AG DAY

As you rip open the bag of salted almonds for a snack, or wash the leafy greens for your salad, or pour a cold cup of milk; do you think of the work that goes into making these commodities available to you?

The 2022 Leadership Modesto class had the pleasure of touring four agricultural companies and farms/ranches in Stanislaus County which gave us a new perspective and reminded us of how fruitful our central valley is.

Our day started at the Modesto Blue Diamond plant where we were welcomed by Kimberly Tessier and Leticia Solis. This site sits on 42 acres, and has 350 employees that intake, process, maintain, market, and ship the almonds and value-added product all over the world. Blue Diamond prides itself on the delivery of a quality product and have perfected the craft and care that is implemented in every step of processing. In addition, they highlight their partnership with more than 3,000 growers, all of them are in California and span from Bakersfield to Chico.

Let’s talk numbers. The Modesto plant processes approximately 70% of the almonds and then ships to Sacramento for seasoning and packaging or back to the customer. In Modesto alone, they process approximately 1.2 million pounds of almonds per day! There are seven main varieties of almonds that are stored and received at the Modesto plant.

The co-op ensures that they use every part of the almonds. For example, the dust is collected and sold to be used as animal feed. They also make oil stock from the almonds that are compromised. The plant does contract to have the almond shells removed and the byproduct is returned to Blue Diamond to process and remove the meats – the byproduct can contain up to 30% of meats.

Talking about delivering a quality product, after the almonds are processed and sanitized, a manual sorting process takes place. Employees sort through the almonds and remove any damaged almonds. Quality control is a serious component, and they track everything from moisture levels (which should be at less than 7%) to any insect damage to foreign materials (sticks, rocks, etc.) that may have slipped through – if necessary, the almonds can be reprocessed if they do not meet the quality control levels set by Blue Diamond. We also saw the almond flour processing site. This started in Modesto five years ago as the need to continue to provide value added products continues to rise. In case you are wondering, the Turlock site processes the almond milk, and the Sacramento site processes butter. The Modesto site also houses a gift shop, but you can always order online.

Our next stop was the Ratto Bros, Inc. Ranch where we were welcomed by Anthony Ratto, who is involved in the operations side of the business. The business started in 1905 when Antone Ratto started a vegetable business near Oakland. As the bay area developed, there was a need to move the operation, which eventually settled into 160 acres in the Modesto area in 1962. They focus on planting, growing, harvesting, cooling, and selling their own produce to other shippers or vendors. They currently farm on approximately 1,200 acres that are harvested 2.5 times per year and employ 200 to 300 individuals.

Ratto Brothers grows and sells more than 30 different commodities including leafy greens, vegetables, and other specialty products, such as cilantro, cabbage, basil, beets, celery roots, parsley, bok choy, and leeks – just to name a few. In 2004, they opened a new 70,000 square foot packing and cooling house located a few feet away from their fields to cool the produce once harvested and prolong the shelf life. Once the produce is cooled and cleaned, it’s moved to a refrigerated loading area and delivered to market within hours of being harvested.

The company grows a range of organic herbs and vegetables, but still has room to grow in this area to meet the demand of its customers. Aside from organic produce, Ratto Bros have committed to using green practices, such as using electric forklifts and installing a 3-acre solar farm! They use drip irrigation systems that are made up of a single use drip tape and recycled after use. They also use reusable plastic containers for harvest, cooling, or pressure washing.

Our third stop was to Val Martins Dairy where we learned from owner and second-generation farmer, Danny Martins. Danny and his father run the dairy 24/7 with the support of 25 employees and newly installed robotic systems that allow for flexibility and well-being for their herd.

Martins Dairy produces 80% of their dairy feed, which is made into total digestible nutrients ration for optimal milk production. There are currently 800 “girls” (as Danny refers to them) that are managed by the robot system. Each cow is tagged with an RFI collar that helps the robot determine if it’s time for the cow’s next milking. If it’s time for her, the door will open for her to enter the milking station and positions herself for the machine. The robot will wash each teat, and then connect the milking machine to the udder for milking. As she waits, she enjoys a treat. While the girls wait for their turn, they can lay down under the shade or stand up and socialize, while the fans circulate cool air in their direction.

The majority of Martins Dairy herd is milked through their carousel milking parlor which puts the cows in a “merry-go-round” or rotation method for milking. It truly is fascinating to see how technology is advancing farming and how it continues evolving for increased efficiency. For example, an average, a cow using the robot rotation system can produce about 104 pounds of milk per day. But if they use the rotating system, they can produce up to 91 pounds per day.

Our last stop of the day was a tour of Mapes Ranch. Our tour guide was none other than Bill Lyons. Bill was born and raised on the family ranch, as was his father Bill Lyons, Sr. His great uncle, E.T. Mape, started the ranch and raised his father. Initially, they were an all cattle ranch that morphed into row crops and then into permanent crops. They grow almonds, tomatoes, alfalfa, oats, and they still have about 1500 Angus breed cattle and 50 pure bred bulls. They grow Independence Almonds on approximately 1,600. This almond variety does not need bee pollination and has been increasing in popularity throughout California due to a national bee shortage.

It is important to highlight the relationship between Mapes Ranch and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that has led to the protection and increase of the Aleutian Goose which was considered an endangered species. Through conservation easements, almost 80 acres of ranch land was turned into interconnected ponds, which provided wildlife habitat for the goose. They also manage land owned by USFWS for habitat protection.

After the tour, we were welcomed into the Mapes Ranch 100-year-old barn where our day concluded with appetizers and beverages. That’s right, the ranch will be celebrating 100 years next year. 100 years of family traditions and a legacy that will continue through many more generations. In fact, all three of the farms and ranches we visited reflected on the next generation coming to support and take over the operations.

The next time you snack on some almonds, eat a green salad, or pour yourself a glass of cold milk, don’t take it for granted. Technology is making huge advances in the agriculture industry, but it still takes a lot of work, patience, and love for the industry to deliver quality products needed to feed the world.