[AT] Christmas, frost, drought and land

[Grant Brians]

Land prices are highly variable in this area. The highly sought after Class
one soils near the cities and/or in the Slainas Valley with irrigation water
go for 15K up to 60K per acre. The lower class irrigated lands typically are
in the 5K to 15K range. Rangelands are naturally much less, but given the
tiny returns they generate, are a loss maker and most buyer buy for the
prestige of owning "a ranch!".
     Wells usually cost around 100K at this point to drill and set up. I can
only produce on irrigated land obviously....
           Grant

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com]On Behalf Of
Roebersauctions at aol.com
Sent: Friday, December 20, 2013 9:18 AM
To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
Subject: Re: [AT] Christmas, frost, drought and land


What is the value of land where you have your farming operation!
Ernie from MN.


In a message dated 12/20/2013 10:27:30 A.M. Central Standard Time,
sales at heirloom-organic.com writes:

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.

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