America’s only major etrog grower is in survival mode amid global competition
(JTA) — (J. The Jewish News of Northern California via JTA) On a small ranch in California’s Central Valley, below the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, an orchard grows an ancient and sacred fruit: the…
Assessment
A single 7-acre orchard in California's Central Valley carries the entire domestic supply of a fruit with a narrow but devoted market. Global competition now threatens that position, and the stakes go beyond one farm's bottom line. If the grower cannot hold on, American buyers would depend entirely on imports for a product tied to a fixed religious calendar. Watch whether the ranch adapts through pricing, quality, or niche marketing, and whether any domestic alternative emerges.