[AT] Christmas, frost, drought and land

[Grant Brians]

I have noted that nearly all of the posts lately have had something to do
with the weather (cold everywhere except in California and Arizona....)
Well, December has been hard on our farm here in coastal Central California
as after the well over normal temperatures up through Thanksgiving weekend,
then we had nearly three weeks of frosts.
     The contrast between dry warm weather (highs in 70s and 80s) and then
one day later low 20s (all Fahrenheit temperatures clearly...), was too much
for the tender greens that make up much of what we grow and sell! We have
already replanted 20-25 acres of crops just in the last ten days of crops
that would normally have been harvested through February or March.
     Interestingly, Spinach is doing very well with the most amazing sweet
flavor from the frosts (no surprise on the flavor, but surprise on the good
quantities) while the customers are a bit slow on their purchases. So, cash
flow is a problem. We are still dry, with about one half an inch of rain
since January. The dryness certainly increased the effects of the frosts on
the physiology of the plants. We are now in full irrigation mode again and
see no break in the forecasts for now.
     The Deer are also helping themselves to our greens at one of the
ranches where there had never been an issue before. They are eating the
oddest combination of herbs - Fennel, Parsley, Cliantro and Dill! Yet they
are ignoring 20 acres of other crops. Hmm....
     This also seems like the time for truck issues, with truck after truck
of my "fleet" misbehaving. Shift linkage cables, brakes, ignition parts,
starter mounts, fuel pumps and more have decided to head south for a
graveyard in warmer climes I guess.
     I ordered a Carburetor kit from Caterpillar yesterday for my 1953 13A
D8 bulldozer and they had it in their local California distribution center
and stock it all over the country, it arrived this morning.... Wow.
     Merry Christmas to all, back to paperwork, sales and welding for me
now. Of the three, the sales appeals to me the most because I need to sell
more produce, but honestly the welding is where I will be as soon as I can.
Also, I need to get the greenhouse planting underway this morning as we have
acres of transplants that need to get going ASAP.
          Grant Brians
          Hollister, California Vegetables, nuts and fruits farmer

p.s. Anyone know where I can get economical land financing for getting some
more land to keep up my crop rotations????? I know our list is not filled
with millionaires, lol.... I've been trying to get some land across the dirt
road from one of the ranches I farm on.