America’s only major etrog grower is in survival mode amid global competition

Greg Kirkpatrick, owner of Lindcove Ranch in California, the only major commercial grower of kosher etrogs in the US, is struggling to keep his business afloat after two disastrous years. A poor 2023 crop followed by a 2025 harvest that failed to recoup production costs, combined with shifting distributor demand for larger quantities of top-grade fruit, has led to foreclosure on a family home and staff cuts. Kirkpatrick is now pivoting to direct sales to congregations and marketing his pesticide-free etrogs as a unique selling point.

Greg Kirkpatrick, 65, runs Lindcove Ranch in Exeter, California, the only major commercial grower of kosher etrogs in the United States. The 7-acre etrog grove, part of a larger specialty-citrus operation on about 30 acres, has been in his family for over 60 years. The Kirkpatricks, who are not Jewish, began growing etrogs 46 years ago after an Orthodox distributor sought a domestic supplier to avoid costly imports from Israel, Italy, and Morocco. The citron has been the ranch's top-earning crop, with single fruits selling for hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars depending on quality. However, the business has suffered two consecutive disastrous years. In 2023, the ranch received about 22 inches of rain and failed to get much of a crop. That same year, Greg's father John died. Then in 2025, the ranch produced what Kirkpatrick thought was a successful crop, but his marketing partner could not sell enough to recoup the $250,000 production cost. Distributors now want larger quantities of top-grade etrogs than Lindcove can supply. Rabbi Menachem Sirota, a longtime etrog distributor, said he has opted to buy from larger growers due to quality concerns. As a result, one of the family's homes on the ranch went into foreclosure earlier this year, and Kirkpatrick has cut staff from eight full-time to five part-time workers. The family is even considering selling the ranch. Kirkpatrick is now trying to save the business by selling bulk orders directly to congregations and marketing his pesticide-free etrogs as a unique advantage over imported fruit.