A FAMILY FARM
Old Dog Ranch is a fifth-generation family farm on the Calaveras River in San Joaquin County, California. The Sitkin family has lived and farmed at the ranch since 1918. The ranch got its beloved name after the two family’s long-lived canine companions, that were always part of the family.
Growing up on the ranch, with many dogs throughout the years, Mollie Sitkin loved exploring the diverse wildlife right outside her door. When she wasn’t outside, you could find her experimenting with ingredients picked from the fields, orchards and wild habitat just outside. The family’s ranch that her great-great-great grandfather started a century ago is now the most progressive farm in the area with Roger and Mollie is at the helm. The Old Dog Ranch line of walnut snacks and walnut butters with organic Chandler walnuts are from an orchard her father, Roger, planted the year she was born.
ORGANIC ROOTS
Old Dog Ranch was certified organic by COOF in 2015. In 2021 Old Dog Ranch became the first Regenerative Organic Certified® walnut farm. The Sitkin family have been prioritizing regenerative farming practices long before there was a certification for it.
“Organic and regenerative practices make for a better crop and an easier crop!” According to Roger Sitkin, Mollie’s dad who still lives on the farm.
Walnuts thrive in the deep, rich topsoil of the San Joaquin Valley. At Old Dog Ranch we grow Chandler walnuts for their excellent flavor, golden color, and easy-to-crack shells. Going organic is just one of the many ways we farm sustainably and responsibly. For more about our commitment to the land we farm and the environment, read more about our regenerative organic practices.
LOCAL AND HANDMADE
From harvest to your doorstep, Old Dog Ranch Regenerative Organic Certified® Walnut products are made by hand. We grind, stir, season and toast our walnuts in small batches at our CCOF certified organic commercial kitchen in Pacifica, California. At mid-day, we pause to prepare a shared lunch from ranch-grown produce and farmer’s market finds, taking the meaning of handmade beyond our day to day work.
Creative new flavors are developed seasonally, making the most of the region’s abundant foodshed — and making for some happy taste-testers back at the ranch, where three generations of Sitkin's call home. Honey for walnut butters comes from the ranch’s own hives seasonally. Other local farms and family-owned businesses supply organic smoked paprika, Meyer lemons, rosemary, and cocoa to complete the line of Old Dog Ranch seasoned organic walnuts.