1865 - 1943
In 1865, Civil War Veteran and Bayliss Ranch Forefather Aaron Bayliss, along with his five brothers began farming wheat on one of the largest holdings in the area, 20,000 acres, in Northern California. Due to torrential rains and flooding in 1880, the wheat crops were washed out. At this time, rice became the alternative choice replacing wheat as a lucrative crop.The Bayliss family moves from Glenn to Butte County and transitions from wheat to rice farming. Family and farm life prevail and Aaron Bayliss and Mary Henium are married in 1871. Daniel Bayliss, one of nine children was born in 1879.
The early 1900's, finds an ambitious Daniel Bayliss leaving the farm to purchase a general store in McCloud, California. Returning later to Butte County, he meets and marries Bonnie Worth of Nelson. Their sons Daniel Jr. and Worth follow the family farming practices and innovatively introduce one of the first vertical rice dryers to North America, building others throughout the hemisphere.
In 1917, Daniel Jr. is born. At the age of 25, he enlists in the U.S. Army to fight in World War II. He returns in 1943 and along with his brother Worth, helps his father Daniel Bayliss Sr. construct a modern 300 bag bulk storage plant rice dryer for the family farm.
1971 – 2008
Daniel Jr. marries Donna Casagrande. In 1976 a precious package is delivered, their son is born. Sadly, in 1983 Daniel Jr. passes away; then Donna takes executive control of the farm. Some of her first visions from decades earlier are gradually implemented with the replacement of an exhausted walnut orchard bringing organic botanicals and distillation to life on the farm. She returns this land to the original organic farming methods the family used in 1865. Along with this the family name "Bayliss" is restored as she steps into Agribusiness.
In 1990, California enacts the Food Act of California, which paves the way for Bayliss Ranch to certify their organic crops. During the 1990’s, Donna becomes a true advocate and introduces certified organic ingredients to Health & Beauty Care (HBC) manufacturers and travels to Europe to meet with growers and distillers. In 1998, the ranch is certified organic. After the Millennium (2000), Donna again leads the way and partners with researchers to write Perfumer Flavorist Publication’s, "Aroma Quality of Lavender Water; a Comparative Study". In 2001, The California Council for International Trade presents Donna the award for innovative international business practice benefiting the citizens and economy of California.
In 2002, she makes a formal request to the Organic Trade Association (OTA) to form a Cosmetic Task Force for the development of standards for organic HBC products. Then in 2003, Donna forms a committee in California and writes language for the California Organics Products Act.
In 2005, the USDA recognizes Bayliss Ranch Allplant Essence® as 100% certified organic agricultural products. This was awarded to the ranch after fraud allegations brought on by Bronner/OCA. The Department’s review of the certification record disclosed no evidence of fraud of any sort conducted by the certifying agent and/or the certified operation that were involved with Bayliss Ranch and its products. The case was subsequently dismissed. This win helped pave the road for Donna to continue her quest and vision in the creation of other ‘all plant’ certified organic colloidal elixirs for the use in Health & Beauty Care (HBC) products.
In 2008, Bayliss Ranch’s heritage of 150 years was recognized and honored with an induction into the State of California Agricultural Heritage Club. This prestigious award honors California farms, ranches, organizations and agribusinesses that have maintained a financial responsibility in the state for at least one full century.
THE FUTURE
The history does not end here, with Donna Bayliss at the helm, we can only expect more from the "Chief Blossom Counter".