt “solar orchard.” On my recent visit it was the balloon that first tempted me. And as I soon discovered, soaring on the updrafts is a great way to see what Limoneira means to the people who live and work there.

Donning a windbreaker, I arrived at the crack of dawn to meet my pilot, Steve Wilkinson, outside the historic Fireside Hall, originally a dining hall for workers. Then we were off to Area One’s soccer fields, part of the company’s planned five-hundred-eight-acre residential village designed to provide a variety of amenities: from market rate housing to schools and an outdoor amphitheater. A short wait while the balloon inflated, and we were aloft.

One of Ventura County’s most philanthropic companies, Limoneira was an early proponent of sustainable agriculture.

During the next breathtaking hour Steve and I floated over the ranch for a bird’s-eye view of the Heritage Valley. The ranch itself, initially just four hundred thirteen acres, grew as it purchased or merged with adjoining ranches. Below us, many of the original buildings came into view, some still used by the film industry for location shoots. Tucked among the trees nearby were adobe workers’ quarters, clapboard houses, and wooden commercial buildings.

Antique buildings and machinery are strewn about the property, lending a rustic charm to a modern facility whose roots go back to 1893.

Today Limoneira continues to reinvent itself under the stewardship of a forward-looking group of managers. The Ranch, as it’s affectionately referred to, has the enviable pleasure of being one of the earliest proponents of sustainable farming. Mindful of the environment, it treads lightly on the land by reducing its use of water, pesticides, and electricity.

“Sustainability is on everyone’s list now, but Limoneira has been practicing it for over one hundred years,” says John Chamberlain, the company’s director of marketing. “It’s nothing more than using less.”

Fresh lemons bounce and pop down the line as they’re machine-sorted by size.

Today, drip lines replace trench flooding, the traditional irrigation method for watering the orchards. Mulch produced on-property by the company’s green-waste recycling plant, in conjunction with Agromin, retains moisture, further saving water.

As my lemon-shaped balloon sailed through the air, the ranch’s pride and joy came into view: a one-megawatt, five-and-a-half-acre “solar orchard”—the field of solar panels provides two thirds of the energy used by the Lemon Packing and Storage facilities. For a closer look at the installation, visitors can climb to the top of the two-story observation tower. While most solar arrays have gravel under them to control weeds, Limoneira instead planted native grasses. Schools, other farmers, the Future Farmers of America, and 4-H Club visit the facility to learn about solar power.

The 5.5-acre field of solar panels seen here generates most of the energy used by the Lemon Packing and Storage facilities. Native grasses control weed growth beneath the panels.

After our balloon bumped to a landing, my ranch guide, Helen, suggested a tour of the warehouse, built in 1893. Originally Heritage Valley’s General Store, the building is now a learning center open to the public. Educational exhibits display jars of both “good” and “bad” bugs, historic photos, and tools used in the early years of the citrus industry. An interactive computer display explores the details of solar power.

Despite the ranch’s low profile, Limoneira is one of Ventura County’s best citizens. The company contributes time and money to more than two dozen charitable organizations, including Cal State Channel Islands University, neighborhood schools and sports organizations, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County. The annual Moonlight Ball, a popular fundraiser on the ranch, supports the local police and fire departments.

If the longevity of a company is based on foresight and the ability to pay it forward, Limoneira should have a long future.

The company’s most recent evolution, Limoneira Lifestyles, includes a line of lemon- and avocado-based skin care products.

Sweet and Sour

Local lemons are good for more than just lemonade

Limoneira Lifestyles Have you ever struggled to find a quintessentially California gift? When maps of the stars and refrigerator magnets from Hollywood won’t cut it anymore, check out Limoneira’s new skin care line of lemon- and avocado-based products. Spray the Lemon Balm Mist ($10.95, 4 oz.) into the air and take a deep breath; you’ll feel as if you’ve bathed in a refreshing pool of lemon juice. The Lemon Balm Hand Cleanser and Moisturizer leaves your hands feeling clean and smooth, fresh rather than perfumed. Other Limoneira Lifestyles products include Avocado Mask ($11.95, 4 oz.) and Honey Lip Balm. Available on the ranch or online at LimoneiraLifestyles.com.

Ventura Limoncello Lemondrop Rim a martini glass with lemon juice and granulated sugar. Set aside. Burn a slice of lemon with 1/4 oz. 151 Bacardi Rum until flame subsides. Set aside. In a shaker with ice, add 2 oz. Grey Goose Le Citron Vodka, 1 oz. Ventura Limoncello Originale, and 1/4 oz. Triple Sec Liqueur. Stir to mix. Do not shake. Strain into prepared martini glass, top with burnt lemon slice, and serve. Recipe courtesy of 71 Palm Restaurant, 71 N. Palm St., Ventura, 805.653.7222, 71Palm.com. To learn more about Ventura Limoncello Company, see VenturaLimoncello.com or call 805.658.0881.