John Wise's Sespe Creek Organics Is a Labor of Love

For Sespe Creek Organics founder and owner John Wise, organic farming has been a dream career.

As a young man, Wise, who is now in his 60s, knew he wanted to pursue a path of purpose—and neither social recognition nor money motivated him. “The seventies were all about finding meaning,” he says. “I wanted to do something important for the benefit of myself and those around me. I didn't want to choose a career path based on financial gain or social prestige. And I definitely didn't want to become a lawyer.”

John Wise, Founder and Owner, Sespe Creek Organics

Wise got his start in ag in 1982 when his brother invited him to join a custom farmer crew in Ventura County. Given Wise’s love of nature (he spent much of his free time hiking and backpacking throughout California), he found that working outdoors on a farm was a natural fit.

“I wanted to do something important for the benefit of myself and those around me. I didn't want to choose a career path based on financial gain or social prestige. And I definitely didn't want to become a lawyer.” -John Wise

“Within a year, we started our own citrus and avocado farm management operation,” he says. “Gradually, our family started buying farmland.”

While Wise started out as a conventional grower, the Santa Clara River Valley where he farmed was under biological pest control (local farmers had created an insectary in the early 1900s), so the synthetic chemicals he used were limited to herbicides and petroleum-based fertilizers. Still, he began having doubts about using them.

Sespe Creek Organics citrus orchard

“I became concerned about the way we were farming,” he says. “I grew tired of poisoning my fields. … [Using synthetic chemicals] was what the local farm extension was telling us to do, [but] in my gut, I knew there was a better way to farm.”

One day, John was out in his orchards spraying weeds when a lemon thorn pierced his leg. “The resulting wound refused to heal,” he says. “I took this as a sign. My young family and I lived on the ranch. I wanted a healthy environment to raise my kids. … I started researching alternative ways of farming. I started talking with farmers who were developing organic agriculture. Within this group, I found like-minded individuals who were using innovative and environmentally sensitive farming methods. I quickly adopted those methods as my own.”

Wise began his transition to organic agriculture with 20 acres in 1988 and says he’s “never looked back.” In 1993, he formed Sespe Creek Organics, partnering with another local farmer to sell their fruit, after he says he experienced disappointing returns (below conventional prices) when he sold his organic fruit to a marketing company.

“When [Sespe Creek Organics] first started packing, half of our fruit went to Japan,” says Wise. “Japanese consumers have long been sensitive to chemical residues in their food. So, when organics became available, their buyers supported the organic market.”

“Today, we mostly sell to domestic buyers,” he says. “Whole Foods has been with us since the beginning, and they have been a key supporter of our business. Longtime wholesalers such as Veritable Vegetable, OGC, and Earl’s, who have been critical to the success of the organic industry, have also been our steady customers.” 

“I grew tired of poisoning my fields. … [Using synthetic chemicals] was what the local farm extension was telling us to do, [but] in my gut, I knew there was a better way to farm.” -John Wise

Sespe Creek Organics cover crop

Wise’s family operation currently farms about 350 acres of organic citrus and 25 acres of organic avocados. Lemons are his main crop and are available year-round, and he also grows two varieties of oranges—navels (available January–March) and Valencias (available April–November).

“Ventura County has some of the best soils in the world, and organic practices only make them better,” Wise says. “Our mild climate lets us leave the fruit on the tree to optimize flavor.”

“Whole Foods has been with us since the beginning, and they have been a key supporter of our business. Longtime wholesalers such as Veritable Vegetable, OGC, and Earl’s, who have been critical to the success of the organic industry, have also been our steady customers.” -John Wise

One of the things Wise prides himself on is that he grows his new plantings organically from the very start. “Many growers farm newly planted orchards as conventional for the first few years before transitioning to organic,” he explains. “We work hard to build our soils so that our groves are organic from their beginning. The results have been impressive. Tree growth and early production on these blocks have been as good as or better than comparable conventional orchards.”

Sespe Creek Organics navel oranges

In addition to selling the fruit from Wise’s own orchards, Sespe Creek Organics represents 10 other organic citrus growers who have groves ranging in size from 5 to 200 acres. The majority of these growers are also in Ventura County, but two are located in Coachella and one in the Central Valley.

“We work hard to build our soils so that our groves are organic from their beginning. The results have been impressive. Tree growth and early production on these blocks have been as good as or better than comparable conventional orchards.” -John Wise

Wise notes that competition in the organic produce market has grown increasingly fierce over the years. “As the industry expands, more and more larger operations are embracing organics. Only a few of the operations that started with us are still around today,” he says. “It is truly remarkable how much the organic market has grown over the past 30 years. I don’t see anything on the horizon that would slow the continued growth of the industry. But as organics mature, some of the excitement of being part of a movement can sometimes be overshadowed by concern for the bottom line. … Obviously, as an industry matures, operations merge and become bigger. I just hope that there will always be a place for the family farm in organics.” 

Liz Niles, John Wise, and Monica Wise of Sespe Creek Organics

Looking ahead, Wise says he hopes to grow Sespe Creek Organics far into the future. "We have started to empower the next generation to take the reins of the company. We have a great group of young people who are excited to be working on an organic farm.”

For Wise, his longtime career in organic ag has been incredibly fulfilling. “As an organic farmer, I have found a way to connect the dreams of my youth with my hopes for the future,” he says. “When I am out in my orchards, it feels like home.”