November/December 2024 - 19

ALMONDS
esponsible for a third of California's organic almonds,
Baugher Ranch Organics was founded 40 years ago in
Orland, California, by Chris and Marcie Baugher. The
couple launched the company with a vision to provide quality,
organic almonds and address the growing demand for reliable,
premium organic ingredients in the market.
Over the past four decades, Baugher Ranch has grown
from a small family operation into a trusted partner for
businesses of all sizes.
R
From left to right: Rania Baugher-Heaney,
president; Ron Lautrup, vice president;
and Nisha Baugher-Carrow, CEO, of
Baugher Ranch Organics.
Today, the Baugher Ranch staff consists of a group of
experts in organic farming and almond processing. It starts
with Nisha Baugher-Carrow, CEO, and the leadership
team, which includes Rania Baugher-Heaney as president
and Ron Lautrup as vice president.
" Back in 1983, when my parents converted 135 acres of
conventional almonds into organic, they were shunned
upon by my father's family and neighbors, " BaugherCarrow
said. " But they stuck to their guns. They had three
kids to raise and put their best foot forward, and started
processing and farming organic almonds. "
Back then, Chris would pack up his Chevy S10 with
25-pound cases of almonds and deliver them to natural
food stores and grocery stores up to Oregon and down to
San Diego, California. Marcie would stay at the warehouse
to process and pack the almonds and take care of the
accounting side.
As sales increased monthly, Chris transitioned to
monthly semi truck deliveries and was approached by a
natural food distributor. That is when the monthly road
deliveries stopped and the distributor began picking up
directly from the warehouse.
Sisters, Nisha BaugherCarrow,
CEO, and Rania
Baugher-Heaney, president,
of Baugher Ranch Organics.
" We were growing the business, our neighbors and
family started coming around humbly, seeing the
orchard thriving and trucks coming in and out of the
warehouse, " Baugher-Carrow said. " The business started
expanding, and there was a need for more organic
almonds. This is when we started purchasing from
other organic almond growers throughout the state of
California. Establishing a relationship with both growers
and customers, we built a strong reputation in the
organic almond industry. "
Some notable milestones include the expansion of
product offerings, improvements in sustainable farming
practices and achieving various certifications for quality
and food safety.
" Success in almond harvesting and processing at
Baugher Ranch relies on combining traditional methods
with modern technology, maintaining consistent quality
and adhering to strict organic farming standards, " said
Amy Gates, director of business development.
The company, which is responsible for about 30%
of California's organic almonds, deals in Nonpareil
almonds, Independence almonds, Carmel-type
almonds, and a variety of California almonds known for
adaptability and suitability for a wide range of processes
and applications.
NATIONALNUTGROWER.COM 19
http://www.NATIONALNUTGROWER.COM
November/December 2024

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