THE AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE : IRVINE : College Is Equipped With Orange Groves

Acres of orange trees surrounding Irvine Valley College provide a pleasant place to walk and relax. Oranges growing on the trees attract birds and squirrels to the area.

A stroll through the groves, which partly border the student parking lot, is an escape from automobile fumes into a fragrant park. Sun-dried rinds under a tree show where someone has grabbed a quick snack from a limb.

The college has 40 acres of oranges. Two acres of trees are used to produce cash for student activities. During the year, student groups have allowed people to pick oranges for 25 cents a pound. Eager harvesters have picked as many as 12,000 pounds of oranges in one weekend.

The college first opened the grove to the public in 1984. Besides raising money for students, the trees have also been used for community outreach programs, like letting poor people pick fruit free.

The oranges have also been wrapped in holiday gift packages for needy people and single-parent families, a college spokesman said.

The college installed drip irrigation in the groves in 1991 to save water and increase the quality and size of fruit. Each 12- to 15-foot tree is heavy with small fruits.