10
CapitalPress.com
Friday, June 3, 2022
Fernandes Farms: Continues to
SPRING MACHINERY SALE thrive despite water challenges
By JULIA HOLLISTER
For the Capital Press
(2) Atlas Copco 185 CFM Air Compressor, (2) 2014 MacDon PW7 Swather
JD 4 cylinder diesel, serviced and job Master, 14 ft. rake up, low use...$17,500
site ready, starting at........... $10,500
JD 7600 MFWD, rebuilt power quad
with warranty, new radial tires, 2
remotes..................................... $45,000 Atlas Copco Compressor 375 CFN,
JD 4.5 diesel engine, 1720 hrs ...........
................................................ $14,500
JD 8420 MFWD, quick hitch, rebuilt
engine with warranty.............. $70,000
* AG EQUIPMENT *
* SALVAGED
TRACTORS *
* CONSTRUCTION
EQUIPMENT *
* PARTS *
(Save up to 50%
buying used parts.)
TULARE, Calif. — Third
generation dairy farmer
Landon Fernandes knows all
about dairy. He grew up on
the farm, raises 3,700 heifers
and milks 5,000 Holsteins
and Jerseys twice daily on
the family’s 1,260 acres.
“My father, Joey, brother
Preston and I work together
operating our family’s dairy
operation — Fernandes
Farms,” he said. “Our cows
are housed in corrals or free-
stall barns where feed is
brought to them daily. We
use our land to grow forage
crops that are harvested and
fed to our cattle.”
The family operates four
separate dairy facilities: No.
1 Fernjo Farms, No. 2 Fernjo
Farms, Diamond L Milk Co.
and the newest, Fernridge
Farms.
Two of the facilities have
parallel milking parlors, one
has a herringbone milking
parlor and one has a para-
bone milking parlor.
Fernandes is on the
Tulare County Farm Bureau
Board of Directors and is
soon to be a member of its
executive committee as sec-
ond vice president.
“He is a professional
Fernandes Farms
Two generations of the Fernandes family operate Fer-
nandes Farms near Tulare, Calif. From left are Preston,
Landon and Joey, their father.
young dairyman who always
gives the extra eff ort to be
an ambassador for dairy,
and share insights with
media and host tours,” said
Tricia Stever Blattler, the
county Farm Bureau’s exec-
utive director. “He’s a strong
example of the next gener-
ation of dairy producers in
California that want to be
progressive in their business
and stewardship goals.”
Although the farm’s
day-to-day operation runs
smoothly, the biggest chal-
lenge is the drought that
aff ects the entire dairy indus-
try. There are about 1,200
dairy farms in California,
and 99% are family-owned.
“The drought is a big
issue and one that has caused
W ATER M ASTER S ERIES
a lot of hardship for a lot of
good people in this industry,”
Fernandes said. “The cur-
rent threat of water shortages
leads to more problems.”
The limited surface water
deliveries dairymen and
farmers have received over
the past three years have
forced many to rely more
heavily on groundwater
pumping to grow crops and
provide water to their cattle.
The new Sustainable
Ground Water Management
Act is now restricting how
much water dairy farmers
are allowed to pump out of
the ground on their property.
The limited water supply is
forcing many farmers in the
San Joaquin Valley to fallow
farmland.
AND
E VERGREEN
S UPERIOR S ERVICE & D ESIGN
Nyssa Tractor & Implement
Celebrating 32 years in the agricultural machinery business.
Our yard has 5 miles of road, with machinery on both sides.
FREE TOURS GIVEN DAILY. LOCATED NYSSA, OR
Call Toll Free: (833)372-4020
www.nyssatractor.com • sales@nyssatractor.com
Truck Equipment
• Full Service • Alterations • Dump bodies
• Hoists • Farmbeds • Flatbeds
10910 Portland Rd. NE • Brooks, OR
Call: 503-792-3739 • Fax: 503-792-3738
S272451-1
Case IH 2208, 8 row, 22 inch...$12,500
• All your needs for irrigation parts service
• We build custom equipment for your special needs.
• Hose replacements & fusion repairs
• Transport Tanks • Rental Returns & Used Equipment
• • Structural
Structural and
and steel
steel available
available for
for purchase.
purchase.