This Chic and Cozy Apple Orchard Is the Stuff of Summer Road Trip Dreams
Thanks to one close family’s efforts, The Orchard at Apple Lane in Auburn, California is a revitalized local landmark with a must-stop farmstand and mature “u-pick” trees. It’s also the perfect backdrop for a late summer feast.
An orchard dinner celebrates the farm's first u-pick season. Photo by Thomas J. Story.
Anyone who grew up road-tripping to Truckee from San Francisco, or exploring the hiking and cycling trails that cut through the rolling foothills outside of Sacramento, is likely to have memories of The Orchard at Apple Lane off Highway 80 in Auburn. It was pretty as a picture, if a bit neglected in recent years, and a beloved century-old relic from the small farming heyday of the region, with rows of apple, pear, fig, plum, and peach trees, an old farmhouse, three cottages, and a farmstand selling seasonal pies.
Thomas J. Story
“This property held a special place in my heart,” says Laura Carter who, along with her mother Sue Dossa, aunt Jan Moriel, and sister-in-law Ashley Streicher, owns and operates the 27-acre property and its now thriving farmstand. “My brother Clay and I both came here on field trips when we were kids. When we heard it was for sale, we rallied as a family and decided to buy it. It’s such a beautiful place, and knowing that it could have been destroyed and developed and become another slab of concrete was too big of a pill to swallow.”
Thomas J. Story
As it turns out, the extended family was uniquely equipped to take on the challenge, and everyone lends a hand. Clay is an arborist, who was eager to dive in and restore the ailing trees to full health, with help from the farmhands who have worked the property for years and local experts. Laura has a background in human resources. Their mom Jan and aunt Sue are investors and managers. And Ashley Streicher honed her marketing, branding, and PR skills as the co-owner of the STRIIIKE salon in Beverly Hills with her two sisters, all beauty influencers with sizable social media presences. She and Clay were high school sweethearts who reconnected during the pandemic, when the salon closed temporarily and Streicher moved back to her hometown. She’d always dreamed of moving back to Northern California, buying a house on a few acres, and embracing a slower life. One week a month, she’s back in L.A. seeing clients like actors Mandy Moore and Kiernan Shipka. But back home in nearby Meadow Vista with their young son, Ansel, life had become a little too slow.
Thomas J. Story
“I was like, ‘Come on, universe, there has to be something I can do here,’” says Streicher. “When I saw the orchard was for sale, I knew that was the something I could do.”
Jenna Jones
They started with a redesign, painting the exterior of the farm buildings a deep chocolate brown. A cute logo and new signage helped to refresh the image. The other structures on the property, including the farmhouse and a handful of small cottages, were remodeled and rented to tenants, with hopes of turning them into Airbnb rentals one day. Streicher re-imagined the farmstand, stocking it with new provisions like local cheeses and meats, bagged candy, dried fruit, and chic seasonal gifts, mainly from women-owned and California-based small businesses. For the orchard’s first-ever apple-picking season opener last fall, they hosted a day-long party with live music, food, and shopping.
Thomas J. Story
And Sunset was invited to join in an intimate friends-and-family orchard dinner catered by Jennifer Millsap of Shef Madres in Sacramento, with hard cider pairings from Ponderosa Cider Co. produced with fruit from the orchard, Wavy Wines, and apple hand pies baked by Norma, who’s been making fruit pies for the farmstand for 30 years.
Thomas J. Story
“We love working with local farmers. The bounty is literally here in our backyard,” says Millsap. “And some caterers won’t do these orchard or farm dinners, but I love it. It’s such a gorgeous setting, and it makes the connection for people with their food source, where the ingredients came from, and how people worked hard to grow it.”
Thomas J. Story
On the menu were sweet and savory apple pie gougères, a fall salad with sliced crisp and tart Arkansas Blacks and hearty greens, beef filet from a local ranch, and a perfect chilled, vegan corn soup. Wavy Wines from Sonoma poured their Sunshine white blend. And another new duo of Auburn heroes, Ashlee and Jon Hoag of Ponderosa Cider Co., paired their surprisingly crisp and nuanced ciders with co-fermented apples, peaches, and strawberries. Jon, a former firefighter, and Ashlee, a food chemist by training, had similar instincts to create an environmentally conscious business that celebrated their beloved community and the growers in the region, and turned their passion for homebrewing into something bigger.
Thomas J. Story
“Harvesting apples from a tree that lives for 50 years is much more sustainable than planting grains for beer every year,” Jon says. The Hoags share a love for the community with the new team at Apple Lane, and they’re working to breathe new life into a growing community that was founded in the 1930s.
Bright, citrusy Wavy Wines paired well with the early fall meal. Photo by Thomas J. Story.
“Auburn is known for its great trail system, amazing views, proximity to Tahoe, and great orchards. But a lot of the orchard practices took a back seat in recent years. A lot of the land has been developed, and there was no motivation to keep it going” he says. “We’re trying to keep that motivation alive and make a product we believe in. Last season we pressed almost 5,000 gallons of juice from The Orchard at Apple Lane. We have an entire can line where we use just their juice.”
Thomas J. Story
These photos can attest that The Orchard has been brought back to glorious life, and Streicher has sprinkled her aesthetic magic dust over the whole operation.
Thomas J. Story
“What a perk to have a family business to pass on to our kids, and they can pass it to their kids,” adds Carter.
The farmstand has become more than a road trip pit stop for pies. It’s a favorite local spot for friends to meet for great coffee, to let the kids run and play, and a place to celebrate seasonal harvests in style.
Thomas J. Story
“We’re at 101 Apple Lane, right off of Highway 80 at the Bowman exit,” says Streicher, who’s eager to welcome road trippers who are looking for a crisp fall day in the country. “We took out part of the parking lot to make room for more outdoor seating, and there’s a large section of the orchard open to the public to sit among the trees and hang out.”
Thomas J. Story
Field trips from local schools have resumed, and their hope is, decades from now, the legacy will live on.
Ashley’s Local Favorites
Where to Stay
Courtesy of the National Exchange Hotel
Holbrooke Hotel in Grass Valley, or The National Exchange Hotel in Nevada City are both renovated Victorian properties. For larger groups, families, or a longer stay, there’s Stone’s Throw Cottage or Skog Dom available via Airbnb.
Where to Eat
Rachel Valley
Streicher’s Auburn favorites include Restaurant Josephine for farm-to-table French, Pizzeria Luba (“the best pizza I’ve ever had”), and the Wings Grill and Espresso Bar at the local municipal airport.
Where to Drink
Thomas J. Story
Sample dry hard cider at the Ponderosa Cider Co. tasting room, or craft brews at Knee Deep, Moonraker, or Crooked Lane. Stop for coffee at The Pour Choice.
What to Do
© California State Parks. All rights reserved.
The Pennyweight hiking trail to the American River is short, sweet, and scenic. Streicher grew up swimming and fishing at the South Yuba River State Park, known for its historic bridges and picture-perfect waterfalls. Or, wander around the shops in downtown Grass Valley.
