The Farm Advisor serves the people of Inyo and Mono counties in matters related to agricultural production by providing research-based production advisement.
Our Farm Advisor, Dustin Blakey, has a background in Horticulture. His emphasis is on improving the productivity and sustainability of local food producers growing in the challenging Eastern Sierra climate. The office conducts research and offers advisement in the following areas:
- Season extension
- Appropriate varieties
- Planning and budgeting
- Pest control
- Best management practices for small-scale horticultural crops
Our goal is to help producers of all sizes fill in the gaps in knowledge that may hinder the viability of their enterprise. We can do this by cooperating on research projects, providing unbiased advice, and connecting you with other resources. We're your connection to the University of California's division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
In addition to advising food production, we can provide advisement in Environmental Horticulture issues. Nurseries, arborists, landscapers and agencies should contact the Farm Advisor for more information.
If you are a producer of livestock, alfalfa, forages, or another crop and you need assistance, please contact us, as we can provide help though our statewide connections.
Questions related to regulations, pesticide disputes, or production statistics should be directed to the Inyo-Mono Agricultural Commissioner.
Soil Testing and Tissue Analysis
Although our area is remote and likely as far as one can get from California's prime farm land, we get frequent requests for soil testing at our office. If you are a local commercial grower and need to get a quick pH reading of your soil to dianose a potential problem, we can do that by appointment at no cost. Beyond that, we don't have soil testing facilities available.
Soil tests are seldom of much use in our area for home gardeners, but if you have questions about that, contact the Master Gardener program.
Most of the soils near our communities or adjacent to the Sierra tend to be coarse and very slightly alkaline. The Web Soil Survey or the SoilWeb App are good places to start online for obtaining basic soil information about your parcel.
Those who need to get a soil test done to manage farm or pasture fertility should know there are several excellent labs available. A basic soil test should cost about $40 with a recommendation. Here in the West where we have alkaline soils, you will want to ensure the lab uses an Olsen Test for phosphorus, not Bray, unless you know your soil is acidic. This can be an issue for us with labs located on the East Coast. (Many labs do both in their routine analysis.)
If you've never done a soil test and you're handling that yourself, a good practice is call or email the lab you are considering before sending to determine costs and arrange payment/shipping.
Less often we get requests for tissue analysis of plants. Many of the same labs that test soil also will do tissue analysis for major crops to determine plant nutrient needs. This can be a very accurate way to measure nutrient levels, but the protocol used to collect samples is very important. If you need this sort of test, contact the Farm Advisor. Home gardeners should never need this service.
Home Gardens
Home gardeners who require assistance should contact our Master Gardener volunteers for answers to their gardening and landscape questions. We also have Master Food Preservers who can help with home preservation questions.
Their help line number is (760) 872-2098. You can email your question to them at immg@ucanr.edu.
Beginning Commercial Operations
Starting a commercial agricultural enterprise anywhere is challenging. Our harsh conditions and an environment that is very different from most of California compounds the issue.
The Farm Advisor can help you get started and answer key questions you may have.
Our area is well-suited for livestock grazing, forage crops, and root crops. Other crops can grow here, but we are not the optimal location for them, and access to markets can be challenging.
We also have very little suitable land available to farm on. If you find a parcel, please do due diligence before purchasing it if your primary goal is to establish a farm. That includes water availability and quality, as well as soil conditions. Acreage that comes up for sale in Inyo or Mono counties often (but not always) has serious constraints related to one or more of those factors.
There are opportunities here, but you will find that what works elsewhere may be hard to implement in this region. We're glad to answer your questions or review any plans.
Tips for Potential New Farmers
Our area poses unique challenges due to our climate, remoteness, and land access. But it is possible to succeed with thoughtful planning and commitment.
Here are some thoughts potential operations should consider before jumping in.
- Spend at least a year learning how our climate works compared to where you have past experience
- Determine if our growing season conflicts with other activities you want to pursue in the Eastern Sierra such as backcountry hiking, fishing, or climbing
- Check your soil to determine its suitability for raising crops (This site is useful: https://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/ )
- Investigate your potential market outlets as transportation costs (and time) are high for this region, and the local population is low...and many have gardens of their own
- Consider season extension to have crops ready to market before local gardens begin to bear
- Plan for wind, lots of wind
- Labor can be in short supply here so plan for how that will be addressed
- Fall and Spring freezes are a real issue you may have to plan for here
- Look for opportunities to add value to your harvest—some of those will require permitting from the county's Environmental Health Department (Inyo | Mono)
- Wildlife and plant viruses tend to be our biggest pests most years, but after wet years we can have very high insect populations
Contact the Farm Advisor if you have questions about growing in our region.