Farm & Ranch
Ag Elsewhere – California
Photo and Description By Lainey Smith
The long awaited holiday season is here!
December gets me daydreaming. Christmas music plays on repeat (chestnuts roasting, anyone?), apple cider becomes a necessary staple and I start frequenting the grocery store wine isle to stock up on my favorite cabernet. The holiday season plays a part in my warmest memories and favorite traditions.
As I start a life away from the place I grew up, the holidays become ever more important. I can’t wait to visit the hometown I couldn’t wait to move away from. My family will gather around a crackling fire to laugh, tell stories and try a glass of each other’s favorite wine. I will reminisce with old friends and attend Christmas parties, where a wide selection of red and whites will surely be in supply, and I will reminisce on another year lived, glass in hand.
I do not fancy myself a sommelier, but I enjoy tasting different wines from different labels. Chances are, the full-bodied glass of Pinot Noir that tastes like a Bordeaux special is actually a gem from my home state. With three out of every five bottles poured in the United States reigning from the Golden State, the holiday season brings the California wine industry into the spotlight.
The merlot you sip on at the office party or the sparkling white that starts your mimosa on Christmas morning may sport a “CA” on their labels. California accounts for 90 percent of wine grape production in the United States. California is the fourth leading wine producer in the world, after France, Italy and Spain. Compared to Hill Country, California produces 783 million gallons of wine per year, while Texas produces a little over one million gallons.
It’s not just Napa that gets the wine tasting action. California is host to six distinct wine growing regions. The North Coast, which consists of Napa Valley and Sonoma, the most commonly known and produces almost half of the state’s wine grapes. However, the Central Coast, which consists of the wine tasting Mecca Paso Robles, is gaining popularity amongst growers. The largest and third largest wineries in the world are located in the Central Valley. Ever wonder why Credence Clearwater Revival was stuck in Lodi again? There was plenty to drink! The remaining wine grapes are grown in the Gold Rush region of the Sierra Foothills, Southern California’s Los Angeles region and the Far North region of Mt. Shasta.
To read more pick up a copy of the December 2018 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By Heather Welper
Husband and wife duo, Heather and Calvin Welper, are the Co-Owners and Operators or Two C Livestock, located in Valley View, Texas.
The pair’s operation has a show cattle focus where they raise and sell purebred heifers of all breeds and club calf Hereford steers.
When it comes to show cattle, the Welpers know a thing or two including how to prepare for the cold winter months and the Texas major show season run.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Hannah Claxton, Editor
As the sun rises each day, so do the dozens of mouths that Meghan McGovern is responsible for getting fed. Rather than the sounds of a rooster crowing, McGovern hears the bellows and bleats of a variety of exotic deer, the chortle of kangaroos, the grunts of water buffaloes, and the chirps of a lemur.
Nestled against the banks of the Red River, the Double M Ranch and Rescue, with its high game fences and deer sprinkling the landscape,s its in stark contrast to the surrounding ranches.
“Having deer is kind of like eating potato chips- you can never actually have just one,” said McGovern with a laugh.
McGovern has several herds to take care of- fallow deer, axis deer, water buffalo, goats, and bison. In smaller numbers, there’s also a few kangaroos, a lemur, a potbelly pig, a pair of zebras, a watusi, and a few horses.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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