Ojai is celebrating this month, in however an abbreviated fashion, Ojai Pixie Tangerine Month. So Emily Thacher Ayala, whose family has been farming in the Ojai Valley for a century and a half, is the perfect guide to this sweet, petite fruit, which has become a key characteristic of Ojai.
Emily talks about her family's rich history in the valley - her father's side included Sherman Day and Edward Thacher, founders of Thacher School and the Ojai Tennis Tournament, on her mother's side the Friend family, the pioneers who began farming here in the 1870s and still operate Friends Packing House. Her depth of knowledge about the land - its peculiarities, vulnerabilities and beauty - is peerless. We talk about Emily's circular journey out into the world and back, including a stint in Central America, her stewardship of the family legacy, the farmers market circuit, the challenges of citrus ranching during a pandemic and the future of farming in the Ojai Valley.
Emily's entertaining anecdotes include bear encounters, the pixie motto contest (a non-winning entry went, "too delicious to throw at cars") and her son's surprise visit from famed cartoonist Sergio Aragones.
We did not talk about the Ming Dynasty, Hudson's Bay Company or the comic stylings of Nate Barzgate.
http://www.ojaipixies.com/
