Ag Field Day in Richfield Focuses on Sustainable Farming
A local newspaper article from the Corning Observer / Appeal-Democrat (published September 2022) covering a Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF)-sponsored agricultural field day held August 19, 2022 at Handy Farms in Richfield, Tehama County. More than 40 attendees — primarily family farm owners and employees of larger farming companies in the North State — […]
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 […]
An Almond Farmer and Advocate: Christine Gemperle
A portrait interview from the From Farms to Incubators journalism project (written by Kristin Platts), featuring Christine Gemperle of Gemperle Orchards in Ceres and Gustine, CA. Covers Christine’s background — a Swiss immigrant father who brought almond farming to California, her biology and fisheries degrees from UC Santa Cruz and Utah State, and her return […]
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 […]
Turkovich is Agriculturalist of the Year
A feature article from the Winters Express (published February 26, 2024) profiling Tony Turkovich, named the 2024 Yolo County Farm Bureau Agriculturalist of the Year — the top agricultural honor in California. Turkovich is co-owner and general manager of Button & Turkovich LLC, a large farming operation in Winters. The article covers his 50-year partnership […]
BIOS Field Day at Unruh Farms
A blog post recap from Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) documenting a June 16, 2022 Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS) project field day held at Unruh Farms in Princeton, CA. Attended by approximately 30 participants, the event featured demonstrations of predatory mite releases using Daniel Unruh’s custom-built mite blower, predator attractant application (soy flour, […]
Regenerative Practices Have Yielded Unruh Walnut Farms Big Dividends in Chemical Savings
A grower profile article from National Nut Grower magazine (November/December 2024 issue) covering Daniel Unruh’s regenerative transition at his 193-acre walnut orchard in Colusa County. Focuses on how his mustard cover crop strategy resolved a severe nematode problem without chemicals, the evolution toward diverse 30-species cover crop mixes, no-till and crimping practices, biological pest management, […]
Unruh Walnut Farms – Colusa County, California: A Soil Health Academy Case Study
An in-depth producer case study profiling Daniel and Rachelle Unruh’s 193-acre Chandler walnut orchard near Princeton, CA. Covers their transition from conventional to regenerative production starting in 2013, driven by an intractable nematode problem, and details their practices: diverse cover crop mixes (including mustard for nematode suppression), no-till, reduced synthetic nitrogen, pheromone mating disruption for […]
Diversified Drought-Tolerant Silvopasture in Oak Savanna Rangeland: PT Ranch Producer Case Study
A producer case study profiling PT Ranch in Ione, CA, documenting how ranch manager Molly Taylor implemented four silvopasture systems — a fruit orchard, pig fodder bank, olive orchard, and irrigated pasture hedgerows — to restore native oak savanna, sequester carbon, and diversify farm income through integrated tree-livestock systems.