Crazy River- The Land
Our ranch and orchards are nestled just outside of Blue Lake in the lush Mad River Valley surrounded by the redwoods and breathtaking beauty of Humboldt county. The land is a perfect balance of open pastures where our livestock forage, dense riparian habitat for wildlife, and fruit and nut orchards for you, me and the bees!
Located between the North Fork and the main stem of the Mad River, the rivers brings the wild to our doorstep.
As we manage our land, we do our best to ensure that we preserve wild life corridors for the many creatures that share the land with us or are passing through the 2 forks of the Mad River. We often see black tailed deer, bob cats, coyotes, Grey fox and many varieties of birds including red tailed hawks, herons, and a flock of wild turkeys.
We are so grateful for the abundance this land provides for us and our community!
Crazy River-
The Orchards
In the Crazy River Orchards our cultivation practices take into consideration the many creatures that share the land with us. We support a large population of native bees in addition to our honey bee colonies.
We do not spray chemicals or use synthetic fertilizers. We work hard to build our soil, as we know that the health of our soil is directly linked to the health of our trees, our ecosystem, and our planet as a whole. Plus it makes some darn tasty fruit.
You can get our heritage and dessert apples at various North Coast Grower’s association Farmer’s Market from late August till mid November. You can get our Hard cider produced with the apples we grow year round!
The Humans of Crazy River
Julia McFarland
Momma, orchardist, artist, and one of the sweetest ladies you’ve ever met. These days Julia is spending less time in the orchard and most of her time being momma to sweet Amelia who is learning her way around farm life. You can also find Julia at the desk doing some of the less fun behind the scenes work that goes into having a small business and we are so grateful to her for it!
Brett McFarland
Farmer, rancher, orchardist, vision haver, action initiator, proud papa, and so many other hats are worn by this force of a human. You may spot him making an appearance at the Farmers Market but for the most part you can find him hustling and helping things grow at Crazy River Ranch and in Humboldt county. Oh! We musn’t forget fishing and camping. This guy loves an adventure.
Jessica Lovelady
Head cider maker, orchardist, maker of all things food and beverage, and meat and cider slinger for Crazy River in Humboldt county. Jessica uses her culinary and beverage background to inspire the cultivation of food and beverages made from the bounty of Crazy River Ranch. You can find her in the orchard, cidery, the apiary, the Arcata Farmer’s Markets or outside wildcrafting the Humboldt county abundance.
Amelia
The cutest and newest addition to the Crazy River Family. Born in July of 2020, Amelia has been a blessing to us all. This girl is funny and has some serious moves. She loves Raffi and shares her families love of food.
The “we” of Crazy River
