Tanaka Farms is an agricultural staple in Orange County, California. Located in a small valley in Irvine, the farm has become a place for people to get fresh produce, learn about farming and healthy eating, and simply enjoy being outdoors.
A Family Farm
The Tanaka family has been in the farming business for 4 generations with roots from Hiroshima, Japan. After immigrating to California, Teruo Tanaka began a farming business in California which his son eventually moved to Orange County. Four generations later, the Tanakas are still providing the area with fresh produce and teaching visitors about sustainable farming and fresh, healthy eating. The farm is owned and operated by Teruo’s grandson, Glenn Tanaka, along with his wife Shirley and son Kenny. Orange County is lucky to have them as our local family farm.
Agritourism
In the 1980s and 90s, land sales and development began to transform Irvine where local farming lands were being purchased and redeveloped. Because of this, the Tanakas were forced to move to a smaller plot of land and had to reevaluate how to make their farming business survive. Under the leadership of Farmer Glenn, they began to venture into agritourism where they opened the farm to tours and u-pick experiences.
This hand-on experience is what makes Tanaka Farms such a unique and fun experience. Customers can see exactly how their fruits and vegetables are grown and can pick their own to take home. Rotating through the seasons, people can come pick their own strawberries (Spring), melon and corn (Summer), pumpkins (Fall), and enjoy a holiday tour in the Winter. The produce stand also provides a variety of fruits, vegetables, and ready-made goods that can be purchased any day of the week.
Giving Back to the Community
Today, Tanaka Farms partners and supports many community and charity organizations. They host a variety of fundraisers for local non-profits and support causes such as childhood cancer and eradicating hunger. They even organize a community event called Walk the Farm in which 100% of the proceeds provide scholarships to the School of Agriculture at Iwate University and grants to teach farmers to renew areas affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
The J. Morey Company is proud to be a returning “Farm Sponsor” for Walk the Farm year after year. Check out our social media pages for more fun photos from the event!
