Don Neff’s journey farming tree crops began in the mid-80s when the investment firm he worked for made significant investments in the South Florida Citrus industry. After relocating to Southern California and working on some construction projects, he was given the opportunity to manage the last remnants of Susanna Bixby Bryant’s estate in Yorba Linda in 1995. Intrigued at the idea of farming the land as the previous seven generations of his family had, Don took on the orchard as a new project. This twenty-acre orchard was spared from development because of its location in the Santa Ana River flood plain. It features four thousand Valencia Orange trees, many of which were planted in the early 60s.

Since those humble beginnings in the mid-’90s, the Orange County Register has recognized our company as one of the county’s last orange growers. We have labored persistently to nurture these trees, bring the crop to market and maintain this slice of Orange County’s agricultural heritage. It is our sincere hope that with the right farm model and the right opportunities we can squeeze oranges–and other healthy, delicious crops–back into the tapestry of what makes Orange County so rich.

In 2003, that farm model began to take shape. We began managing a unique Hass avocado operation in Tustin. This thirteen-acre orchard is planted on the slopes of the Emerson tract housing subdivision and was owned by the homeowner’s association (HOA). It is also irrigated with environmentally-friendly reclaimed water. Over the past six years, we have nurtured these trees to overcome their difficult start in heavily compacted clay soils and begin producing bumper crops.

After tabulating data from several years of harvests, we can confidently say that the HOA orchard is very productive and economically and ecologically viable alternative to standard ornamental landscapes. Our management of these slopes has made us a good income and mitigated the HOA’s fees by 5%. It is a way for housing and farming to coexist and an elegant rebuttal to the development fears that have brought heartache to farmers across the county.

Moving forward, we wish to help land developers replicate and improve this model of urban, sustainable agriculture within their future master plan communities.

Neff Family History

Don Neff comes from a long line of agribusiness pioneers. Dating back to 1728 when Michael Neff Sr. emigrated from Switzerland, the Neff family has a rich history in agriculture spanning eight generations in the US. Originally settling on the East Coast in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (1744) subsequent generations settled in Wythe County, Virginia (1782), and family descendants thereafter pioneered in Eastern Washington State just after statehood in the late 1800s. The Neff family remains active today in Washington State agribusiness ventures.

Our Team

Don Neff
CEO

Don Neff has a rich history in agriculture and farming and he and the Neff Ranch team work hard to preserve the historical citrus production in Orange County. Don’s knowledge and experience encompass land evaluation, landscape design, and water-conserving irrigation practices and he and the team take great pride in caring for the groves and being responsible growers.

Martin Almanza
Field Manager

Martin Almanza has worked at Neff Ranch for 16 years and is responsible for all critical horticultural field operations including nutrient applications, pest control strategies, and irrigation monitoring and repairs as needed. He also oversees picking operations by others for citrus, avocados and other specialty fruit tree plantings. In years past, Martin has also assisted the ranch sales team at the Farmer’s Markets in Claremont, City of Orange, Laguna Hills and Corona Del Mar as needed.

Kim Nguyen
Operations Manager

Kim Nguyen, Operations Manager for Neff Ranch works closely with Martin Almanza, his field crew members and Don Neff.   Prior to this position, Kim worked as the Accounting Supervisor at LJP Construction Services (www.ljpltd.com).  Kim works with all of our ranch clients handling contract matters, billings, cost analyses, financial reports and has worked closely with our field team members and Don Neff.

Dawn Idstein
HR Director

As Director of Human Resources, Dawn is tasked with overseeing HR systems, handling employee relations, ensuring compliance with regulations, assessing staffing needs, and developing compensation plans.

David Hall
Landscaper

David Hall is an experienced landscape maintenance professional, having worked at several leading companies in Orange County, after having attended Santiago Canyon College. David is in the process to become a certified Arborist and his responsibilities have encompassed not only working in the field on landscape maintenance assignments but also managing field teams, conducting plan take-offs, estimating and assisting with the bid process for new landscape projects. David has a strong interest in water sports, having received the Team Captain and Coaches awards in age group water polo.

Daniel Howell
Summer Intern

Having grown up in Laguna Niguel and attended Saddleback Community College, Daniel is pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree at Arizona State University in Applied Biological Sciences and Natural Resource Ecology. Daniel has been with Neff Ranch since summer 2020 and has worked at all our orchard properties assisting with irrigation, weed control, pest prevention strategies and pruning trees. Daniel is an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hiking and camping in remote wilderness areas.