from the surf to the soil

It all started when…

Prior to June of 1985 Jeff Dickinson, founder of Dickinson Family Farms, was an avid surfer of the southern California coast. Growing up in Seal Beach California and going to college at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Jeff was never more than 10 minutes from the waves. All that changed in June of 1985 when Jeff married his beautiful bride Lisa and they moved to Fallbrook, California.

Now 30 minutes from the coast Jeff turned his focus from surfing to Avocado farming. Lisa’s father, a multi-generation farmer himself, started Jeff at the bottom learning how to irrigate a grove, cut weeds and check for unwanted pests. The love of the farm and the farmer’s life became a passion for Jeff. He and Lisa purchased their first Avocado farm in 1989 and later built their first home overlooking their grove.

Over the years, they have added acreage of their own and began managing other growers’ properties. In addition to acreage, Jeff and Lisa have added children. Their seven children, and now six grandchildren, also love farm life. Jeff’s two sons, Andrew and Austin, are his right and left hands along with his loyal crew of field workers.