The Sun Rises on Harrison Ranch

The orchard awakens to the start of another sunblessed day.

The Sun Begins its Arc Across the Orchards

The warm sunny days yield the early, sweet Schuyler oranges.

Springtime at Harrison Ranch

April begins the start of a new crop of Schuyler oranges. The orchard in full bloom. The scent of orange blossoms fills the air.

Every Orange Begins Here

The scent of the blossoms means that the honeybees are busy. The groves are alive with a constant buzzing sound.

Lemon Cove Ditch

The lifesource of the orchards, the flow from the Kaweah River is held in Lake Kaweah and distributed to the downriver orchards and farms.

Oranges Nearing Harvest

In the fall, the cooler nightime temperatures bring the striking visual transition, as the green fruit develop their deep orange color.

Harvest Begins

In November, usually well before Thanksgiving, the first crews arrive to begin the early season harvest. These oranges will be some of the first Sunkist Navels to reach the market.

Each Tree is Harvested Once Each Year

Some pickers will use ladders to get to the fruit at the top of the trees, while others will work from the ground, reaching well into the tree's interior.

Expert Hands at Work

All oranges on the tree ripen at the same time. When the picking crew is finished, each tree in the harvested block will be completely picked.

A Good Day to be Harvesting

These pickers are hard workers, carrying their laden picking bags over their shoulders, climbing up and down ladders, and carefully snipping each orange with special orange shears.

Emptying Another Load

A full bag of fruit can weigh 60 pounds. When the bag is full the picker unloads the bag into a field bin by releasing the folded bottom of the bag.

Nearing the Harvest's Finish

The picking crew foreman is an expert at judging how many field bins will be needed to accomodate the harvest. As the crews near the end of the harvest, the bins begin to fill.

Field Bins Overflowing with Fresh-picked Fruit

The filled bins indicate that the crew is finished and the harvest is complete.

Field Bins Carried from the Groves

The foreman expertly stacks the full bins and moves them to the trailer for transport to the packing house.

The Day's Harvest Begins the Trip to Market

Following the harvest, the truck transports the filled bins to the Sierra Citrus packing house in Lindsay.

The Sun Sets on Another Orange Harvest

With the fruit on its way to the packing house, the growing season ends.