Santa Rosa, Calif., (October 17, 2017) – Twin brothers Henry and John Himbauch bought two 415 acre parcels on Petaluma Hill Road in August of 1848. The brothers had previously owned 83 acres in Two Rock, but when the opportunity arose to purchase the pieces of the Cotati Ranch, the family knew that was where they wanted to live.
The Anderson Ranch circa 1920. Photo courtesy of the Anderson Family.
At one point, the Himebauchs owned seven ranches, using the Petaluma Hill Road location as their headquarters.
Nearly 160 years later, Henry Himbauch’s great-great-grandson, Henry James Anderson, and his family still operate approximately 300 acres of the original parcel. John sold his piece to the neighboring Brians family who still own that property and have also kept it in the family for more than 100 years.
Anderson, 83, still lives on the Petaluma Hill Road ranch with his wife Grace and their two children Christy and James Porter. James Porter was named after relatives who farmed the Porter Ranch for more than 100 years before they sold it in 1944. Christy and James Porter are the 5th generation of the family to live on the ranch.
The ranch is located directly across from Sonoma State University, and the family said they enjoy hearing live music from the Green Music Center. At one time, the land Sonoma State is built on also belonged to Anderson family.
The family’s effort to maintain the ranch can be seen by the area around them. With such a close proximity to Sonoma State, the land surrounding the University had continued to be developed into subdivisions.
Over the years, the family has raised many different commodities including chickens, winegrapes, beef and dairy cattle, sheep and hogs. At one point, the family had more than 5,000 egg producing chickens.
“They were very diversified because they had to be to have beef to eat, milk to drink and eggs to cook with,” said Anderson. “We had everything here. It was absolutely great and still is.”
Today, the family grows winegrapes and runs beef cattle. Their current herd is around 50 head of Beefmaster cattle. They have 15 acres of Chardonnay planted which they sell to Sonoma-Cutrer.
Anderson said “it’s all about the great people you’re related to.” The family is connected to all their neighbors and related to many of them. In addition to the Porters, Anderson is related many of the other long term farming families in the county and friends with a considerable amount more.
For Anderson, farming has always been his second job. He spent most of his career transporting livestock, and considers himself one of the pioneering people to transport livestock by aircraft. But his two careers were not his only involvement in agriculture. In addition to running the ranch and moving livestock, Anderson received his FFA American Degree, showed sheep and judged fairs throughout the country.
His daughter Christy is attending Sonoma State where she is pursuing a degree in Economics as well as her MBA. Both Christy and her brother are committed to keeping the family business running and the ranch in the family for the next generation.
“Everything I have studied and everything I do is to handle the day to day operations and keep the ranch running,” said Christy.
Courtesy of Rachel LaFranchi and Sonoma County Farm Bureau
Tulare, Calif., (October 19, 2017) – Tulare County Farm Bureau is spearheading a campaign to replace FFA jackets for students impacted by Northern California fires. Our Blue Jacket Bonanza program this year will include a special fundraising effort to buy jackets for youth who lost theirs to these devastating fires. Please consider donating to this special relief effort. Donations can be sent to Tulare County Farm Bureau Education and Scholarship Fund at PO Box 748, Visalia, CA 93279. Cash or check. Or call us at 559-732-8301 to pay with credit card. Donations are tax deductible to the TCFB Education and Scholarship fund, a 501c3c charity. If you need an invoice just call us!
Modesto, Calif., (October 17, 2017) – As you have no doubt heard, our neighbors in Sonoma County have been devastated by several fires that ignited in the wee hours of Monday. Yesterday was spent evacuating, praying and ensuring safety.
Today, as we assess the damage I am relieved to report that our members are all safe. Some have sustained losses, many are tired and brow-beaten, but so far, safe and ok.
I’m sure many of you, like myself, have felt helpless; In an effort to do something to help we’d like to organize a supply drive. Next Friday, October 20th we will have trucks available to haul donations back to Sonoma County (I’ve been in touch with a board member from the area, and he’ll tentatively be at the meeting, in addition to myself and fellow WUD staffers) I’ll be in contact with several shelters, but below is a preliminary list of needed items:
Bottled water
Bottled sports drinks
Non-perishable food, especially items that are snackable/don’t need to be cooked (granola bars, nuts, dried fruit, cereal, etc)
Pet food (canned and dry) + other pet supplies: bedding, leashes, crates, etc
Gift cards (target, Walmart, etc)
A few things:
Please drop off donations at the following locations:
Tulare, Dirt Lot next to Heritage Complex – Wednesday October 18th – 10am -11am
Modesto, WUD OFFICE 1315 K St – Friday October 20th – 9am-3pm
We would appreciate you restricting your drop-off to Friday only between 10am-2pm. If this does not work please send us a message and we’ll work on other arrangements.
*Please, at this time, limit gently used clothing donations. We will be notifying you when those are helpful, but currently they can overwhelm shelters. At a point in the near future we will share ways you can get clothing to the shelters.
Thank you for your generosity. Please continue to keep these folks in your thoughts and prayers.
Tracy, Calif., (October 16, 2017) – While one truck arrived at the Treasure Coast Food Bank in Fort Pierce, Florida, the second of two food relief trucks departed from Irwindale, California Tuesday headed for Houston, completing a commitment from the California dairy community to support families in need who were affected by recent hurricanes in Texas and Florida.
The donation of 42,000 pounds of cheese delivered today to the Houston Food Bank is part of a commitment of more than 70,000 pounds of protein-rich dairy foods like cheese, yogurt, crema and protein drinks coordinated by the state’s dairy farm families through the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) in cooperation with dairy processors.
“We’re farmers. Nourishing people is what we do. We couldn’t stand by when so many people are in need,” said dairy farmer Dante Migliazzo, Chairman of the CMAB. “Wanting to join in the relief effort, we reached out to the dairy processor community, the folks who turn our milk into nutritious dairy foods, in the hopes of doing something. The response was tremendous, and within days two trucks filled with over 70,000 pounds of product were ready to go.”
The Treasure Coast Food Bank in Fort Pierce, Florida received 861 cases (18,532 packages) of cheese, 590 cases (7,080 packages) of crema, 2,736 bottles of protein drink, 5,040 servings of cup yogurt and 1,440 servings of drinkable yogurt from Cacique, FitPro, Pacific Cheese Company, Rizo Lopez and Super Store Industries. Today, the Houston Food Bank received 37,884 packages of Cacique cheese for distribution to its network of more than 600 hunger relief charities.
Shipping and logistical support was provided by CMAB partner HarbyrCo Global Products Solution.
“We’re so grateful to our processor partners for their support of the people and communities affected by Harvey and Irma and for the assistance of Feeding America and HarbyrCo in getting these products into the hands of the people who need them most,” said Migliazzo.
Davis, Calif., (October 16 2017) – Donald Norene, a third-generation walnut farmer from Rio Oso, was recently honored with an Award of Distinction from the UC Davis College of Agricultural
Donald Norene Honored with UC Davis Award of Distinction
and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES). The award is presented annually to individuals whose contributions and achievements enhance the college’s ability to provide cutting-edge research, top-notch education and innovative outreach. Norene is a CA&ES alumnus who has held many leadership posts and who has been instrumental in rallying industry support for UC Davis research.
Norene earned his bachelor of science in agricultural science and management in 1973. He joined with his father, Roy, and brother, Jerry, to farm peaches, walnuts and rice, and to raise beef cattle north of Sacramento. Twenty years later, as the cling peach industry was losing profitability, Norene made the bold and successful move to replace all the family’s peach trees with walnuts.
He is a member of the California Walnut Board, which has invested millions of dollars in walnut breeding and improvement at UC Davis. Norene is a past chairman of the California Walnut Commission and a founding member and chairman of the Walnut Bargaining Association. Norene Ranches is an early adopter of research to improve walnut production and irrigation. Donald Norene and son Davin cooperate with the university on research into variety development, rootstocks, nematode control, integrated pest management and other areas. With that said, Norene is well deserving the recognition and praise offered by UC Davis and the walnut industry.
Santa Rosa, Calif. (October 16, 2017)—Wine industry leaders have formed a support network to provide immediate assistance and long-term aid to victims of the fires ravaging Northern California and are calling on the national wine community for additional help. Organized by a group of association leaders representing the Golden State’s major winegrowing regions, support efforts include fundraising and creation of an online resource where vintners can find and offer resources, such as generators, trailers, lodging and manpower.
“Our focus right now is on getting on-the-ground support to impacted growers and vintners to help stave off further damage,” says Ann Petersen, Executive Director of Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley. “We need the entire wine community to support this region with immediate and strategic action.”
Petersen is working with other local industry leaders to organize resources and direct them to those in need.
Short-Term Help
Vintners in the affected areas have immediate on-the-ground needs, ranging from equipment to experienced manpower. Priorities include:
Water Tanks,as local water resources are scarce and needed by firefighters; those who can provide should immediately email maureen@sonomavalleyvintners.com
Generatorsto power cooling tanks and other urgently-need equipment
Tractors and trailers to assist with moving grapes, equipment and debris
Lodgingto house workers, including tents, mobile unites or locals willing to open their homes
Volunteer Labor. Experienced vineyard and cellar workers are needed; unskilled manpower is also welcome
The group has created an online form where supporters can list available resources and provide contact information. Resource and contact information will be shared only with members of Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino winegrowing and vintner associations. Click http://bit.ly/2wNVda0 to offer resources.
Long-Term Help
Established community foundations in each of the counties impacted by the Northern California wildfires have created relief funds to provide aid to local fire victims. The group of regional leaders organizing the wine industry support effort encourages those who cannot provide ground support to make a donation in any amount to the following funds:
“The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA wine community is heavyhearted today as we watch the continued impact of the wildfires on so many of our wine country brethren,” says Megan Metz, Executive Director of the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association. “It’s times like these that remind us how important the company of family and friends can be. We have banded together to help our friends as best we can to protect their businesses and livelihoods and will continue partnering on recovery efforts in the weeks and months ahead.”
Community-wide fundraising efforts are underway and messaging is being organized around the hashtag #CAWineStrong. More information will be made available in the coming hours and days.
Media Contacts:
Ann Petersen, Executive Director
Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley annp@wdcv.com (917) 558-3860
Michelle McCue, President
McCue Marketing Communications michelle@mccuemc.com (213) 204-4136
Megan Metz, Executive Director
Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association megan@scmwa.com (415) 728-8647
The 12 signatory California raisin processors/packers have come to an agreement with the Raisin Bargaining Association (RBA) on the 2017 Natural Seedless Raisin crop field price, coming out to be the second highest price growers have ever received from their raisins. Watch this interview with RBA CEO Kalem Barserian for the price announcement as well as an update on the crop size estimate. Read more in American Vineyard Magazine.
Davis, Calif., (October 13, 2017) – Three University of California students have been selected by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources as Global Food Initiative (GFI) fellows for 2017-18.
UC Berkeley graduate students Kristal Caballero, Elsbeth Sites and Sonya Zhu are the GFI fellows who will work with ANR academics and staff to address the issue of how to sustainably and nutritiously feed a world population expected to reach 8 billion by 2025.
The GFI fellows are part of a group of 50 UC graduate and undergraduate students working on food-related projects at all 10 UC campuses, UC Office of the President, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC ANR.
UC President Janet Napolitano launched the systemwide Global Food Initiative program in 2014 with the aim of putting UC, California and the world on a pathway to sustainability. Each participant receives a $4,000 award to help fund student-generated research, projects or internships that support the initiative’s efforts to address food security, health and sustainability.
Kristal Caballero of San Jose is a graduate student at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. Working with UC ANR’s Strategic Communications team, Caballero will focus on community outreach and education to educate the public about nutrition, food security, federal food programs, food waste, childhood obesity prevention and related subjects. She will use a variety of communication tools to publicize the results of Nutrition Policy Institute research on nutrition and food issues and to inform policymakers.
Elsbeth Sites
Elsbeth Sites of Benicia is a graduate student at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. Working with Nutrition Policy Institute researchers, Sites will explore how sleep affects child obesity by examining social and cultural factors that may impact Mexican-American children’s sleep and, in turn, how sleep affects their diet and physical activity.
Sonya Zhu
Sonya Zhu of Iowa City, Iowa, is a graduate student at the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy. At the Nutrition Policy Institute, Zhu will conduct a secondary analysis of the Healthy Communities Study (HCS), an observational study of more than 5,000 children ages 4 to 15 years recruited from 130 communities across the U.S. in 2013-2015. She will be examining the effect of household food insecurity on children’s dietary behavior and physical activity.
Tomales, Calif., (October 13, 2017) – Loren Poncia grew up as the fourth generation on his family’s ranch in Tomales and always knew he wanted to come back and be a full-time rancher.
Lisa and Loren Poncia (pictured with their two daughters Avery and Julianna) started the Stemple Creek Ranch brand 10 years ago. Photos by Paige Green Photography, courtesy of the Poncia family.
Poncia’s family immigrated to Northern California from Italy in 1897 has been continuously involved in various forms of agriculture since then. After graduating from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 1998, he was passionate about coming back and running the family ranch but realized there was no room for him to financially fit into the business. Poncia spent nearly twenty years in corporate sales in the biotech industry.
Twelve years ago, Poncia and his wife Lisa decided they wanted to try to establish an agricultural business of their own. They set out to raise high quality beef. They first transitioned their cattle to be “all natural.” They sent a load of cattle to a feedlot, but when 30% of the cattle got sick, they realized they wanted to do something different.
At the time, Poncia had been reading Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and it sparked his thought process. The book caused him to question the feedlot model and why they were finishing their cattle on corn and other grains. The Poncias also began to consider selling their meat directly to consumers, recognizing the benefits of being an agricultural community just a stone’s throw from the San Francisco Bay Area where the local food movement was beginning to take hold.
In 2007, while Loren continued to work at his full-time corporate job, the Poncias started Stemple Creek Ranch. The intent was to finish all of their beef and lamb on grass on the ranch instead of sending it to a feedlot and to sell the finished product locally. They slowly built their herd and sold directly to consumers, local restaurants and butcher shops. In 2009, the Poncias sold all their beef and lamb within a 100 mile radius of their home ranch.
Already committed to 100% grass-fed and grass-finished product, the Poncias became certified Organic and sold product to Whole Foods for several years. Over time, they expanded their retail sales, selling at the two largest farmers’ markets in Bay Area (the San Francisco ferry plaza on Saturdays and the Marin County Civic Center on Sundays) and to other grocery stores including Good Earth Natural Foods in Marin County, Berkeley Bowl in Alameda County, Woodlands Market in San Francisco and other mom and pop butcher shops throughout California. They also sell to a select few of the finest restaurants in the greater Bay Area.
Most recently, the Poncias began selling Stemple Creek Ranch beef to the four Oliver’s Markets locations in Sonoma County. Poncia said this is particularly exciting because it is something they’ve been working on for many years. He said the family is thrilled to have somewhere local where their meat is easily accessible to Sonoma County consumers.
Today, the Poncias run their cattle in Sonoma, Marin, and Humboldt counties on both owned and leased pasture. They rent the family ranch from Loren’s parents and several years ago Loren and Lisa also purchased the ranch “next door” from the Burbank family who had kept it in the family since the 1860’s.
The beef cattle are the primary focus of the ranch, but the family also tends to 300 ewes. Their latest venture has been pork that is raised on the home ranch in Tomales. Five years ago, the Poncias lost a large group of lambs to coyotes. They got three guardian dogs to live with the sheep, and since enlisting Zeus, Pepper, and Salty, they haven’t lost a single lamb.
While all of the pastures are certified organic, only some of the cattle are certified organic. Organic beef comprises approximately 30% of the Stemple Creek Ranch sales. Poncia said he’s seen the organic market growing quicker than the conventional market.
Stemple Creek Beef is known for their fatty grass-fed beef despite not finishing on grain. Poncia said this makes year-round production particularly challenging and they have to supplement the cattle with organic hay in the drier months.
Poncia said it’s become important to figure out how to balance dry times, describing every summer as a seasonal drought for their business. He said it’s become important to their farming practices to take care of mother nature so she can in turn take care of them.
“Ten years ago, I considered myself a grass farmer,” said Poncia, “now I consider myself a soil farmer.”
Their close proximity to the coast provides more moderate temperatures benefitting their operation by allowing their perennial grasses to stay green longer. Poncia says that their production close to the coast with the cool ocean air influences the flavor of the beef.
Stemple Creek Ranch is part of the Marin Carbon Project, having a plan to take care of their land that can help draw carbon from the atmosphere and fix it in the soil. The more carbon that is in the soil, the more water the soil retains, and the more grass that can be grown. The ranch is one of three ranches used as a demonstration site by the Marin Carbon Project to illustrate the importance farming practices can have on their environment.
Poncia stresses that cornerstones of the Stemple Creek Ranch brand are honesty, integrity and quality. Every decision that Loren and Lisa make on the ranch and in the business are made with those pillars in mind. They love having people visit the ranch and being able to share what they do and educate people about local, sustainable and regenerative agriculture.
For the family, the internet and social media has been a huge driver of their success and ability to develop a successful brand. They have “met” many of their retail and wholesale customers online and have grown these online relationships into successful business partnerships.
“I couldn’t imagine trying to build our brand over the last 10 years on a shoestring budget without social media,” said Poncia.
In addition to social media, Poncia gives a lot of credit to his wife, Lisa. Lisa came into the business without an ag background, but Poncia described her as someone open to new opportunities and ideas. He said she offers him a huge amount of support, but she’s also just a “really good business woman and partner.” The couple has two young children, Avery and Julianna.
The family is always looking to expand their business, but they are limited by their access to pasture. Poncia said in a perfect world they would love to expand their brand by partnering with other farmers who share their values.
“We’re very thankful for the support of the community and customers who will pay for a quality product. We’re over the moon to be able to sell a high quality product locally. We didn’t know exactly where this business would bring us, but consumers vote with their dollars, and so far they are voting that they like the product.”
Visalia, Calif., (October 13, 2017) – UC Agriculture and Natural Resources will be offering a three-day, multi-topic Pistachio Production Short Course on Nov. 14-16, 2017. Held in Visalia, this course will provide participants with the latest information and research from several UC experts on pistachio orchard production, field preparation, planting, pruning, economics, diseases, integrated pest management, and harvesting. The course is designed for orchard decision makers, and covers the latest scientific research that supports current and developing pistachio production practices, including regional differences.
The short course will take place at the Visalia Convention Center at 303 E Acequia Ave in Visalia. Registration is open and offers at a three-day package that includes a light breakfast and lunch each day. Discounted early registration ends Oct. 23, 2017. Register at http://ucanr.edu/registration2017pistachio.
