Sunkist® stories, articles & musings

From the early 1900s in Southern California to today’s thriving groves in Porterville, the Laux family has spent more than a century cultivating citrus — and the joy it brings.

If you ask Gary Laux what keeps his family rooted in citrus after all these years, he’ll smile and tell you it’s simple: they love growing things. That love was planted in the family over a century ago, and generation after generation has carried it forward — from the earliest groves in Southern California to the ranch they still farm beneath the Sierra Nevada mountains today.

A Citrus Story That Began Before Disneyland

The Laux family has been farming oranges in California since around 1911 — long before Disneyland existed, on land where the iconic theme park now stands. The family’s early groves grew alongside the citrus boom in Southern California, shaping not only their livelihood but their identity.

In 1956, Gary’s father visited Porterville with a friend and saw something that reminded him of the land his own father farmed decades earlier: rich soil, a favorable climate, and endless potential. On that trip, he purchased 20 acres of citrus — a piece of ground the family still owns and farms today.

“We’re doing the same thing our forefathers did for generations,” Gary says. “Just in a different corner of the state.”

Today, the Laux family grows a remarkable variety of citrus:
Lemons, Meyer lemons, Navel oranges, Cara Caras, Moro blood oranges, Valencias, Star Ruby grapefruit, Oro Blancos, and Pummelos.

It’s a diverse collection that reflects the family’s curiosity, experience, and deep respect for the land.

The Next Generation — A Fifth Chapter

The Laux legacy is now in the hands of Gary and his nephew, Matt, who represents the fifth generation of Laux family citrus growers. Matt grew up in the groves, spending early mornings and long afternoons learning the edges of the ranch and the rhythms of the trees.

Gary lights up when he talks about the future:
“Someday, we’ll be celebrating 200 years as citrus growers. Matt will be farming the same grove my father planted in 1956. That’s pretty special.”

Legacy isn’t something the Laux family talks about formally — it’s simply in the way they live. The trees planted decades ago still anchor them, reminding each generation of where they came from and where they are headed.

What Sunkist Means to the Laux Family

For Gary, being a Sunkist grower is both a privilege and a joy. It connects their family’s work — done on quiet mornings and long harvest days — to people all over the world who savor California citrus.

“My first love is growing things,” Gary says. “But it’s also really fun to share what we do with others.”

He has a favorite moment — one he’s seen countless times, but it never gets old:
“If you take an orange fresh off the tree and cut it for someone to eat — with that aroma, that flavor — you can’t describe it. You have to experience it.”

Being part of Sunkist means sharing that experience far beyond Porterville. Every piece of fruit is a small piece of the family’s history, care, and craft — something Gary and Matt take immense pride in.

A Legacy Rooted in Tradition and Curiosity

Over five generations, the Laux family has weathered freezes, droughts, changing markets, and the natural cycles of agriculture. Through it all, their passion has remained steady.

They’ve stayed adaptable — planting new varieties, investing in the future, and ensuring that each generation has the chance to farm the land with the same wonder their great-great-grandparents must have felt more than a century ago.

At the heart of it all is a simple, enduring belief:
Growing citrus is a way of life worth sharing.

And as long as the Sierra Nevada casts its morning shadow across the groves, the Laux family will be right there — tending trees, honoring their past, and growing the next hundred years of California citrus.