Situated in Colusa County, California, Spring Valley Ranch has seen a lot of changes in recent years. The land’s inheritor, Robert Slobe, took over his great-grandfather’s 7,500 acres in 1985 and has been on a journey to improve the land ever since. He has faced many challenges, including the ever-worsening need for water and threat of invasive weeds. […]
Habitat Restoration
SKYELARK RANCH
Ten years ago, Alexis and Gillies Robertson began raising sheep, chickens, and pigs on a small piece of land in the Capay Valley. They have since moved to the Northern California community of Edgewood and expanded onto a 50-acre free-range ranch. This move marked a junction in the road for the farmers. They’re growing their […]
CITRONA FARMS
Academics by training, husband and wife Daniel and Sarah Hrdy had little farming experience before moving to California from Massachusetts in 1984 to become professors at the University of California, Davis. They specifically chose to work at UC Davis with the intent of entering agriculture. Commercial farming had captivated Daniel, who had previously served as […]
MONTNA FARMS
Montna Farms specializes in high quality commercial rice production with 3,000 acres of land devoted to the cultivation of short grain Japanese varieties. The origins of Montna Farms date back to 1884 when Peri Montna, grandfather of Al Montna, moved to California from France. Peri was followed by his son, Alfred “Dutch” Montna, who in […]
MAPES RANCH
In 1923 Ed Mape began Mapes Ranch outside of Modesto, California in Stanislaus County. The ranch is a 3,500 acre diversified farming and cattle operation producing almonds, wheat, tomatoes, alfalfa, corn, grapes, oats, barley, beans, forage mix, and melons adjacent to 3,000 acres of rangeland. It was Bill and Mary Lyons that started to implement […]
LUNDBERG FAMILY FARMS
Lundberg Family Farms began in 1937 when Albert and Frances Lundberg relocated to California’s fertile Sacramento Valley. After witnessing the Dustbowl in Nebraska that was the result of poor soil management, Albert taught his sons Eldon, Wendell, Harlan and Homer a way of farming that enhances and protects the environment. The family went on to […]
WORK RANCH
George and Elaine Work and their son Ben and his wife Kelly, own and operate Work Ranch in San Miguel, in southern Monterey County. Work Ranch is a 12,000-acre ranch, divided into fifty pastures so both the cattle and grass can be managed better. George described his family as ‘solar energy converters’- “we convert solar […]
WISE ACRE FARM
Since 1997, Mary Fahey has owned and operated Wise Acre Farm in Arbuckle, California. Located in Colusa County, Mary developed a successful small farm business raising market produce, eggs, and 10-acres of almonds. Mary practices sustainable farming methods, participates heavily in the revitalization of her hometown’s agricultural economy, and also hosts educational experiences for school […]
SIERRA ORCHARDS
Craig McNamara is the owner of Sierra Orchards, a 450-acre diversified farming operation in Winters, California, that specializes in Certified Organic walnut production. Growing up in a political family during the 1960s and the Vietnam conflict, Craig remembers that his family always enjoyed gardening. He went on to earn his degree in Plant and Soil […]
LIVE EARTH FARM
Live Earth Farm is a seventy-five acre farm producing a diverse selection of organically grown orchard and row crops in Santa Cruz County. Since 1996, Live Earth owner Tom Broz has been farming his land organically with a focus on Community Supported Agriculture. Live Earth also markets their produce at an on-site farm stand, local […]
