Magneson 800-Cow Dairy FarmTHE AWARD
The Central Valley Farmland Trust is pleased to announce the Magneson family and their eight hundred cow dairy farm was selected as the recipient of the 2007 Agricultural Stewardship Award. This award was established in 2005 as a joint effort between the California Chapter, Association of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) and Western Agricultural Services. The purpose of the award is to give recognition to an agribusiness in California that has demonstrated excellence in conserving, maintaining and improving our natural resources and environment by using innovative and progressive business practices. “I am not sure who was more excited, me or the Magnesons,” said Bill Martin, Executive Director of the Central Valley Farmland Trust.
Charles and Sally MagnesonOne aspect of their conservation efforts includes an agricultural conservation easement they placed on their property in 2006 which is held by CVFT. This easement ensures that the land will forever stay agriculturally productive. The land is currently farmed by the Charles and Sally Magneson and Scott and Pamela Magneson families. Located near the small town of Ballico, this picturesque farm has been in the Magneson family for over 100 years.
THE FIRST 100 YEARS
The journey to Merced County began in 1850 when Charles and Christina Magneson immigrated to the United States from Sweden. They first settled in Minnesota, but after years of battling hard winters traveled by train to California where they settled in Merced County, purchasing property along the Merced River. There they raised nine children, forage crops and dairy cattle.
Charles and Christina’s daughter Jenny married Neil Schmidt in 1901. They lived and worked on the farm, raising milk cows, beef cattle, hogs, turkeys, chickens, horses, barley, corn and alfalfa. The house they built on the north east corner of the property was painted a distinctive shade of yellow, and is a landmark on the property today.
The Schmidt’s operated the farm until about 1920, selling it to the Drew family. But during the Depression the Drew’s couldn’t make the payments, and so Walter Magneson (Jenny’s brother) bought the property in 1931.
The original yellow houseAt that time Walter and his family lived in Los Gatos, so over the next eighteen years the property was leased to a number of families. Charles, Walter’s son fondly remembers spending many hours traveling to and from the farm, and working to clear the river bottom and level the property. “During my summer vacations I would come over from Los Gatos, taking all day on the two lane roads, speeding along at forty miles an hour! Two rooms of the house on the corner could be separated off from the rest of the house by sliding doors, separating us from the renters. Those rooms were made into a bedroom and living room for our family when we visited the farm. We cooked on a hot plate, and used an outhouse in the backyard,” recalled Charles.
CHARLES & SALLY, TAKING BACK THE FARM
In 1949, Charles moved to the farm with his wife Sally and became partners with his sister Beth and brother-in-law Dick Uhrhammer. The families made a living growing sweet potatoes, onions, Irish potatoes, sun flowers, tomatoes, acorn squash, watermelon, pigs, dairy cattle and almonds. After many years they decided dairy cattle and almond orchards were the best combination. When they decided to end their partnership, the Uhrhammer’s kept the orchards and the Magneson’s kept the dairy and forage lands.
Many changes have occurred since 1980 when the Magneson’s began operating the dairy alone. For many years, Scott, Mark and John all worked on the family farm with Charles. Eventually, Charles and his oldest son, Scott, formed a partnership. Mark and John decided to pursue other career opportunities, and today Mark works for the US Department of Fish and Wildlife in Arcata, and John is the Media & Technology Coordinator for Merced County Schools, and is working on his Ph.D. at the University of the Pacific.
CARING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Scott and Pamela MagnesonThe partnership of Charles and Scott has led to many improvements including a new dairy barn, office, computer system for recordkeeping and shelters for the cows. In addition, some of the original Magneson farmland that had gone out of the family has been repurchased, along with an improved irrigation system.
Improvements in the environment have also been made. The old slough below the dairy barns has been made into a Wood Duck pond, and Wood Duck Nests have been installed in trees near the river. Working with the Department of Fish and Game and the Department of Water Resources, the Merced River has been enhanced for salmon spawning. Old gravel pit levees have been replanted with willows and cotton wood trees, an owl nest has been put in the redwood grove by the house, and at the end of the slough a hedge row of native shrubs have been planted. The family is now working to convert the farm to organic production, and they expect to be fully organic by the end of 2008.
Bill Martin states, “The Magnesons and their family farm were singled out for this prestigious award. They agreed to place an agricultural conservation easement on their property to protect its agricultural productivity into perpetuity. These things speak directly to their love of the land, its most bountiful productive capabilities, and their steadfast and undying commitment to the preservation of one of California’s most valuable nonrenewable resources, farmland in the Central San Joaquin Valley.”
Sunset on Magneson Farm
