Doc's Organics: A California Citrus Packer Rooted in Family and Faith

Founded in 2017, Doc’s Organics is a family-owned-and-operated organic packing house in Southern California’s Imperial Valley.

The company was established by Patrick (“Pat”) Dockstader and his nephew and nephew’s wife Dusty and Gina Dockstader to pack the organic citrus grown by their farming company, P&T Enterprises.

Dusty and Gina Dockstader, Co-Owners of Doc's Organics, with their son Tanner

Pat Dockstader has been a farmer since 1995—and an organic farmer since 2000—and Dusty joined him at P&T Enterprises as partner and farm manager in 2016. The company currently grows organic lemons, grapefruit, Minneolas, and sweet limes. It also cultivates organic Medjool dates (though these are not packed by Doc’s).

“Prior to 2017, our citrus fruit was going to three different packing houses, outside of our Imperial Valley,” says Gina Dockstader, co-owner of Doc’s Organics and P&T Enterprises. “We decided that by creating our own packing house, we would have more control over our fruit and could provide more jobs in our Valley.”

In addition to packing citrus from P&T Enterprises, Doc’s Organics packs other organic growers’ fruit as well. “We are also available to custom pack in other labels besides our beautiful Doc’s label,” says Gina. “So there are times that you are enjoying Doc’s citrus, and you don’t even realize it.”

“We decided that by creating our own packing house, we would have more control over our fruit and could provide more jobs in our Valley.” – Gina Dockstader

P&T Enterprises currently farms 430 acres of organic lemons (available August–May), 160 acres of organic grapefruit (available September–May), 80 acres of organic Minneolas (available December–February), and 50 acres of organic sweet limes (available October–November). The fruit is packed in the Doc’s Organics packing house and sold to a wide variety of customers, including Vons, Safeway, Walmart, Costco, Charlie’s Produce, Happy Dirt, Whole Foods, Wegmans, and Sprouts, among others.

“Our fruit can be found all over the country, from the East Coast to the West Coast and even in Canada,” says Gina. “We also export to Japan.” 

Gina Dockstader, Co-Owner, Doc's Organics

Gina, who has worked as a personal trainer and has a longstanding interest in health and fitness, is a strong proponent of organics. “I believe that what goes into your food goes into your body,” she says. “And as more time passes and more studies are done, it will be even more apparent that buying organic helps lead to a healthier life."

Gina also believes that “the organic movement has increased with the coronavirus pandemic and that more people are concerned about health and wellness than ever before.”

“I believe that what goes into your food goes into your body. And as more time passes and more studies are done, it will be even more apparent that buying organic helps lead to a healthier life." – Gina Dockstader

“I listen to quite a few health and wellness podcasts and feel the tide is turning,” Gina says. “Millennials and Gen Zers are concerned about their wellness and the environment. It’s becoming more mainstream to buy organic, much more accepted. You’re not just a health nut anymore.”

While demand for organic citrus is strong, Doc’s Organics still has its challenges. Chief among those are the current supply chain issues, which are causing delays in the arrival of important materials like boxes, mesh for bags, pallets, and machinery parts. The recent trucking shortage is also a challenge, making it harder to deliver fruit both to cross docks and directly to customers.

Doc's Organics packing line

Thankfully, Gina says, Doc’s has not experienced one of the major problems facing much of the produce industry—scant labor. “Other areas have experienced labor shortages, especially during the pandemic, that we haven’t experienced,” she says. “We have good access to contract labor; our fruit pickers live nearby or across the border.”  

“Millennials and Gen Zers are concerned about their wellness and the environment. It’s becoming more mainstream to buy organic, much more accepted. You’re not just a health nut anymore.” – Gina Dockstader

For Doc’s, having a tight-knit team is very important and has been key to the company’s success. “We have been blessed to all be able to work hard and have a great family relationship,” says Gina. “In addition, we have fabulous employees—they are also our family.”

Amanda Lawson, Bookkeeper, and Gina Dockstader, Co-Owner, Doc's Organics

Inspired by In-N-Out Burger (Gina’s son’s favorite fast food restaurant), Doc’s Organics’ boxes have a special feature. Printed on the bottom of each one is the scripture John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

“In addition, we have fabulous employees—they are also our family.” – Gina Dockstader

“We are a strong Christian family,” says Gina of the decision to include the scripture on their boxes. “It’s important to remember how we’ve gotten this far. I think it helps to keep us humble, to try to do the right thing, to give thanks and praise.”

In terms of future plans, Doc’s will be building an organic date packing facility, and the company is also eyeing further expansion of its citrus operation. “We’d love to increase our acreage and grow more citrus,” Gina says. “We’d love to sell more of our fruit directly to retailers and are always looking for avenues to create those relationships. I’d also like to begin selling our fabulous Medjool dates online as another revenue stream. I’ve been laying the groundwork to do just that with Shopify. It’s important to diversify.” 

Sliced Doc's Organics grapefruit

Gina also has plans outside of the family business. She recently announced she is running for Imperial Irrigation District Director, Division 3. “I must be crazy because it’s a political office,” she says. “But I think our Valley is going to have to fight to keep our water, especially if these drought conditions persist.”