[AT] Northern California flooding and tractors (mine!)

[Grant Brians]

I posted this to the list at 8:27AM PST this morning but apparently it 
did not post. As an update, I was inspecting our fields midday and we 
went from 150 Acres flooded down to now about 20 Acres....

With this week's storms here, yesterday I had about 150 acres under 
water at depths of up to 5-6 feet. I did lose Winter Spinach and other 
crops in the flooding, but fortunately have plantings in our mountain 
valley location as well of most items that were lost so my customers and 
cash flow are not lost completely. Unfortunately my workers did not do 
what I told them to do in one regard and we have two tractors that are 
in a deeply flooded area and I will not know for several weeks I am sure 
how much I will have to do to "dry them out".
      Luckily, both are tall tractors with zero electronics and if the 
air cleaners did not allow water into the diesel engines they should be 
relatively easily repaired. They are one of my 1970s AC185s and my 1994 
Ford New Holland 5030.
      Apparently all of the news helicopters taking footage of the 
flooding might have been on National TV news. I'm going to find out.... 
Here is a link to part of the story and pictures of the flooding....

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/california/Crews-Rescue-22-People-From-Rising-Creek-Near-Hollister-410392745.html 


This story does not cover other areas that I have that are flooded. I 
was watching whitecaps yesterday on three fields here on our primary 
ranch in the 50 plus acres flooded here. The creek had overflowed and 
was flowing across our neighbor's ranch and through our place and toward 
San Felipe Lake downstream.
      I think we may have significantly recharged the aquifer locally 
this winter.... We are not planting vegetables in the fields this week 
either....
             Grant Brians - Hollister,California wet farmer of 
vegetables, edible flowers, nuts and fruits