Celebrating West Side Agriculture 2020

2 | HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020
Attention to detail,
innovation in
Groefsema orchards
GUSTINE - A family
farming operation with
solid roots in the Gustine
area continues to thrive
today under the direction
of a third-generation member.
Clay Groefsema, who
grew up in the Lemoore
area, today manages
Groefsema Enterprises
orchards in the Gustine
and Waterford areas. He
also provides custom farm
management for clients
in the Stockton area and
operates a custom spray
business.
The company’s home
ranch on Orchard Road
has been in the family
since the late 1990s, when
his father Clay and grandfather
Ken purchased the
ground.
“This is the largest of all
our ranches. We keep all
of the equipment here and
move it around,” Groefsema
explained.
Water was a driving factor
in the family’s transition
northward.
As a child, Groefsema
said, his family grew
mainly row crops such as
cotton, corn, garlic and
tomatoes, among others.
Some walnuts and pistachios
were grown as well.
Supporting Agriculture
RECEIVE and UP TO Farm Families
$6,500
Across the Groefsema
In Energy Upgrade Rebates
almond orchards.
209-826-4807 www.youngsair.com 209-826-4807 209-826-4807 www.youngsair.com www.youngsair.com
But an uncertain water
supply prompted the family
to look elsewhere.
“It was some of the best
ground in the state, but
you weren’t sure if you
had water day to day. The
family left and re-invested
up here. We had more
water, cheaper water and
a little more certainty,”
Groefsema commented.
“I can’t imagine farming
with that uncertainty of
what your allocation would
basis.
A Certified
“I chased a football
Energy Audit will help you learn
dream after college for
where you are using and losing energy and ways to
years, but knew I wanted
to get back to farming
eventually,” said Groefsema,
reduce
who kept
those
a hand in
issues to make your home
the family operation but
worked in farm manage-
more efficient and save you money.
209-826-4807 www.youngsair.com
ment for other corporations
for 13 years before
Get
coming back to manage
RECEIVE
$
5,500
RECEIVE UP TO
the local
UP
orchards.
TO
RECEIVE UP TO
$6,500
His emphasis, Groefsema
shared, is on using the
$6,500 $6,500
latest practices and technology
to maximize qual-
UP TO
ity and production.
In Energy Upgrade See GROEFSEMA | Rebates
PAGE 3 In Energy In Upgrade In Energy Rebates Upgrade Young’s Rebates!
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be every year,” he added.
After the family initially
purchasing land in
a district with marginal
water supplies, he added,
his grandfather and uncle
purchased land in the Central
California Irrigation
District.
“It is gold,” he said of
the more reliable water
supply. “You can’t do anything
without good water.”
Enterprises operation, row
crops have given way to
Groefsema three years
ago rejoined the family
operation on a full-time
more efficient and save you money.
$6,500
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Young’s Air Conditioning is a HERO RegisteredYoung’s Contractor. Air Conditioning Young’s is aAir HERO Conditioning Registered is Contractor. a HERO Registered Contractor.
HERO is a Government sponsored program which HERO enables is a Government HERO sponsored is a Government programsponsored which enables program which enables
you to finance certain home improvements. HERO you to finance certain home improvements. HERO
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License #461520
RECEIVE UP TO
A Certified Energy Audit will he
where you are using and losing en
reduce those issues to make
more efficient and save yo
Clay Groefsema manages family almond orchards in the Gustine area.
License #461520
License #461520
License #461520