Home to Andy Mariani’s Orchard and U-Pick Orchards, Morgan Hill in Santa Clara Valley embodies the true spirit of farm-to-table freshness. Harvesting the finest artisanal fruits and specialty products, this “Goldilocks Zone” provides residents with an unparalleled agricultural experience that reconnects them to their farming heritage. From farmed varieties of Cherries, Plums, Apricots, and Apples, to experiencing the pure joy of picking your own from U-pick orchard farms, Morgan Hill is certainly a paradise for the passionate foodie.
Morgan Hill is proud to be part of the farm-to-table movement, offering the best ingredients from several high-quality and rare purveyors of artisanal fruits and fresh specialty products. With easy access to delicious ingredients grown within miles, the city’s culinary scene is unparalleled. The area is known as the “Goldilocks Zone,” blessed with ideal farming conditions in the Santa Clara Valley, or the “Valley of Heart’s Delight.” Agriculture is an integral part of life here, where farm-to-fork is a way of life.
Andy’s Orchard: Cultivating Rare Stone Fruits on the West Coast
Andy Mariani, a noted expert with the California Rare Fruit Growers, is proud to be the cultivator of one of the largest collections of stone fruits on the West Coast. Andy’s Orchard specializes in new and heirloom varieties that are renowned for their exceptional flavor and high eating quality. From lemons, mandarins, fava beans, apricots, cherries, plums, pluots, and peaches, their fruits are shipped around the world as delicacies, and have cult followings at Southern California farmers markets. Recently, they began cultivating rare, heirloom strawberries such as Sparkle and Mara De Bois, a favorite in the markets of France. They also offer varieties of Coral and Brooks cherries, plus the ancient Black Tartarians. Offering fruit tastings and tours of their working orchard in Silicon Valley, Andy’s Orchard connects urban neighbors to the art of artisanal harvesting. And this season, they may even introduce a pick-your-own program!
U-Pick Orchards family farm offers an unforgettable and fun experience for all to enjoy. Featuring five cherry ranches across Morgan Hill and Gilroy, U-Pick Orchards provides pickers with a bag to collect their bounty of Bing, Coral Champagne, and other cherry varietals straight from the tree. This beloved pastime of picking your cherries is charged by the weight and available first come, first serve until the ranches are picked through. Keep up to date with opening dates, typically late May or early June, by following U-Pick Orchards and signing up for their newsletter. Embrace the agricultural heritage of the Santa Clara Valley and get your fill of cherries at U-Pick Orchards!
The local fruit of Morgan Hill is celebrated in flavor-packed beverages crafted by TenFiveOne Cider Co. and Kelly Brewing Company. TenFiveOne Cider Co. expertly blends U Pick Orchard’s sweet Bing cherries with cider to create their Bada Bing hard cider, while Kelly Brewing Company opts for the stone fruit from Andy’s Orchard for their apricot kettle sour beer. Through the utilization of these local ingredients, both brewers are proudly showcasing the agricultural bounty of Morgan Hill – so raise a glass to the wonderful flavors that can be achieved with locally sourced fruit!
CCOF-Certified Organic Farm
Terra Amico Farms is proud to have earned a CCOF distinction as a 100% organic tomato farm. With more than 50 different heirloom varieties, the farm harvests between 200-400 pounds of tomatoes each morning when they are at their premium ripeness. The farm utilizes regenerative farming practices that focus on conservation, rehabilitation, and soil health. Throughout the summer, customers can find fresh tomatoes, herbs, eggs, and other delicious treats at the farm carts. Terra Amico Farms also works with local wineries and chefs like Lion Ranch Vineyards & Winery and Tommy Palmer to host farm-to-table dinners.
With its CCOF distinction as a 100% organic tomato farm, Terra Amico Farms proudly grows over 50 different heirloom varieties of tomatoes each year. During peak season, the farm harvests between 200-400 pounds of tomatoes fresh each morning at their premium ripeness, using regenerative farming practices that focus on conservation, rehabilitation, and soil health. Throughout the summer, the farm carts feature fresh tomatoes, herbs, eggs, and other delicious treats, and they collaborate with local wineries and chefs such as Lion Ranch Vineyards & Winery and Tommy Palmer to offer a series of highly sought-after farm-to-table dinners.
KoopHaus Apiaries, a third-generation family farm based in Morgan Hill, recently earned two 2023 Good Food Awards for their Wildflower Honey and Cinnamon Creamed Honey. Their bees are specially bred to thrive in the central coast climate, with a diverse forage of orchards, fields, mustard weed, lavender, and a pollinator habitat garden. The honey is harvested in small amounts to keep the hives healthy; the Morgan Hill Wildflower Honey is lightly strained to retain natural pollens and create a pure, raw product, while the Cinnamon Creamed Honey offers subtle exotic, tropical, and floral notes thanks to premium, organic cinnamon from Sri Lanka. KoopHaus Apiaries also offers hive management consults across the SF Bay Area.
Living in Morgan Hill offers residents access to an exquisite array of local fruits and produce otherwise hard to come by. In addition, farmers participating in the farm-to-table movement can provide beneficial heirloom varieties From Andy Mariani’s rare stone fruit varieties at Andy’s Orchard to the irresistible cherries from U-Pick Orchards Family Farm, the area is ripe with possibilities and diversity to celebrate and enjoy! The hospitality of the California Rare Fruit Growers and user-friendly pick-your-own system provided at U-Pick Orchards complements the unparalleled locally sourced produce making the Santa Clara Valley the area’s Emerald agricultural delight.
