January 24th 2018We had our first Alpaca Cria of the year. She is a beautiful fawn color with excellent confirmation. Her mom Cappuccino is doing just fine and has proven to be a great mother.
Taking nominations for names!
Early Spring 2018:
Spring may come early to Durham this year and we have experienced extreme drought conditions here.
There has only been 2.55 inches (52 mm) of rain since last September! In December, we finally had a little more rain. But only enough to moisten the ground and not really soak the soil down to the tree roots.
This seems to be the trend that continues for the last few years. We really need more rain!
We are striving to be good examples of Sustainable Farming, and with the drought in mind we are carefully weighing our options for our seasonal plantings and design of the fruit tree orchard towards careful conservation of our water resources at the ranch. We ripped troughs into these areas to assist in collecting the rainfall into our surface aquifer. This winter we spread many yards of compost, straw, and shavings into our gardens and pastures.
Last month we completed burn offs of several pasture areas and burn piles, spread compost on our irrigated pastures, and have been trimming trees and prepping the vegetable and herb gardens for planting. We are increasing plantings to feed our bee hives by planting stands of Clovers, Flax, and herbs.
We decided not to till and replant our hay field this last fall, but to dry crop oat, clover and rye grasses to use them for pasturing our animals instead of making hay as we don't wish to irrigate or compact these areas. Using this method we have greatly improved the quality of our pastures.
In just a few more weeks the Almond, Apricot and Pear trees will be flowering, filling the air with a wonderful perfume each evening. Temperatures are a little cool but its a lovely time of year to visit!
Wildlife abounds at the Ranch! We have several resident foxes that make daily appearances.
The Sand Hill Cranes and millions of Geese are preparing for their northbound migration and the birding right now is fantastic here on the Ranch and in the adjacent Llano Seco Wildlife Refuge.
We offer a quality Ranch visit experience and invite you to visit us and let us introduce you to the magic and beauty found in of our Arabian Horses.
We would also be happy to take you on a tour of the remarkable beauty and fantastic outdoor recreation opportunities that are available in our area. Several wildlife refuges, Lassen Volcanic National Park and Lassen Forest are close by .We would be happy to share our favorite places to hike, camp, and explore with you.
Chico is a short drive away, and is a thriving small city with many fine dining and entertainment venues. The music here is diverse and of exceptional quality.
We have lots of space and several campsites set up.
With advance notice travelers with horses can be accommodated allowing you to take a break from travels and rest.
Please contact us to set up an visit to our Ranch soon! We would be delighted to have you visit us.
