7 minute read
RANGELAND TRUST TALK
OAKVALE RANCH: THE LAND THAT TIES US
by Madison Goss for the California Rangeland Trust
There is something to be said about California’s rangelands and the captivating stories of multi-generational stewardship held deep within the soil. The ranching industry is rooted in heritage. In fact, according to the California Cattlemen’s Association website, most of the ranches throughout the state have been in the same family for four or more generations. The Oakvale Ranch in Mariposa County is no exception.
Since the 1850s, the ranch has served as a home for the Probasco, Chapman, and Preston families. Each family made the trek west from the East Coast before homesteading in Mariposa. Like many during that era, the families made their livings by mining, teamster hauling, ranching and farming.
“None of these families were cash cows,” Laurie Preston Adair, one of the ranch owners, explained. “All the land was acquired through years of hard work and the Homestead Act.”
As the years went on, the three families were joined together through marriage. And while the family grew, so did the ranch. They slowly pieced together separate parcels until the mid-1900s. Today, the ranch’s rolling grasslands span more than 4,000 acres.
For nearly 175 years, the entire family has worked hard to keep the ranch together, surviving through the Great Depression, market crashes and the loss of family members. While the ranching industry is not for the faint of heart, the unification and family bonds fostered by the land have made all of the hardships worth it for this family.
Over the years, multiple family members have left the area – some going just down the road to Clovis, while others moved out of state to pursue higher education, advance careers, and start their own families. Despite the distance, the ranch has remained a place for all to return to, which has kept the family connected, not only to the land but to one another. Nadine Preston Wight, a relative living on the ranch today, said, “Nothing ties you like the land, and that was a connection that we did not want to lose.” In 2012, the owners of the Oakvale Ranch came
The families made their livings by mining, teamster hauling, ranching and farming. During the cleanup day, the family members swapped memories of their time out on the land and talked about how the lessons they learned on the ranch have helped mold them into the people they are today.
together to conserve the property with the California Rangeland Trust. The decision was one that took the family a long time to make, but ultimately, they decided it was the best way to ensure the ranch remained intact for future generations.
While previous generations ran cattle on the landscape, today’s generation leases the grazing land, but not to just anyone, to another family member. Tamara (Preston) Cantrelle, a member of the seventh generation, runs cattle on the ranch with her husband and their daughter. Together, the Catrelles own and operate Cantrelle Livestock, selling cattle, stockdogs and horses.
Tamara said, “This land is valuable, and it makes really great feed for my cattle, but I am just glad that I get to continue on the land that my family started all those years ago.”
Prior to pandemic, the entire extended family would join together for an annual family picnic. They used that time to share stories and memories, enjoy the property, and catch-up with one another. After a two-year hiatus, the family returned to the land and reunited this spring, involving the younger generations in a ranch “cleanup day.”
“I think it is really important for these younger generations to get out on this land,” Laurie said. “We keep losing our older generations, so we need them to carry on, on the land.”
Jason Adair, Laurie’s son, remembers visiting the ranch as a child. Engraved in his mind are fond memories of exploration and adventure. Though he doesn’t make it out as often as he once did, Jason encourages his children to visit the ranch with Laurie so they can create their own special childhood memories, just as he did.
“Only a small fraction of the world is lucky enough to stand on and interact with land like this,” Jason explained. “My kids may not understand the importance of these experiences yet, but they will.”
The same sentiment rings true throughout the family. During the cleanup day, the family swapped memories of their time out on the land and talked about how the lessons they learned on the ranch have helped mold them into the people they are today.
“I may live in the city, but this place gives me a sense of immense freedom, and to know that this land that I love is preserved, is amazing,” expressed Ken Smith, a member seventh generation of the family.
Each generation has had their own experiences on the Oakvale Ranch, but there is one thing that has remained consistent: each generation holds a deep appreciation for the land and a desire to stay connected to it.
“You may think you own the land, but really the land owns you,” Nadine said. “It is our job now to ensure this legacy on the land doesn’t end with us.” By partnering with the Rangeland Trust to conserve this stunning property, the family is ensuring their roots will remain firmly planted forever.
USDA Provides Payments of nearly $800 Million in Assistance to Help Keep Farmers Farming
On Oct. 18, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that distressed borrowers with qualifying USDA loans have already received nearly $800 million in assistance, as part of the $3.1 billion in assistance for distressed farm loan borrowers provided through Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA directed USDA to expedite assistance to distressed borrowers of direct or guaranteed loans administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) whose operations face financial risk.
The announcement kicks off a process to provide assistance to distressed farm loan borrowers using several complementary approaches, with the goal of keeping them farming, removing obstacles that prevent many borrowers from returning to farming and improving the way that USDA approaches borrowing and servicing. Through this assistance, USDA is focused on generating long-term stability and success for distressed borrowers.
“Through no fault of their own, our nation’s farmers and ranchers have faced incredibly tough circumstances over the last few years,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The funding included in today’s announcement helps keep our farmers farming and provides a fresh start for producers in challenging positions.”
Work has already started to bring some relief to distressed farmers. As of today, over 13,000 borrowers have already benefited from the resources provided under the Inflation Reduction Act as follows: • Approximately 11,000 delinquent direct and guaranteed borrowers had their accounts brought current. USDA also paid the next scheduled annual installment for these direct loan borrowers giving them peace of mind in the near term. • Approximately 2,100 borrowers who had their farms foreclosed on and still had remaining debt have had this debt resolved in order to cease debt collections and garnishment relieving that burden that has made getting a fresh start more difficult.
In addition to the automatic assistance already provided, USDA has outlined steps to administer up to an additional $500 million in payments to benefit the following distressed borrowers: • USDA will administer $66 million in separate automatic payments, using COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, to support up to 7,000 direct loan borrowers who used
FSA’s disaster-set-aside option during the pandemic to move their scheduled payments to the end of their loans. • USDA is also initiating two case-by-case processes to provide additional assistance to farm loan borrowers.
Under the first new process, FSA will review and assist with delinquencies from 1,600 complex cases, including cases in which borrowers are facing bankruptcy or foreclosure. The second new process will add a new option using existing direct loan servicing criteria to intervene more quickly and help an estimated 14,000 financially distressed borrowers who request assistance to avoid even becoming delinquent.
More details on each of the categories of assistance, including a downloadable fact sheet, are available on the Inflation Reduction Act webpage on farmers.gov.
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