Farming and Ranching in Panoche Valley - The Class One Soils in Panoche Valley, support the farming and ranching done at Claravale Farm, Douglas Ranch, Heirloom Organics, MK Farms, Panoche Valley Vineyards, Rancho de la Llanada and Your Family Farm. The photos of Claravale Farm show the pistachio trees, that thrive in Panoche Valley, and the vegetable crops at Heirloom Organics, that reap the benefits of Class One Soils. Class One Soils, as defined in the Soils Survey of San Benito County, shall be the highest priority for protection. Panoche Valley has Class One Soils throughout, and a water table that is currently at 50 feet. The valley supports grassland grazing for meat, dairy & egg production, in addition to crops for vegetable production and orchards for nuts and fruit.
This is an excerpt from an article in the January, 2010 issue of The Stockman Grass Farmer:
Class One Soils Needed
Because of the tremendous expansion of government-subsidized grain production, most graziers have been pushed onto Class 2 and 3 soils. While suitable for cow-calf and stockers, these soils are not suited for long-season grass-finishing. All over the world, grass finishing of both beeves and sheep and the production of milk occurs on Class 1 soils because it is the highest and best use for these soils.
While we are talking about opportunity, if you want to produce grass-finished beef year around consider moving close to the 38th parallel. The 38th parallel runs from northern Virginia to San Francisco, California, through Kentucky, Missouri and Kansas. Almost all of the year-around grass finishing in the world occurs within 100 miles north and south of this degree of longitude. It is far enough North to grow cool-season perennials but far enough South to avoid long periods of deep snow.
Excerpt from Tracie Cone's article: 'On the Douglas Ranch, about 75 miles south of San Jose, they start their day with the pigs, move to milking Bonnie the cow and feeding horses and lambs, then take on whatever owners Don and Rani Douglas need done. It ends at sunset with the cow's second milking and another round of feeding.
The Douglases have hosted woofers since 2005. They've made connections with people from Italy, France, Belgium, South Korea, Scotland and England, and across the United States. Forty in all.'
Click on image below for the rest of the story:
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