Healthy Soils Through Whole-Orchard Recycling
Profile of David Viguie (Viguie Farming) using a $38,378 CDFA Healthy Soils Program grant to remove a 28-year-old French prune orchard via whole-orchard recycling (chipping trees back into the soil) and replanting almonds under minimum tillage, cutting GHG emissions and boosting soil carbon.
Gemperle Orchards: Sometimes Finding an IPM Balance Takes Time
A National Nut Grower magazine grower profile (May/June 2022 issue) documenting Christine and Erich Gemperle’s decade-long evolution toward integrated pest management (IPM) at their 135-acre almond operation in Ceres, CA. Details how an accidental observation of beneficial insects during cover crop mowing led Christine to forgo a routine preventative abamectin mite spray — resulting in […]
Meet the Farms: Gemperle Farms
An Almond Living Magazine feature article (published July 13, 2022) profiling Christine Gemperle and her inclusion in the BBC Earth documentary series “The Green Planet” (Episode 5: “Human Worlds,” aired August 2022). Describes how a BBC crew spent three weeks filming at Gemperle Orchards in 2020 during a spectacular bloom season, drawn by the visual […]
Grower Perspectives on Whole Orchard Recycling: Christine Gemperle
A UC Davis Whole Orchard Recycling (WOR) program grower profile (published March 20, 2019) documenting Christine Gemperle’s first experience with whole-orchard recycling on a 20-acre block of her 135-acre almond operation in Ceres, Stanislaus County. Covers her motivation (no viable alternatives for orchard removal after firewood and cogen markets dried up), the logistics of pulling […]
Whole Orchard Recycling and Mastication
Gemperle Family Farms
Welcome to Gemperle Family Farms, a third generation farm family. Ever since we established our farm in the early 1950’s our family strives to provide the freshest local eggs to our customers and community. Our family values encompass strong stewardship … caring for our environment, our hens, our customers and our community. We are innovative […]
Gemperle Orchards
Christine and her brother Erich have been growing almonds since 1999, the year they purchased their farm in Ceres, California. Now, the sibling duo farms 40 acres in Ceres and 92 acres in Gustine. Throughout the last two decades of their farming careers, they have sought to learn more about better farming practices; not just […]
ESRCD SOILS (Stewardship of Irrigated Lands) Center
SOILS (Stewardship of Irrigated Lands) Center; ESRCD’s SOILS Center in Ceres, CA aims to provide education, resources, and technical assistance to our community. This includes but is not limited to farming demonstrations, native plant garden workshops, cooking demonstrations, farm-to-school programs, food & wine tastings, etc.