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October 14, 2011 (Valley Center) --Bates Nut Farm invites you to celebrate its 90th anniversary on October 15 and 16 from 9 am. to 5 p.m. Come out to the farm to enjoy live music featuring Calico Ridge and the Honky Tonk Kings, and enjoy great food and fresh country air.
The Pumpkin Patch will be open, and there will be hay rides and a straw maze along with many other family friendly activities. This is a special milestone, and Bates Farm wants to share it with you.
In 1921 Gilbert Bates, his wife Beatrice, and five sons came to Valley Center by wagon. Gilbert planted walnut trees on his forty acres along Woods Valley Road and called his farm the Walnut Slope Ranch. He and Beatrice were self-sufficient. They had many farm animals to provide them with milk, eggs and meat, and they grew their own fruits and vegetables. Their sons attended school in the present day Valley Center Community Hall.
Gilbert’s sons, Clifford and James acquired the property in 1942, and the name was changed to Bates Bros. Ranch. They later renamed the farm Bates Bros. Nut Farm, and continued farming walnuts, hay, fruit, vegetables and cattle. Eventually they concentrated on processing walnuts and sold them wholesale to markets, clubs and bakeries all over Southern California.
In the 1960’s the farm passed to the next generation, sons Walter and Robert. They began to add a few more varieties of raw nuts and also some dried fruit to their product line, and adopted the motto, “Nuts From All Over the World Meet Here”.
A second retail location was opened in Arizona. During an extremely wet winter in the 1970’s, the walnut trees suffered and had to be cut down. The wood was sold to make furniture, and the farm was reinvented once again. In 1977, the retail store moved from the garage to the red barn, and eventually the present showroom was built on the property. The Pumpkin Patch slowly grew into an annual tradition that continues to be enjoyed by families from all over. The name changed once again to the present Bates Nut Farm.
Now in the hands of the 4th generation, the Farm continues to honor the past while moving into the future. Sherrie Bates Ness, Gilbert’s great-granddaughter, and her husband Tom Ness now oversee the operation. They have expanded the retail division to include home accessories, holiday décor, clothing, jewelry, footwear, gourmet food items, and bulk teas, in addition to the dried fruits, nuts and candies that have been enjoyed for decades. An old fashioned candy counter entices visitors with several flavors of handmade fudge made right on the premises. Bates Nut Farm hosts special events, educational programs, tours, and community events throughout the year.
A visit to Bates Nut Farm is a refreshing break from your daily routine. Come out with your family and friends to enjoy the country atmosphere and remember times gone by.
For information and directions call 760-749-3333 or visit www.batesnutfarm.biz.
Bates Nut Farm is located at 15954 Woods Valley Rd., Valley Center, CA 92082, just 20 minutes north of Escondido in northeast San Diego County.
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