Local Grow­ers

Chuck Baker is a 5^th gen­er­a­tion fam­ily farmer who grows lus­cious Cal­i­for­nia pears in the Sacra­mento River Delta region (Sut­ter Island). The Baker fam­ily has been farm­ing on 700 acres of prime pear orchards (from Court­land to Ryde) since the early 1860s – the orig­i­nal land grant deed is dated 1854 (Hus­tler Ranch and Hus­tler pear label).

Many of the exist­ing old growth trees are at least 140 years old and still pro­duc­ing some of the best eat­ing fruit grown in the state. Cal­i­for­nia Bartlett pears are the main crop for Baker Ranch with cher­ries and pear vari­etals like Bosc, Star Crim­son, Seck­els and Forelles bal­anc­ing out the harvest.

In addi­tion to over­see­ing his fam­ily farm, Chuck Baker also over­sees many of the pear orchards that grow for All­State Pack­ers, a pre­mier fruit packer and ship­per in Lodi. You know their fruit under the labels River­maid, McCor­mack, Golden Glow, Party and Hill­side. Stew­ard­ship of the land and time hon­ored grow­ing prac­tices by Chuck Baker and fam­ily are appar­ent in the won­der­ful fruit they lov­ingly produce!