Rain Brings Smiles and Hope to Arroyo Grande Ranchers

In Arroyo Grande, Stuart Bartleson hasn’t had to irrigate in 10 days and says there is some recovery in the wells.

Before the first round of storm in the Central Coast, you could see a lot of dry soil and dry weeds at the ranch but this week is a different story.

“We’re seeing a lot of green and it’ looking beautiful,” Bartleson said.

The storm hitting the Central Coast in the past two week has done wonders to a lot of the scenery and landscape.

With close to 40,000 trees, around 19,000 avocado trees and 19,000 lemon trees, the storm in the past two weeks has given irrigating it all a little but of a break.

Bartleson said it’s going to take more rain to bring back the 9,000 stumped avocado tress back to its full size.

The Bartleson’s bought their Arroyo Grande ranch in 1985. They grow avocados lemons and some roe crops.

“We’ve had little more than 3 inches so far this year and if you notice the avocado trees are already sprouting back. They have branches on them,” Bartleson said, “If our wells recover they will be back in production probably within the third year we will have some light production of avocados.

“Our normal level in the well, is about 14 inches and we are hoping we get at least 20-22 inches (of rain) this (coming) year.”