Save the Graber Olive House Before It’s Gone Forever

Help Save the Graber Olive House – A 131-Year-Old Family Legacy

I’m Kelsey Graber, married to fourth generation, Robert Graber, into a 131-year-old family business named the Graber Olive House in Ontario, California. Our 131-year-old family business, the Graber Olive House, is in danger of being lost forever. As many of you know, the property is currently closed and now in the foreclosure process. Without immediate help, our community risks losing a piece of living history. For more than four generations, our family has poured our hearts and lives into this landmark, welcoming school tours, weddings, and family visits that have created countless memories for so many.

Even though foreclosure has begun, it is not yet final. With your support, we still have a chance to preserve the property and cover urgent expenses. Every donation will go directly toward utilities, loan payments, and essential operating costs needed to try to reopen its doors and prevent this one-of-a-kind site from being lost to development. We are at risk of losing this landmark in the coming months without support.

The Graber Olive House is more than just our family business, it is a living part of California’s history. On the grounds stand towering redwoods, a 250-year-old California Live Oak, and the original “Graber’s Firethorn” plant. The property is also home to the CC Graber House, olive trees, palm trees, and unique plants like the fragrant Watsonia marginata, which has been part of the site’s story for generations.

As long as we are able, we are committed to doing everything possible to continue preserving it for future generations.

Please consider donating and sharing to help us navigate this extremely difficult time and to give this historic landmark a fighting chance to survive.

Challenges we experienced and continue to face:

• COVID closures: Tours, events, and retail traffic—our lifeblood—dropped dramatically, wiping out critical operating revenue for an extended period.

• A poor crop season: Low to no yields, higher processing costs meant less product to sell, and thinner margins.

• A family buyout: To continue the family business, we took on additional obligations that became difficult to service once revenue fell.

• Rising costs: Insurance, utilities, materials, state wages, and maintenance for a 131 year-old property all climbed, compounding the strain.

• Partnership setback: A preservation partnership was halted when there was an appeal to our conditional use permit, leading the city to impose restrictive conditions that made it nearly impossible to operate fully as an event venue to cover costs in deferred maintenance on our property.

• Loss of Investors: Because of the city’s restrictive conditions, investor confidence has declined, forcing us once again to fight alone in search of someone who truly believes in preservation over quick profit.

We’re doing everything we can, but time is running out. Please donate or share to help us protect this irreplaceable piece of Ontario’s history. Please follow us on Facebook at Graber Olives for updates and news.

Thank you in advance for your donation, your support means the world to our family. Please help spread the word by sharing the news to your community. Sincerely, Kelsey Graber