Grown in San Diego: The First-Generation Farming Grandma Behind Rancho Del Sol’s Exotic Citrus

Today, in addition to the more common varieties like blood oranges and tangerines, there is a dazzling diversity of rare and unusual citrus varieties growing on the farm, like makrut limes, limequats, seedless Kishus, Yuzu, and Buddha’s hands.

Rancho Del Sol ships its specialty organic citrus to clients around the country, but the vast majority is sold locally to various grocery stores and restaurants. Ballast Point Brewing Company has even used their Sorrento lemons in specialty batches of beer.

“People always ask me, ‘How come your citrus tastes so much better?’ I tell them it’s because of how healthy our trees are, and they’re healthier because of how we feed and water them,” Linda explained.

Rather than using synthetic or chemical fertilizers typical of conventional citrus farms, Rancho Del Sol’s citrus trees are on a diet of worm castings, composted chicken manure, and local certified organic mulch, and have been for decades. This means the soil is both nutrient-rich (including trace nutrients) and teeming with beneficial microbes that help feed the trees while also protecting them from pathogens.

They also don’t use chlorinated city water, instead irrigating the trees with well water. Thankfully, despite limited rain, she and Rafita no longer have to haul buckets of water to irrigate the trees, as she did in the early days on the farm. However, only two of her 13 wells are viable, which means it takes a month to irrigate the entire property, or longer if coyotes chew through the hoses or ants clog up the lines.

Another benefit of having healthy trees and a robust soil ecosystem is that Linda doesn’t have to use pesticides. That translates into less work, less cost, and a safer working and environment for Linda and her family, who live on the farm.

The resulting citrus had deeper, more complex flavor and more nuance than its peers.

The journey has not been void of daunting challenges and heartbreaks, most recently, the passing of Linda’s husband Bill. Her children and grandchildren didn’t have the desire or experience to step into his shoes, so Linda took over all of his responsibilities in addition to her own. Though her path to citrus farming was accidental, it had become her passion.

What does the future hold for Rancho Del Sol? Linda doesn’t know for certain. Most nights, after an exhausting day of work, she sips a cocktail and enjoys the incredible views of the Pacific Ocean in the distance and the lights of San Diego glimmering on the horizon. It is a view that calls up a lifetime of memories.  

Linda might be too busy to think about what comes next, but that hasn’t stopped her from starting a new crop: certified organic cherries, something incredibly rare in this area of the country. The first small harvest, about 10 pounds in total, was quickly sold at a local market, but she made sure to leave some aside for her youngest grandchildren who “had red smiles” for a day afterwards.

Linda Zaiser’s rare and delicious citrus has brought smiles to the faces of countless people throughout San Diego for decades, and it all started with a simple vision of  turning a desolate landscape into an organic oasis for her family.

Arrange a visit to Rancho Del Sol or find their produce at Daily Harvest Express.

About the Author

Janis Garcia is a proud grandmother, creative cook and co-founder of Daily Harvest Express. Janis is committed to supporting local farms and healthier communities by making locally farmed produce easier to acquire and enjoy. Fifteen years as a marketing manager in the pharmaceutical industry convinced her of the power of healthy eating to heal the body. After helping a small, family farm successfully bring their lettuce to market, she and her husband started Daily Harvest Express to help other farms sell their products in a farm-friendly environment.