Size: To determine acreage, we generally rely upon the county's assessed acreage as they are the commonly recognized.

Location: For each listing, labeled aerial maps should guide you to the property, along with the written description.

Water: Our primary source of water emanates from the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. All of the early irrigation districts were formed close to the San Joaquin River. Later, when the Delta Mendota Canal and the California Aqueduct were built near the foothills, new water districts were formed. Pumping ground water from deep wells is often economical on ranches within two or three miles of the river. However, near the Coastal Mountain Range, water must be pumped from a greater depth. Land west of the I-5 Freeway has little or no water. A simple rule of thumb to figure water cost per acre is to assume that an average crop takes about 2.5 acre feet of water per year. Water costs also vary depending on in which water district the land is located which method the water is applied.

Soil: Soil is often a critical factor in determining value of land. Under the column "Area", we have simply estimated the soil map for an approximate determination of acreage. The "Soil Type" column consists of the name of each soil as depicted by the most recent work of the University of California. The third column lists the "Storie Index Rating" which is a simplified, but accurate standard of a soil's value. All soils are rated on a scale from 0 to 100% by the University of California.

Irrigation: Common irrigation methods include furrow, solid set sprinklers, drip, or micro sprinklers. There are advantages and disadvantages to all methods. Although drip, sprinkler, and micro sprinkler methods may be expensive initially in terms of equipment and labor, they maximize water use efficiency. Also, the rate of application essentially controls the rate of water infiltration causing the soil variability's and slope to be less determinant in irrigation management.

Drainage: On the west side of the San Joaquin River, every time water is applied by furrow irrigation, there must be drainage for excess surface water. Some water districts, when established, provided for drainage, but some did not. If there are no surface drainage rights, the landowner or farmer must manage a return system or set up sprinklers to minimize drainage.

Plantings: The variety of the crop and the row spacing vary from ranch to ranch. Every individual farmer has his own idea about what is best. In general, most newer varieties favor close plantings to maximize land usage.


West Side Crops

Leases: A normal crop year is from November 1 to October 31. Typically, leases are set up two ways: cash or share. A cash rent lease is secure. A share or percentage lease is riskier but with possible higher returns. It is customary in this area for the landlord to pay the property taxes, and assessments while the tenant pays for the cultural costs including the water.

Taxes: Most of the farmland on the west side is under The Williamson Act Contract, also known as the California Land Conservation Act of 1965, a California Statute which allows local government to enter into long-term contracts with agricultural landowners by lowering property taxes as an incentive to continue agricultural use of the land. This does not apply to the building of a single family residence. Property not in the Williamson Act can be taxed up to 1.1% of the sales price.

Terms: The Federal Land Bank makes loans in this area. To determine what your periodic amortization payments would be on a given balance, you may use the following link: http://ray.met.fsu.edu/~bret/amortize.html

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