Dixon's Apple Orchard
La Canada Ranch
History:
Dixon's Apples has been growing apples at the Rancho de Canada in Pena Blanca, New Mexico since Fred and Faye Dixon gathered their two children, packed their bags and headed to New Mexico in the families 1938 Plymouth. On a warm sunny day in August of 1943 the Dixon's arrived in Pena Blanca to convert a failed dude ranch into a working orchard.
When the Dixon's arrived, the 60 acres surrounded by a 10,000 acre land grant in a beautiful lava rich canyon, was nothing but sage brush with some small whips that the locals said were around since they could remember. Fred Dixon, with the the help of the locals at the nearby town of Cochiti, hauled away the countless number of basalt rocks up turned by the stone boat being pulled by a mule. As the rocks continued to be hauled away a long meandering wall began to take shape. The wall became a land mark and could be seen as you entered the farm.
The early days of the farm saw its share of good times and hard times. Many bountiful harvests have been offset by years of frosts, drought and hail. In 1971 New Mexico lost 70 percent of its apple trees because of minus 38 degree F temperatures. The Dixon's were told they would have to pull everything out and start over. Fred and Faye refused to believe what they had been told and had faith that the trees would be able to endure. That following Spring the air was filled with the sweet smell of apple blossoms.
