New ladies of the orchard: 4 women with local roots buy Machado Orchards site

In the year the site turns 100, Machado Orchards officially has a new set of owners, and for Auburn native Ashley Streicher, "It's a dream come true." Streicher, a Placer High School alum, purchased the property with her partner's mother, Sue Dossa, sister Laura Carter and aunt Janet Moriel. The group, all from the surrounding area, closed escrow on the property Feb. 17. "I am a longtime fan of the orchard," Streicher said. She reminisced on social media when she was younger and she would go to her "favorite seasonal stop" and enjoy an apple under the very trees from which they grew. "It was never pretentious, and it was just known that there was a mutual respect for the grounds there; no rules or signs saying 'keep out' or 'private property,' " she said. "It felt so cool as a kid to be able to explore old grounds where apple and peach trees grew and flourished for a century." So when Streicher discovered the orchard was for sale, she knew she wanted to help write the property's next chapter. Streicher is no stranger to family-run businesses; she co-owns a Beverly Hills salon-to-the-stars with her two sisters. Streicher recently returned to the area after living in Southern California for the past 15 years. "We really built a community of people (in the salon)," Streicher said. "I want to have that feeling of community here. I love Auburn. I feel like it's missing something, like a place where a family can go and be in nature and see what that is like." She hopes she can help fill that void with the plans she has for the property. "I know that this property is very important to some people, as it is to me," she said. "I just want everyone to know we are going to do our best to make it great." Streicher, along with the other new owners, are currently cleaning out the property and its buildings, which include the bakery/shop and five additional homes on Apple Lane. She said the group will rent the additional residences on site. The group is working toward opening this summer and staying open year round, which is different than how it was previously run. "We want to stick with the pies; the pies are a definite keeper," Streicher said. "We are going to save the bakery. We want to do more than just pies." She said they want to work to provide produce from local farmers year round. "We want to modernize it a bit but still keep the feeling and vibe of being a family-owned and run orchard," Streicher said. Other plans include offering a pop-up coffee shop, a coffee cart that can operate indoors or outside, depending on the weather. The group is also working on obtaining a wine and beer license to offer a curated selection of alcohol. It won't be a bar, Streicher said. She wants to build an outdoor seating area to create an inviting space for visitors. "It's just going to be very cute," she said. "We will be able to bring a lot of nice touches. I think the community will appreciate it. It won't be this whole different thing." Streicher said the group will host events and wants to do all kinds of events year round. She said they would love to host community dinners and work with local chefs to make events like that happen. Streicher said the group is utilizing the same team to work the orchards. They are currently pruning the trees. Streicher said they hope to keep baker Norma Deharo. While the Machado family will no longer be involved in the site operations, Streicher said there will be Machado nostalgia. The group is still working on creating a new name for the orchard. "I am really excited and am really ready to build some community around the orchard and for it to be a fun place for everyone to come hang out," Streicher said. "Everyone is welcome." Story of the sale The journey to sell this historic property was not an easy one, said Realtor Brett Freer of Freer Realty Group. "It was a deal I worked on for more than two years," he said. "It was such a unique property with so many unique issues." After 11 months in escrow, the property sold for $3 million. Freer represented both the Machados and the new buyers in the transaction. He said the Machados were always looking for a particular type of buyer. "The Machado family made it very apparent and direct, we don't want it to be developed," Freer said. "We want someone who will keep it an orchard." After officially listing the property in March 2022, Freer said he received many calls from investors and developers interested in building housing developments even though the property was not zoned for that usage. The Machado family was also split on wanting to sell the property. "It's a bittersweet ending for the Machado family," Freer said. "The orchard has been in their family for 100 years. Their whole family grew up there. It was a very hard decision to take the plunge." Freer, who typically deals in residential real estate, said he learned a lot from the sale and said the Machados "hit a home run" in the downward trending market. "I am really happy the buyers are going to continue the orchard," he said. "It could use a revamp."