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 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.
By: Tony Dean
There are a handful of grasses on North Texas grazing lands ranchers need to know, not because they are highly desirable, but rather because they are not of much value. I call them “decom” plants, which is am acronym for “Don’t Ever Count On Me.” Silver bluestem is a “decom” grass.
Silver bluestem is a perennial which grows in all areas of Texas. It can survive in almost all soil types, and in full sun conditions or in semi shade. It grows up to three feet tall and is easily recognized with the presence of the white fuzzy seed head. Also, one of the identifying characteristics of Silver bluestem is a bend in the stems at each node, causing the plants to take on a rounded shape as they mature.
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: Rayford Pullen
Fall is here which means winter is closing in on us and before we officially get into winter, we need to make sure our factories are either producing or will be producing in a few months.
We have been pregnancy testing our cows this fall and if they are not bred or nursing a calf, we are bidding them adios. With annual costs somewhere between $900.00 and $1,000.00 per cow, those cows not producing a live weaned calf are costing us quite a bit.
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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