History

History

Hudson Farms is a fifth- and sixth-generation family owned and operated farm by Earl and Liz Hudson. Their children and their spouses, Charlotte & Sam Huckabay and Rodger & Emilee Hudson, are now all partner with their parents in the family farm. Sadly, in August of 2022, Earl suffered a heart attack and passed away, leaving the family to carry on!

The Hudson Family has long-time ties to agriculture, having grown up in farm families with more than 130 years each of family farming history in the area, and having been farmers during their 41 years of marriage. Today the Hudson Family farms about 40 acres of peaches, 15 acres of plums, 12 acres of nectarines, 65 acres of almonds, 20 acres of specialty citrus south of Sanger, CA and in the Del Rey, CA area. They market their nectarines and plums through Sanger, CA area packing houses and their peaches through Wawona Frozen Foods of Clovis, CA. Earl began farming on his own in 1978. During harvest, Liz and Emilee Hudson operate a farm stand which sells its fruit and vegetables directly to consumers. Hudson Farms Fruit Stand opened their doors in the summer of 2011, and is open from mid-June through September, depending on the harvest season.

05
Feb
1880

1880's

Raymond and Clara Heringer married and raised a family including Liz’s mother, Doris, in the Sacramento River Delta, near Clarksburg and began farming row crops.
Heringer home on Merrit Island on the Sacramento River Delta
05
Feb
1880

1880's

Clara and Raymond Heringer in 1941
05
Feb
1880

1880's

August H. Halemeier
05
Jul
1910

1910's

After August and Sophie Halemeier got married raised a family of 5 including Walter, Liz’s father, in 1912 they began acquiring land in the Lone Star, CA (now known as Lone Star-Sunnyside) area where they would begin the journey of farming cotton and eventually move into both wine and raisin grapes.
Papa Halemeier planting orange trees on Clovis Ave.
05
Sep
1910

1910's

August "Papa", Sophie and August Halemeier
05
Sep
1910

1910's

August and Anna Heintz married and raised nine children including, Earl’s mother, Augustine “Augie” in the Oleander, CA (near Easton) area where they began farming grapes.
August Heintz
03
Oct
1950

1950-1960

Walter and Doris Halemeier got married in 1951 and alongside Walter’s brother, August, began farming with Walter’s mother and father. They had two daughters, Chris and Liz.
Walter and Doris Halemeier in 1950
03
Oct
1950

1950-1960

Walter Halemeier and Carmen Singh Castanada at the trailer in 1950
03
Oct
1950

1950-1960

Walter and Doris Halemeier in 1991
03
Oct
1950

1950-1960

When Earl “Russell” and Augustine “Augie” Hudson married in 1952 they were quick to start a family, including Earl and brothers Jack and Bob, they began farming in south Sanger, CA area yielding nectarines, peaches and wine & raisin grapes.
Earl Russell Hudson
03
Oct
1950

1950-1960

Earl Radford and Ila Hudson with grandsons Bob, Jack, and Earl
09
Apr
1970

1970's

Earl began leasing land to start his own ventures in farming tree fruit. Earl started his own brush shredding business to help supplement the family farm, which he continued for the next 20 years.
Russell and Augie Hudson with Earl
09
May
1980

1980's

Earl and Liz Hudson got married and had two children, Charlotte and Rodger. Together they farmed tree fruit.
13
Apr
1990

1990's

Earl and Liz maintained Earl’s mother and father’s farm in 1994 in which they made the transition from raisin grapes to peaches.
Walter Halemeier collecting grape brush on his tractor and trailer which are still rolling through the orchards of Hudson Farms
06
Apr
2000

2000's

Earl and Liz Hudson purchased land in 2005 in the Sanger, CA area and planted tree fruit.
19
Mar
2010

2010's

Earl and Liz Hudson opened a roadside farm stand, Hudson Farms Fruit Stand, on in South Sanger, CA area, a life long dream of Liz Hudson, which is still open.
Earl and Liz Hudson on opening day of Hudson Farms Fruit Stand in 2011
19
Mar
2010

2017

Rodger and Emilee Hudson acquired land in 2017 in Del Rey, CA to farm freezer peaches and specialty citrus.
06
Feb
2020

2022

Liz, Rodger & Emilee Hudson and Charlotte & Sam Huckabay began farming together in 2022 as partners in peaches, plums, nectarines, almonds, and specialty citrus in the Sanger, CA and Del Rey, CA areas.