Sunkist® stories, articles & musings

From vegetable fields in Buena Park to oranges and grapefruit in one of California’s most beautiful valleys, three generations of the Kariya family have made Pauma Valley their forever home.

In Pauma Valley — where the mornings are quiet, the views stretch wide, and citrus groves hug the hillsides — the Kariya family has spent more than six decades tending the land and nurturing a legacy built on both fruit and friendship.

How the Kariya Family Found Pauma Valley

The family’s citrus story began in 1960, when Laurie Kariya’s grandparents and parents left their vegetable fields in Buena Park in search of something new. They weren’t citrus growers at the time — far from it. But the first moment they drove through Pauma Valley, everything changed.

The slopes, the light, the open valley floor — it felt right.
It felt like home.

So they packed up their lives, took a chance, and moved into a region where they would have to learn everything from scratch. Citrus was new to them, but opportunity wasn’t. They planted their first oranges, learned the rhythm of the valley, and slowly built a farm that has now supported three generations: Laurie, her brother Mark, and her sister Darcy.

Today, the Kariya family grows Navel oranges, Valencia oranges, and Star Ruby grapefruit, just a stone’s throw from where their grandparents first planted roots.

The Next Generation — Growing Into the Grove

Laurie speaks often about community — and for good reason. Pauma Valley isn’t just a beautiful place to farm; it’s a place where families grow up together, support each other, and share decades of knowledge across fences and farm rows.

“We are so fortunate with the community we have here,” Laurie says. “My dad and uncle knew everyone. And we still benefit from growers who were farming when my folks were alive.”

Today, many of the growers they grew up alongside have passed their farms to their own children — and Laurie, Mark, and Darcy can already see the next wave forming. Someday, those same kids will likely farm the Kariya land, too.

It’s generational without being forced.
It’s tradition, passed gently.
It’s a legacy shaped by place as much as by people.

Life as Sunkist Growers — Beauty, Hard Work, and Belonging

Ask Laurie what it means to grow for Sunkist, and she smiles before she answers.

“Living here is like being on vacation,” she says. “It’s beautiful and relaxing. Even though we’re working hard to raise the best fruit we can, we still get to enjoy this incredible life — and all the friends and neighbors who come with it.”

For the Kariya family, farming isn’t just about yields or markets. It’s about waking up in a place that feels restorative. It’s about producing oranges and grapefruit that carry the warmth of the valley into homes around the world. And it’s about knowing that they’re part of a network of growers — not just in Pauma Valley, but across the entire Sunkist cooperative — all working toward the same goal: grow the best fruit possible, together.

A Legacy Rooted in Valley Soil and Community Strength

Six decades after arriving in Pauma Valley, the Kariya family still farms with the same appreciation their grandparents felt when they first saw the valley in 1960. Laurie, Mark, and Darcy know that citrus is more than a crop — it’s a lifestyle, a community, and a blessing they don’t take for granted.

Their family story is proof of what happens when generations stay connected to the land, to their neighbors, and to a shared purpose. And as long as Pauma Valley continues to offer its peace, its beauty, and its sense of belonging, the Kariyas will be there — growing fruit, growing community, and growing the next generation of farmers.