09/28/2026
Pumpkins, Produce & a Piece of Old Irvine Ranch
Long before Irvine became synonymous with master-planned villages, business parks and exceptionally organized landscaping, this was serious agricultural country.
The historic Irvine Ranch grew from roughly 110,000 acres stretching from the mountains to the Pacific. By 1918, about 60,000 acres were planted in lima beans, and the Ranch became one of California’s great agricultural enterprises.
A century later, three surviving farm traditions, all along University/Jeffrey, give us a surprisingly tangible connection to that history:
TANAKA FARMS — IRVINE
The Tanaka story began with Takeo Tanaka, who immigrated from Hiroshima Prefecture in the early 1900s. After WWII, George and Chris Tanaka returned to Orange County and farmed vegetables, tomatoes and strawberries. The family eventually operated as many as 300 acres, before Orange County development dramatically changed the business. In 1998, the operation moved to its present Irvine location and increasingly embraced agritourism and farm-to-table dining experiences. Today, fourth-generation Farmer Kenny Tanaka continues the family tradition — with a fifth generation growing up around the farm.
Tanaka Farms 2026 Pumpkin Patch & Tickets
2026 Irvine Pumpkin Patch: September 12–November 1
Wagon rides • U-Pick vegetables • Barnyard • pumpkins • weekend games • Pumpkin Cannon. Reservations required.
https://tanakafarms.ticketspice.com/tanaka-farms-pumpkin-patch-2026
THE ORIGINAL MANASSERO FARMS — IRVINE (photo posted)
The Italian immigrant Manassero family’s Orange County farming story dates to 1922, when James Manassero began farming in Yorba Linda. Third-generation farmer Dan Manassero carried that legacy into modern OC agribusiness, combining conventional and certified-organic farming with direct-to-consumer sales, U-Pick experiences, events and the Irvine farm market.
You will notice power lines all above the Manassero farm land. Their unique land acquisition was to lease land that developers could not because it belongs to So Cal Edison. Manassero Farms now owns a University Town Center - Irvine restaurant and is a major supplier to Whole Foods.
2026 Manassero Pumpkin Patch: September 23–October 31 at the Irvine flagship, 33 Irvine Valley, with pumpkins, children's activities and fall photo opportunities.
https://www.manasserofarms.com/
SMITH FARMS — IRVINE
Smith Farms represents a newer chapter of that same agricultural continuum: an Orange County organic farm operating since 1988, with farm stands in Irvine and Fountain Valley. Its Irvine stand at Bryan Avenue and Jeffrey Road keeps something increasingly rare alive — locally grown produce sold within the suburban city surrounding it.
Smith Farms has seasonal fall produce and has historically offered pumpkins, but no formal 2026 Fall Festival or ticketed Pumpkin Patch schedule is currently published on its official website. Translation: just come to buy the pumpkins and order a box of fresh produce!
https://smithfarmsoc.com/
These farms matter for more than fall photos. They are living remnants of an Irvine that existed before freeways, office campuses and master-planned villages — while also demonstrating what 21st-century urban agribusiness increasingly looks like: smaller acreage, direct sales, organic production, education, U-Pick experiences, events and agritourism.
So when you visit an Irvine pumpkin patch this fall, remember: You aren't just visiting a seasonal attraction. You're standing inside one of the last working chapters of Orange County's agricultural story.
