This morning I refined our grazing plan for the ranch. Most importantly, I re-checked my calculations for our stocking rates - the number of cows per acre under certain conditions. Knowing and following stocking rates are critical to *sustainable* rangeland management. Too many cows (and I use that term to apply to any bovine on … Continue Reading ››

Today I had the great fortune to be shown some adjacent properties by our neighbor, Jim.  The views were magnificent and a bit of haze in the valley today emphasized the reason why the ridge to the west of the Capay Valley is called the Blue Ridge. Continue Reading ››

Today I was awakened by coyotes. I didn't know that's what it was right away; the noise I heard sounded more like a distressed sheep. There was still a smoky haze from the Butt Canyon fire in the next county, and sounds were muffled and seemed fairly close. As I lay in bed contemplating the … Continue Reading ››

I apologize for the length of time since my last post and the brevity of this one. We have been very busy here at Buy The Farm. Sofia, Zach, the girls and Mary all camped out on the property last week. We had a wonderful time … Continue Reading ››

Thanks to the generosity of California FarmLink, we received a consultation with olive expert Alexandra Kicenik Devarenne. Alexandra … Continue Reading ››

Recently I spent some time discussing our site development plans with a builder. We want to prioritize building the barn, which will allow us to really get started with our ranching work. A large, airy and well-planned barn will allow us to store our hay, tools … Continue Reading ››

We are nowhere near set up to make our own hay yet - we are not growing much in the way of mowable grass, we have no hay-making equipment, and the horses (and I) are not trained or … Continue Reading ››

Now that we have a ranch, I am itching to buy a flock of  sheep and a couple of cows to graze the open spaces and provide us with nutritious food. However, I have to make sure that what is growing on and … Continue Reading ››

What is a soon-to-be rancher (me) to do while we get the needed infrastructure in place? In addition to spending time on the land, getting to know what's growing and planning  what to do once we have water and a barn, I have been preparing Lucy so … Continue Reading ››

I see this ranch as an opportunity to try out different land management techniques that will improve or promote the well-being of our natural resources as well as produce high-quality food. Soil and water health are at the top of the list, and what … Continue Reading ››