09/29/2026
Statesman
Third-generation farmer Lee Walker continues a legacy started by his family more than a century ago.
Talk about longevity: The apple orchard at the heart of Walker Apples was planted in 1910, back when William Howard Taft was president. Owner Lee Walker’s grandpa, Arthur Upp, planted 20 acres in all. The place has remained in the Walker family ever since.
Today, with the fifth-generation of Walkers farming the land, the farm is still one of the best and most colorful places across Sonoma County to buy local apples. It is a slice of history—and visiting is like going back in time.
Depending on when you go, you might get to witness the Walkers’ small packing house. When the family installed the line back in the 1960s, theirs was one of more than 30 packing plants in the county. Now there are only a few left. On your visit, you also will see workers in the orchards, pulling plump and ruby apples from the trees. You might even see 84-year-old Walker up on a ladder himself.
"I’m 84, and they can’t keep me away," Walker says of his family members. "A good worker can pick between eight and 10 boxes in an hour. I can probably still do three."
And, oh, the apples. The Walkers grow and sell 26 different varieties in all, including Gravenstein apples that grow on some of the 60 or so remaining original trees. Other varieties include common iterations such as Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Jonathan, and Pink Lady; as well as lesser-known apples such as Baldwin, Winter Banana (yes, that’s an apple), and Red Gold.
Walker says water (or lack of it) makes Sonoma County apples different from those grown elsewhere in California.
"Our apples [in the county] are essentially dry farmed," he says. "Because they’re not irrigated, they don’t get swollen up and bland. They have more flavor."
So how can you identify a good apple? According to Walker, the very best apples are those with an exterior that’s shiny, not dull. And if you knock two together, the fresh apples will click. Also, Walker says apple shoppers shouldn’t be deterred by blemishes or black marks on the outside, as these imperfections are only "skin deep."
With apples, as with people, it’s what’s inside that counts most.
Walker Apples, 10955 Upp Rd., Sebastopol, (707) 823-4310, facebook.com/walkerapples.
This is a little more family history of Walker Apple Ranch. Love this picture of my father in-law the late Lee Walker
