Country
SAN LUIS OBISPO
Fall 2013
Country
san luis obispo
Volume 42, Issue 3 s Fall 2013
Publisher – Jackie Crabb
Photographer – Mary Silveira
Writers – Mary Silveira, Lorraine Clark, Joni Hunt
Production & Ad Sales – Joni Hunt
San Luis Obispo Country Magazine is published
quarterly—March, June, September, December—
by San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau; (805) 5433654; www.slofarmbureau.org. The subscription price
is included in Farm Bureau membership.
Advertising: Call the San Luis Obispo County Farm
Bureau, (805) 543-3654 or Joni Hunt, (805) 545-9547.
Printer: Layton Printing
©2013 San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau retains
all rights to text, photos and graphics. San Luis Obispo
County Farm Bureau does not assume responsibility for
statements by advertisers or for products advertised in
SLO Country Magazine, nor does San Luis Obispo County
Farm Bureau assume responsibility for statements or
expressions of opinion other than in editorials or in articles
showing authorship by an officer, director or staff member
of the San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau or its affiliates.
Publisher’s Note…
I
n August, the San Luis Obiso
County Agricultural Commissioner’s office released an
economic report, Economic
Contributions of San Luis Obispo
County Agriculture. This report,
which cites Multiplier Effects, is
much more comprehensive than
the Ag Commissioner’s annual
spring Crop Report, which cites
only Direct Economic Effects.
The new report affirms that
benefits from agriculture indirectly
trickle down to everyone and
ripple through local communities
to strengthen our total economy.
For example, in this issue of
SLO Country Magazine, you’ll read
about two men whose businesses
are indirectly related to agriculture.
Dr. David Eckstein is a veterinarian
whose practice benefits from the
area’s diversity of livestock. Gene
Armstrong is a farrier who works
with horses and also cattle.
According
to the report,
SLO County
agriculture
• Contributes
$1.87 billion
to the local
economy
•Provides
20,645 jobs
in SLO County
•Makes $45 million in indirect
business tax payments, which
represents 10 percent of the
county’s entire budget.
The report indicates that SLO
agriculture is extremely diverse,
depending on a large number of
economic sectors, a fact that gives
our county potential resilience in
any major calamity. Please read or download a pdf
of Economic Contributions at our
website, www.slofarmbureau.org.
Contents
If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude,
then animals are better off than a lot of humans. ~ James Herriot, Scottish veterinarian and author
Cover
Large-animal veterinarian
Dr. David Eckstein pays a
visit to Regalo to treat his
back problem.
Find video links to watch the farrier and veterinarian in action at www.slofarmbureau.org
04 Horse Sense
2
Fall 2013 s SLO Country Magazine
Farrier Gene Armstrong (above) and
veterinarian Dr. David Eckstein (far
right) bring their mobile units with
tools of their professions for farm
and ranch calls throughout SLO.
www.slofarmbureau.org
11 In the Kitchen
This season finds pumpkins
plentiful at U-pick, farmers’ markets
and grocery locations. Try a pot of Pumpkin Curry Soup using a carved
jack-o-lantern or the whole squash.
12 Scene Around SLO…
Unexpected delights in SLO Country.
13 Local Links
SLO Country Magazine s Fall 2013
3
Horse Sense
Skilled hands, love of animals and community spirit link the professional
expertise of a farrier and a veterinarian with SLO agriculture
shows in reined cow horse events
several times a year; helps friends
who are local ranchers during
branding season; and gives farrier
clinics around the country.
One-year-old Gene Armstrong sits in
front of his mother, Helen Armstrong;
his two-year-old brother is on the back.
Farrier Gene
Armstrong
H
ow does a horse owner
select a qualified farrier
to shoe an animal? Has
the art of shoeing changed during
more than 2,000 years horses have
been shod? An experienced farrier,
who is also a retired Cal Poly San
Luis Obispo professor, shares his
expertise and love of horses.
Upper: Gene Armstrong and No Foolish Cat perform a slide while capturing
the Reserve Championship in three divisions at the 2012 National Stock Horse
Association Derby in Paso Robles; photo courtesy of Rodney Bateman, Big Daddy
Photography, Paso Robles. Lower: Armstrong explains horseshoeing and answers
questions from fourth graders at The Great AGventure in Paso Robles.
4
Fall 2013 s SLO Country Magazine
Gene Armstrong, a Certified
Journeyman Farrier with the
American Farriers’ Association, is
known in San Luis Obispo County
for his skilled shoeing, trimming
and fitting shoes, his forge work
and the other skills that go into
handmade shoes. He knows the
anatomy, conformation (structure),
physiology and locomotion of
each horse he works with, and he
understands the individual hoofcare needs of each horse.
Armstrong and his wife, Gail,
who live on the east side of Paso
Robles, have raised horses for 40
years. He trains his own horses and
Armstrong grew up on the
ranches where his father worked.
“Dad [Lausten ‘Army’ Armstrong]
ran ranches with cattle for different
people in Oakdale, Linden and
Modesto. I never remember not
being around a horse. Like most
things you get into but don’t realize
why, there is some little spark that
leads you into it [horseshoeing].
“My mother, Helen Armstrong.
was also a big influence on me. She
rode with a lot of balance and understood horses. When I was one,
I rode in front of her in the saddle
and my two-year old brother rode
behind her while she moved and
checked on cows and calves. She
had something going for her—my
mother rode lots of different horses
and I don’t ever remember her
coming off of one. She was riding
and working cattle into her mid80s. She passed away when she
was 92 and was still taking care of
some of our mares and foals! She
truly loved horses.
“My dad had to shoe horses on
the ranch, too, but he knew there
was a lot he didn’t know. He didn’t
want to talk about horseshoeing to
me, but he knew enough to get by.
A person who uses horses needs to
know something about their feet.”
Not so long ago, Armstrong
says, it was crucial to have a horse
ready when needed to round up a
stray, check a fence and bring cattle
in a few times a year for branding
and vaccinating. “The ranch headwww.slofarmbureau.org
quarters was usually close enough
to ride your horse to it; now they
use four-wheelers.
“Before my dad passed away,
he said an uncle who was a blacksmith had a shop fairly close to the
Armstrong homestead, where my
dad was raised. They farmed with
looking different, and I couldn’t
wait to get those shoes changed!”
What route did Armstrong take
from that first effort at shoeing to
become a Certified Journeyman
Farrier? First he earned an A.A.
Gene and Gail Armstrong at their home near Paso Robles.
draft horses, and my dad talked
about having to shoe them. I asked,
‘Why didn’t you take them to your
uncle’s shop?’ He said, ‘It cost $2,
and we didn’t have the $2!’ When
I started shoeing, it cost $6 to shoe
and $3 to trim a horse.
“The first horse I shod all the
way around—I was so proud of it.
I thought it was the best I had ever
done. Nobody said that maybe I
should have done this or that. They
were just nice people. But, every
day after that, the work started
at Modesto Junior College and
learned the value of hard work.
“During the summer months,
I hauled hay by hand, called ‘roadsiding.’ This was before harrow
beds. One thing I liked during this
time was getting up early to go to
work hauling hay. There was something about it, kind of a proportional financial piece work—1,000 bales
a day for 3¢ a bale, $30 dollars a
day. For a young fellow, that was
good money.
Continued on page 6
SLO Country Magazine s Fall 2013
5
“I also had farm work experience
for $1.12 per hour, 12 hours a day, 6
days a week. Horseshoeing is kind
of the same thing. You get up and
out and work and do a good job,
you get new clients and you make
financial gain. I’ve always had that
work ethic instilled in me.
“When I was a youngster, my
father never went on vacation; [he
worked] seven days a week sun up
to sun down. But Dad would go to
the Cow Palace, where my brother
and I showed steers for 4H and FFA.”
Armstrong attended Cal Poly
in 1963, when his major was called
Animal Husbandry and his classmates were predominately men.
He actually began teaching the
Farrier Science class in 1966 after
the unfortunate death of his predecessor, Ralph Hoover. He also was
drafted into the Army during this
time. In 1975, he earned his B.S. in
Animal Science.
Shoeing horses for a living is
not just a one-time training session,
according to Armstrong. Since he
began shoeing, scientific knowledge
about the health of horses has
increased significantly. Today’s
horses are more refined and have
thinner walls in their feet than in
earlier times. Evolution through
various uses of horses has also
contributed to current anatomy.
“It is sometimes hard for people
in agriculture to understand that
Gene Armstrong’s mobile farrier truck.
6
Fall 2013 s SLO Country Magazine
female students has been a Certified Journeyman Farrier for years
and has competed and placed in
many farrier competitions, including international ones. She is now
an American Farriers’ Association
(AFA) Examiner and is currently
the Director of Testers for the
AFA’s Certification program.”
Experienced farriers understand that
each horse has different requirements
for proper foot care.
horses have been shod for more
than 2000 years,” Armstrong says.
“This was mostly military, finding
ways to put protection on a horse’s
hooves. We have learned a lot more
about the foot tissue through scientific studies, but there is a lot more
to learn about the horse’s foot.
“It would be beneficial for
farriers to go through a university
system to learn the science of horses
and the farrier trade,” Armstrong
says. “An educated farrier has the
advantage of being aware of a
horse’s needs before actually
shoeing him.
“Nowadays, many people say
to me, ‘I can’t find a good horseshoer.’ My response to them is
this: If people didn’t hire the poor
horseshoer, there wouldn’t be any
poor horseshoers. People let almost
anyone crawl under their horse.
“Also, it can be hard to find
a good customer. Good facilities,
well-mannered horses and an
appropriate hoof-care maintenance
schedule are really needed from
a good client. We [farriers] shot
ourselves in the foot, in a lot of
cases, when we went from shops
to a mobile business.
“The old blacksmiths had an
environment, a place where the
horse was comfortable and tools
were available. There were once
five of these blacksmiths shops
in San Luis Obispo at one time.
“Now it’s all mobile. The environment is not one the horseshoer
chooses, and all the tools have to
be in the truck as well as the forge
for the shoes. The environment is
wherever the horse is, and sometimes it isn’t the appropriate place
for hoof care.
“When I first started shoeing,
you didn’t hear the term ‘farrier.’
You went to a blacksmith or a
‘mechanic’ who provided art and
skill for the foot’s protection. Today,
shoers can call themselves farriers,
without having the art and proper
skills to maintain a horse. You need
to look for those people who are
more skilled and experienced.
“There are many women
farriers, a lot of very good ones,”
Armstrong says. “One of my former
Gene Armstrong came to SLO
50 years ago as a Cal Poly student,
but he stayed to teach, to raise
horses by Doc’s Star Barred and
to show reined cow horses.
“Bill Gifford, who was head
of the Horse Unit at the time, was
influential in my showing horses,”
Armstrong says. ”He gave me the
opportunities and encouragement.
I showed primarily in non-pro
working cow horse. So, I have
spent my life teaching, shoeing
and showing, when I had time.“
Along the way, Armstrong has
shod horses—various breeds and
disciplines—professionally for
more than 49 years, and he was
inducted into American Farriers’
Association Hall of Fame. The Hall,
established in 1992, “honors farriers
around the world who have made
significant contributions to their
profession and who have left a
permanent, positive impression
on their peers and clients.” He also
served as the West Coast Regional
Examiner for the AFA Certification
Program for 12 years.
Armstrong is Professor Emeritus at Cal Poly, where he taught
Farrier Science classes and Equine
Science classes for 35 years. Today,
he teaches Elements of Horseshoeing once a year at Feather River
Community College in Quincy, CA.
He also shares his expertise in
ongoing clinics for horse owners.
He imparts a basic understanding
of the mechanics of a horse’s leg;
how shoeing or not shoeing affects
the horse; how an owner’s riding
style may dictate what the farrier
will do; and how to handle a horse
www.slofarmbureau.org
Gene Armstrong and No Foolish Cat compete at the 2012 National Stock Horse
Association Derby; photo courtesy of Rodney Bateman, Big Daddy Photography.
properly for the farrier. Owners
gain an appreciation of the art of
farriery, learn to prepare a horse for
the farrier’s visit and how shoeing
pertains to riding.
Non-Pro and Novice Non-Pro.
“I was careful because I knew I
had to show him here,” Armstrong
said after winning to Quarter Horse
News, October 2012. “No Foolish Cat
really wants to be a show horse.”
As for pursuing his own love
of horses after retirement from Cal
Poly in 2002, Armstrong says, “I’m
on vacation every day!”
He starts and trains all of his
horses between shoeing or teaching,
and he is pleased to have time now
to improve his horsemanship, make
new friends and plan his next
equine adventure.
This year, Armstrong and horse
Starlight Gambler participated in
a reined cow horse Futurity and
Derby sponsored by the National
Stock Horse Association (NSHA) in
Paso Robles. Last year, he took No
Foolish Cat (by WR This Cats Smart
and Lean Acre Doc by Bob Acre Doc).
Armstrong and No Foolish Cat
—newly returned from a six-day
pack trip camping in the Eastern
Sierra—won the NSHA’s Derby
Reserve Championships in all three
divisions—Non-Pro, Intermediate
Knowing an animal—whether
dressage, cutting or racing horse,
mule or donkey or miniature—and
taking care of its hooves and applying appropriate shoes, if necessary,
is no different than making sure
human shoes fit properly. A shoe
worn down on one foot but not the
other is bound to affect walking,
knees, legs and eventually hips. No different, Armstrong says,
is knowing a horse’s body and how
he will walk and become affected
all the way up to his spine if his
shoes are not applied properly.
“A pretty horse is a sound
horse—not the color or the look—
but a prettiness that comes from
a healthy, happy horse. Better
farriers are required today than
several years ago, and nowadays
horses need more critical hoof
management than years ago.”
SLO Country Magazine s Fall 2013
7
Horse Sense
Large-Animal Veterinarian
Dr. David Eckstein, DVM
W
hat training and interests should a largeanimal verterinarian have? How does one
acquire the right skills? One local vet set out
to be an aeronautial engineer until he worked one
summer at a guest ranch and learned to ride horses.
He shares stories of his practice and love of animals.
San Luis Obispo County supports 107 (plus or
minus) full-time veterinarians. Of these, some 25 are
large-animal vets who work with the cattle and horse
industries. Dr. David Eckstein works on all large
animals from his Templeton Veterinary Clinic, where
he has provided large-animal ambulatory care to North
County since 1979. His clients are predominantly
horses, but he also cares for all farm animals and
occasionally an exotic species.
With his mobile practice and clinic, he offers outpatient diagnosis and treatment services. When more
intensive care is needed, he refers to state-of-the-art
surgical hospitals and a network of specialists with
whom he works.
Born in San Lorenzo, California, Dr. Eckstein grew
up with an interest in airplanes. His father, formerly in
the Air Force, had a hobby of building airplanes in the
garage, so it was logical that the young son wanted to
pursue this as a
career. His father
also sold supplies
to Law’s Hobby
store, located in
downtown San
Luis Obispo for
several decades
until it closed in
2008.
Dr. Eckstein
went on to graduate
in 1967 from San Lorenzo’s Arroyo
High School before attending Cal
Poly San Luis Obispo. Once there,
he found out that an engineering
major would keep him inside most
of the time. The university, which
then had about 5000 students,
mostly men, was rapidly becoming
one of the top agriculture schools in
the nation. At age 17, Dr. Eckstein
left behind engineering and started
the Animal Science program.
Having grown up in the Bay
Area, the young man was not
experienced with animals or the
growing of food and fiber. An “A”
student, he soaked up all facets of
agriculture before getting his B.S.
from Cal Poly. While on a student
judging team for rodeo timed
events, his interest began to
gravitate to cattle and horses.
During summer 1969, Dr.
Eckstein worked at a guest ranch
and learned how to ride on 10,000
acres outside of Santa Ynez.
“It was ‘old school,’ where the
guest stayed and took lessons on
everything from horses to tennis
and swimming,” he says.
“Burt Oliver was the farrier at
the time and told me, ‘Don’t ever
8
Fall 2013 s SLO Country Magazine
Left: Dr. Eckstein’s station wagon carries a medical supply cabinet
with equipment for most any situation. Above: A Chestnut Gelding
returns to Templeton Veterinary Clinic for eye treatment.
www.slofarmbureau.org
get out of your truck without a
hoof pick and apron.’ I was going
to Cal Poly full time and working
summers there, sometimes staying
over at Burt’s house. I really became
part of their family. Burt roped
calves and I would untie them,
and he taught me to shoe as well.”
After three months learning to
ride a horse and wearing western
shirts with snap buttons and western jeans, he got a summer job as
a wrangler in Santa Ynez at the
Westerly Stud Farm owned by
Fletcher Jones, a businessman and
computer pioneer who was also
a racehorse enthusiast.
While there, Dr. Eckstein
watched Woody Asbury, the racehorse veterinarian, work as he
himself worked that summer—
seven days a week. Since breeding
season runs February 1 to July 1,
Dr. Eckstein was there for part of
the 1970 season, helping with foals
as delivered. He was exposed to
the business of treating animals,
watching foals grow, treating and
studying them. All of this motivated him to continue his education
at University of California Davis
Veterinarian School, winning
admittance from the application
pool of more than 800 students.
“These professional men—
Burt Oliver and Woody Asbury
combined—were instrumental and
actually pivotal in my decision to
become a veteranarian,” he says.
In his first job after graduation
from UC Davis, Dr. Eckstein worked
three years with Gene Carroll at
Carroll’s Valley Veterinarian Clinic
in Morgan Hill, CA. Then in 1979,
Eckstein and his wife, Ellen, made
the decision to move to Templeton
and create their own single veterinarian farm practice.
“I work with horses, cattle and
some exotics,” Dr. Eckstein says. “I
even had a client who tried to make
it with ostriches—he sold the eggs,
egg shells, feathers, hens and meat.
He kept working until his loss was
much bigger than his profit.”
On a recent summer’s day, Dr.
Eckstein visited the ranch of Cheryl
Miller and granddaughter Whitney
Milby, whose Bay Gelding Thoroughbred, part Warmblood, named
Regalo, had a back problem and
was unable to canter in a right lead.
Standing about 16 hands (about 64
inches), Regalo had musclewasting,
or atrophy, over his hip.
“I swayed his pelvis and checked his muscles for sacroiliac instability and/or pain,” Dr. Eckstein
explains. “He had positive signs
consistent with sacroiliac damage
and was injected to relieve pain
and swelling” (below).
Back at the clinic, a Chestnut
Gelding with a second episode
of an eye problem (center photos)
was waiting to see the doctor.
About the problem Dr. Eckstein
says, “His left eye was sedated and
topical eye drops applied for pain,
and tear film stained to illustrate
corneal damage. The positive signs
of reoccurring pupil constriction,
corneal ulceration and inflammation are consistent with Equine
Recurrent Uveitis.”
The doctor started systemic
and topical therapies to address
pain, inflammation, pupil dilation
and infection. And the Chestnut
Gelding’s owners took with them
medicine needed for treatment on
a regular basis, even at night.
Continued on page 10
SLO Country Magazine s Fall 2013
9
In the Kitchen…
The last client that day, a goat
named Cricket (photo at right) owned
by PJ Robinson, didn’t want to be
doctored in the back of her owner’s
vehicle, so she was carried to a
corner of the clinic. After a brief
struggle to keep her head steady,
Dr. Eckstein found a foxtail in soft
tissue in the corner of her eye.
The plant awn (a hair- or bristlelike appendage) had scraped the
outer layers of Cricket’s cornea. This
feisty little goat, the doctor says,
learned to accept eye ointment, and
her ulcer was healing well.
Like any business with a steady
clientele, Dr. Eckstein relies on
Debbie Paver, his “right hand,”
and Laurie Gage, the business’
bookkeeper and a contact for
boarding and rehabilitating
any of the clinic’s patients.
Debbie Paver, a Templeton
native who graduated with a B.S.
from UC Davis, provides office
management and veterinary technician skills. She has a wealth of
farm experience from her years of
breeding and raising Angus cattle,
and was a member and is now a
leader of the Templeton 4-H Beef
Group, helping kids raise and show
cattle. Paver has worked in the
veterinary field since she was 12,
and has worked for Dr. Eckstein
since summer 1980.
Bookkeeper Laurie Gage,
who earned a B.S. in Biology from
UCLA, now lives in Paso Robles
on 26 acres where she and her
husband operate a private equine
boarding and rehabilitation facility.
When time permits, David
and Ellen Eckstein have a German
Warmblood breeding program.
Currently they have a yearling
colt and are expecting two foals
in 2014. Dr. Eckstein also plays
Ginger-Curry Pumpkin Soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
16 oz. pumpkin, cut into large pieces with outside skin removed
1 oz. olive oil
1 white onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1
/2 cup white wine (optional—add extra stock if not using)
21/2 cups homemade chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated or minced
1 teaspoon curry powder, or to taste
salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
toasted pumpkin seeds or sliced almonds for garnish
Preparation
Dr. Eckstein examines PJ Robinson’s
goat Cricket.
golf and travels to tournaments,
although time for that recreation is
often hard to find while providing
his professional services to animal
owners on the Central Coast.
Place pumpkin on a cookie sheet in pre-heated 400ºF oven. Roast
just until it turns brown and soft. Remove from oven and let cool.
In medium saucepot, heat oil just until it starts to smoke. Add
onions and sautee until translucent. Add garlic and pumpkin. Cook
for one minute, just to cook garlic. Add white wine and continue to
cook until almost all of the wine is reduced.
Add chicken or vegetable stock, ginger and curry powder. Cook
on low heat until pumpkin is soft. Remove from heat and cool.
Place in blender and puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt
and cayenne pepper.
Garnish with pumpkin seeds or sliced almonds and serve. Soup
can be refrigerated or frozen for a future meal.
Templeton Veterinary Clinic
1485 Eureka Lane, Templeton 93465
(805) 434-1115
www.templetonvetclinic.com
Hours by Appointment
8 a.m.– 5 p.m. Monday–Friday
8 a.m.–noon Saturday
Dr. Eckstein was influenced to become
a veterinarian by this mentor.
A. C. Asbury, DVM
Atwood “Woody”
Asbury (DVM Michigan
State, 1956) then spent
21 years in California in
breeding farm practice
and at UC Davis. He
joined the faculty at the University of
Florida College of Veterinary Medicine
(1977) in teaching, research and
administration until retirement (1996). The Emeritus Professor and his wife,
Clare, built a small thoroughbred horse
farm in Kentucky, where he died in
2011.
10
Fall 2013 s SLO Country Magazine
www.slofarmbureau.org
SLO Country Magazine s Fall 2013 11
Scene Around
SLO Country…
For the Birds
Central Coast
habitat attracts
birds of all species,
including this tiny
hummingbird.
Local Links
Visit www.slofarmbureau.org…
Cambria Scarecrows’ Harvest Weekend
CFBF Photo Contest —
Entry Deadline Monday, September 30
Amateur photographers, who are Farm Bureau members, can win
cash prizes for agriculture-related images in five categories: • Kids and Critters on the Farm • Fresh and Local • Rural Scenic
• All in a Day’s Work on the Farm • “Budding Artists” (13 and under)
To find complete entry details and download an entry form, go to the
Farm Bureau’s website, www.slofarmbureau.org.
The Great AGventure —
Wednesday, October 2
Fourth-grade students from throughout
SLO County (above) gather in Paso Robles
for a day of fun and hands-on learning about local agriculture. More
than 1,200 students join more than 50 volunteers from the agricultural
community who provide demonstrations, interactive presentations and
encouragement to experience agriculture in a dynamic way.
Sponsors and additional volunteers are always needed. For details,
see www.slofarmbureau.org, or call Ag Education Committee Coordinator Lorraine Clark at (805) 543-7356.
All Types of
ELECTRICAL WORK
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State Lic.# 375854
Friday–Monday, October 11–14
Harvest Weekend Farm Tour
8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Monday, October 14
One highlight of the Cambria Scarecrows’ Harest Weekend is
the Cambria Historical Society’s Farm Tour, which features a visit to
Cambria farms, ranches and vineyards. Meet the farmers and see
where our food comes from plus enjoy lunch and winetasting.
Bob Soto and Joy Fitzhugh, two ranchers with deep roots in Cambria soil, lead the full-day tour on visits to Santa Rosa Creek, Green
Valley and Harmony. Tickets for the tour, lunch and wine tasting are
$85 per person. The tour includes the following stops.
• Linn’s Farm — Aaron Linn shares the wonders of his family’s
state-of-the-art greenhouse where many famous Linn’s produts
have their start.
• Dragon Springs Farm — Cambria Farmers Market managers
Mike and Carol Broadhurst provide a behind-the-scenes look at
where some of the region’s best produce is grown.
• Dos Pasos Ranch — George and Beth Kendall produce unusual
varieties of pumpkins,
elegant and artful gourds
and delicious avocados
and citrus on their historic
farm.
• Bassetti Vineyard —
Ellis and Susie Bassetti
offer a tour of their lovely
Green Valley ranch’s vineyards, olive grove and gardens, followed
by lunch under the grape arbor.
(805) 481-0457
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• Soto Ranch — Bob Soto provides a
look at his family’s ranch in Harmony and
talks about his family’s long tradition of
raising cattle.
• Harmony Cellars — The day ends
with a tour and tasting at this premier local
winery.
Cambria Scarecrow Festival 2013
For complete
details about this
year’s event and
photos of clever
scarecrows from
past years, log on
to www.cambriascarecrows.com.
12
Fall 2013 s SLO Country Magazine
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SLO Country Magazine s Fall 2013
13
Acquistapace Farms, Inc.
805/614-6100; [email protected]
Business Members
E. C. Loomis & Son Insurance
Associates – 805/489-5594
Adler Belmont Dye Insurance
805/540-3900;
[email protected]
See complete listings for
businesses that support
®
® San Luis Obispo County
Farm Bureau at slofarmbureau.org. To become a
Business Member, call Farm Bureau at 805/543-3654.
Madonna Inn – 805/543-3000
www.madonnainn.com
Ag Box Company – 805/489-0377
Andros Corporation – 805/227-2801
Blue Rooster Telecom
805/543-8700; blueroosterteleom.com
Eagle Energy, Inc. – 805/543-7090
[email protected]
Byron Grant/Century 21 Hometown
Realty – 805/441-2560
www.www.byron-grant.com
EcoSpray – 805/929-1457
California Meridian Insurance Services
805/466-3400
[email protected]
C&M Nursery – 805/929-1941
Electricraft, Inc. – 805/544-8224
www.electricraftinc.com
Farm Supply Company – 805/543-3751
www.farmsupplycompany.com
C&N Tractors – 805/237-3855
Filipponi & Thompson Drilling Co.
805/466-1271; www.ftdrilling.com
Central Coast Propane – 805/237-1001
www.centralcoastpropane.com
Michael Frederick Paving Corporation
805/466-5060; www.mfpaving.com
Coast National Bank – 805/541-0400
www.coastnationalbank.com
Heritage Oaks Bank – 805/369-5203
www.heritageoaksbank.com
J. B. Dewar Inc. Petroleum Products
805/543-0180
Lexington Inn – 805/549-9911
www.lexingtoninnsanluisobispo.com
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Fall 2013 s SLO Country Magazine
Nick’s Telecom – 805/441-3135
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
805/595-6340
Pacific Sun Growers, Inc. – 805/929-1986
www.pacificsungrowers.com
Pat Phelan Construction – 805/929-1739
Quinn Company – 805/925-8611
Roadrunner Construction – 805/238-2500
San Luis Obispo Downtown Association
805/541-0286; www.downtownslo.com
Santa Maria Seeds, Inc. – 805/922-5757
www.santamariaseeds.com
The Thom Group – 805/546-6022
www.TheThomGroup.com
TriCal Inc. – 805/928-2430
Umpqua Bank – 805/704-5120
www.umpquabank.com
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