Behind the Scenes: Welcoming the California Avocado Commission to Our Family Ranch
by: Levi Jefferson
A few weeks ago, we welcomed the California Avocado Commission, led by President Ken Melban, along with members of their marketing team and several California food creators to our family ranch in Somis. Together, we spent the morning providing a behind-the-scenes look at California avocado farming — from our day-to-day ranch operations and organic growing practices to the challenges facing California growers today—and helping share that story with a broader audience.
From the beginning, part of my vision in launching Levi's Organic Avocados has been to help people better understand where their food comes from, how it's grown, and why supporting California agriculture matters. Growing great avocados is only part of the story. Equally important is giving people a firsthand look at the work, care, and generations of experience behind every piece of fruit we harvest. Welcoming the California Avocado Commission gave us the opportunity to bring those conversations to life.
The morning was designed to give everyone a firsthand look at what goes into growing certified organic California avocados—from the orchard itself to the broader issues shaping the future of California agriculture.
A Tour Through Our Certified Organic Orchard
We began with a tour of our orchards, giving the group a behind-the-scenes look at how we grow certified organic avocados and manage a working California ranch. Along the way, we shared the story of our family's three-generation ranch and introduced everyone to the different avocado varieties we grow. Most people are surprised to learn there isn't just one kind of avocado—we grow more than 17 certified organic varieties, including Hass, Gem, Pinkerton, Reed, Lamb Hass, and our own Luna avocado.
What Organic Farming Actually Looks Like
As we walked through the orchard, we also talked about what it means to farm organically. We showed how we use soil moisture sensors to conserve water, solar power to help operate the ranch, and integrated pest management instead of relying on conventional pesticides. Sustainability isn't something we talk about because it sounds good—it's something we practice every day if we want this ranch to still be thriving for future generations. It's also one of the reasons we wanted everyone to experience the ranch in person. These practices are much easier to appreciate when you can walk the orchards and see them in action.
Everyone then had the opportunity to grab a picking pole and harvest avocados straight from the trees. For many, it was their first time picking fruit in an orchard, and it was fun watching them experience firsthand where their food comes from.
Why Ken Melban Came to Talk About California Agriculture
After spending the morning in the orchards, Ken Melban spoke to the group about the bigger picture facing California agriculture today. He discussed the challenges California growers are facing as imported avocados flood the market during California's harvest season, making it increasingly difficult for family farms to compete. Since launching this business, I've gained a much greater appreciation for everything that goes into producing food in California—and how challenging it can be for local growers when imported fruit drives prices down during our harvest season.
The California Avocado Commission represents about 3,000 California growers and works to support an industry that contributes more than $1.5 billion to California's economy. They're currently advocating for a seasonal Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) on imported avocados during California's March–September harvest window — policies meant to help create a more level playing field during our harvest season, with the goal of protecting domestic growers while still allowing international trade. It was a reminder that every avocado has a much bigger story behind it than most people ever see.
If you want the full picture straight from the Commission, they put together a video laying out exactly what's at stake for California growers:
Watch: California Avocado Commission's Advocacy Video →
Meeting the California Food Creators
Joining the visit were several California food creators, many of whom were visiting a working avocado orchard for the first time. They spent the morning touring the ranch, harvesting avocados, and learning more about California farming, sustainability, and the work that goes into growing organic avocados. Hopefully, the experience gives even more people an opportunity to see where California avocados come from.
We posted a recap from the morning on Instagram — you can watch it here →
Why This Matters
Looking back on the day, it reminded me why I started Levi's Organic Avocados in the first place. I wanted to build more than an online store—I wanted to help people connect with California agriculture and better understand the work, care, and generations of experience behind every avocado we ship.
At the end of the day, I hope people take away one simple idea: where your food comes from matters. Choosing California-grown avocados supports local farmers, protects agricultural land, reduces transportation, and helps preserve family farms like ours for future generations.
Days like this are exactly why I started Levi's Organic Avocados: to give people a direct connection to where their food actually comes from. We grow certified organic avocados on our family ranch in Somis, then hand-pick and ship them fresh to customers across the country—no weeks in cold storage, no wax coatings, and no Apeel.
A big thank you to Ken Melban, Lori Small, Zac Benedict, the entire California Avocado Commission team, and all of the creators who spent the morning with us. We appreciate you taking the time to visit our ranch and help share the story of California avocados.
Levi's Organic Avocados is a certified organic, direct-to-consumer avocado company based on a three-generation family ranch in Somis, California. Learn more at levisorganicavocados.com.