Ventura County Landmark No. 126: Stutsman-Hall Ranch
Historical Background
The Stutsman-Hall Ranch is an apricot orchard in the Upper Ojai Valley, established by Henry Hess, a German immigrant (Hommel, 2013). Hess was part of the German immigrant community that migrated to the Ojai Valley. He began planting apricot trees in 1906 and planted “all the original apricot trees, plus 20 acres of almonds and some grape vines (to make wine for himself and his workers)” (Fields, 2013, para. 9). The ranch was known for its festive harvests, where families would come from Los Angeles to work, celebrate, and camp onsite. The ranch quickly became a beloved Ojai institution (Fields, 2013).
Hess died in 1955, and K.B. Hall, an oil industry geologist and friend of Hess, purchased the ranch. Hall, along with his wife and seven sons, began their new life as farmers in the beautiful Ojai valley, and in 1966 he left the oil industry to focus on farming full time (Fields, 2013)
The Property Today
The property has since become a registered landmark and is still owned and operated by the Hall family. The family continues to grow organic Royal Blenheim apricots and persimmons, and their fruit can be found at the Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market (Hommel, 2013). The produce is grown using a dry‑farming method. The trees do not need irrigation because the apricots ripen early, and the long roots of the mature trees can easily reach the unusually high water table. The result is sustainable farming and sweeter, more desirable fruit (Hommel, 2013). Thanks to the family’s commitment, the legacy of the ranch continues to thrive and enrich the Ojai Valley for generations to come.
Additional Reading
References
Fields, R. (2013, July 16). The K.B. Hall apricot ranch—An Ojai legend. Ojai Valley News. https://edibleventuracounty.ediblecommunities.com/things-do/things-do-kb-hall-apricot-ranch-ojai-legend/#:~:text=The%20history%20of%20K.B.%20Hall’s,the%20orchard%20throughout%20the%20year.
Hommel, R. (2013 December 17). K.B. Hall Ranch: Harvesting Apricots and Persimmons in Ojai. The Santa Barbara Independent. https://www.independent.com/2013/12/17/k-b-hall-ranch/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20original%20vendors,/k%2Db%2Dhall%2Dranch/
Date Designated: September 1989
Location: 11999 Ojai-Santa Paula Road, Ojai
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