You don’t know what fresh citrus tastes like until you’ve enjoyed a perfectly ripe mandarin, plucked straight from the tree. We met with Greg Lewis, owner of Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits, to learn more about his Placer County U-pick farm – and left with a whole new appreciation for fresh citrus fruit. 

Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits is only 30 miles outside of Sacramento, but as you wind through the Sierra Nevada foothills, life adopts a slower pace. Greg Lewis realizes that’s part of the allure of his family’s 20-acre U-pick farm. Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits offers visitors a chance to reconnect with nature, learn where food truly comes from, and – of course – enjoy fresh fruits plucked straight from the tree.

Greg explains, “It (the farm) gives kids a chance to understand that their food doesn’t come from a grocery store. It comes from the earth. They can be a little farmer for the day, and just enjoy the beauty of our acreage.” Greg isn’t kidding about the view. Perched on a west-facing hill, Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits offers a stunning view of the valley and beyond. He proudly notes, “We’ve got a hundred-mile view out there. It’s just a great place to share it with the family.”

‘Tis the season (for citrus)

Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits is open to the public from November through March. Greg grows 12 citrus varieties, along with smaller plantings of pomegranates, plums, apples, and pears. 

What’s in season at Sunset Ridge Farms?

November: Satsuma mandarins, pomegranates

December: Satsuma mandarins and navels

January: Satsuma mandarins, Tango mandarins, blood oranges, Cara Cara pink navels, navel oranges, Eureka & Meyer lemons

February: Tango mandarins, Cara Cara pink navels, navel oranges, blood oranges, Eureka & Meyer lemons, Valentine pomelo, Red Flame grapefruit

Satsuma mandarins are the first to ripen, and for many families, a visit to Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits during mandarin season has become a holiday tradition. Greg says with a smile, “We’ve been doing this for 15 years or so, people have been coming since kids were babies, who are now in high school and college. We provide them with a little introduction to our farm, and we provide buckets for them. It’s all picked by hand, no ladders, and it’s all safe. It’s kind of neat to see this becoming a family tradition for people during the holiday season.”

Healthy foods start with healthy soils

Organic and regenerative practices take center stage at Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits. Greg proudly states, “We’re certified organic, using sustainable and regenerative practices, focusing first on the soil health and knowing that trees will respond and produce healthy, nutritious fruit when we do that.” He continues, “I guess it’s a philosophy of farming – we need to be good stewards of the earth and that healthy soil produces good fruit. We utilize a lot of compost and mulch to keep the organic matter in our soil alive and feed the trees what they want and need.” 

Carefully selected cover crops also play a key role in enriching the soil—and ultimately improving the fruit. Greg explains,” The signs of a thriving orchard are things growing all over the place, whether it’s green grass or cover crops that we plant.” Offering an example, he elaborates, “Red clover and mustard bring minerals to the surface so the trees can utilize them, which creates a very nutritious and nutritionally dense piece of fruit.” 

Greg hopes visitors to his family’s farm will see the direct connection between healthy soil, healthy food, and healthy families. He reflects, “Farming reconnects you to the fact that we are dependent on the planet to provide what we need and that the products of farming are your first line of defense for your own personal health. I think it’s a cool thing for parents and kids to actually know a farmer by name and have been there and visited and seen the process of what it takes to grow food that we kind of take for granted instead of thinking ‘yeah, we just go to the grocery store and pick it all up’.” 

Community support

Placer County’s sunny days and crisp nights make it an ideal place to grow mandarins, but Greg believes the true magic of farming in the Sierra Foothills comes from the community itself—from restaurants proudly highlighting local produce to families subscribing to CSA boxes. “We just feel like there’s a great vibe of ownership”, he says. “People see farms as a viable part of our county infrastructure, and a direct line to really good food. We have great farmers markets in Auburn and Roseville, and down the hill here in Lincoln. None of what we do would be possible without the community supporting us.”

Greg invites everyone to visit Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits and encourages them to explore additional local farms along the way. He adds, “I’d like to give a shout-out to all of our growers in this area. They’re all great people, doing the labor of love to produce fruit and veggies for us.” 

Visit Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits

Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits

7825 Fox Hill Ln, Newcastle, CA 95658

(916) 626-1557

U-pick orchards and farmstand open daily from November through March. 

Reservations are recommended for U-pick. Check website and Instagram for updated times and weather-related closures. 

Explore the Sierra Foothills!

Planning to visit Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits? Make a day of it. Check out a few of our favorite farms in the Sierra Foothills. 

Article and photography by Hilary Rance. Family holiday photo courtesy of Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits.