Mary Hillebrecht - 100 Years of Farming

Mary Hillebrecht represents the vibrant history of Escondido! Her family has been a part of our city for over 100 years. She and her siblings still farm here, and are the owners of the iconic Farm Stand West.

As a whole, the agricultural picture in San Diego County has changed remarkably from 1924 when George Hillebrecht came here to plant virgin land to an orchard. The crops then were citrus, flowers, vegetables, grapes, and grain and feed crops for the livestock. There were many poultry ranches, dairies, and cattle ranches in those days. Today, the San Diego County billion dollar agricultural production has shifted to flower, and ornamental plants…. not food crops…. for over half of the total agricultural income. Behind  ...