FARMING THE IMPERIAL VALLEY

Our family started farming in the Imperial Valley in 1946 to produce alfalfa for the family dairy. Geographically, the ranch is rare in the Imperial Valley as the entire farm is in one location. As the ranch expanded, we have learned to understand the needs of the individual fields and adjacent properties. At Osterkamp Farms, our priority is improving the land through conservation. We have had three fundamental missions of stewardship: land preservation, water conservation and wildlife protection.

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Premium Compressed Bales

RETAIL FEED

Alfalfa Hay Bales

Big Bales & Retail Available

Graded based on: visual inspection, color, stem size, leafiness, texture, purity and moisture. Highest nutritional value of commonly grown hay crops.

Perennial crop. We harvest big bales January through March. Retail is harvested April through October.
Baled in weights of 95lbs, 120lbs and 1500 lbs.

Inventory stored in barns / tarped, providing year round supply.

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Bermuda Hay Bales

Big Bales & Retail Available

Graded based on: color, purity, texture, length Bermuda straw baled after Bermuda seed harvested.

Baled weights- 95 and 120 lbs
Harvest retail and stable weights April through October.

Inventory stored in barns / tarped to provide a year round supply.

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Klein Grass

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Dehy Onions

Higher in pungency than market onions. Typically grown under contract. Planted in October and harvested in late April – early July. Eventually available in powdered, granulated, minced and chopped forms.

Sugar Beets

Grown for sucrose (sugar made naturally by green plants) production. Sucrose is used as a high energy food or food additive.

Taken to a sugar beet factory after harvest where they are cleaned, cut and soaked to extract the juice from the beet. The liquid is crystalized, dried and packaged for distribution.

Wheat

Durum Wheat

Used to make pasta. High in protein. Typically planted in December and harvested in May.

Silage

Feed for dairy cattle

Corn planted and harvested as silage to feed dairy cattle. Important to grow, harvest and preserve the silage correctly for quality feed.

Has a high energy content and easy to digest.
If properly harvested and preserved it can be stored for long periods of time without losing quality.
Timing of harvest depends on proper moisture levels (60% - 70%).

Shank Seed LLC

Custom Cleaning, Harvesting and Bagging Services

Shank Seed offers custom seed harvesting and seed cleaning.
Shank Seed harvests and cleans Alfalfa seed, Bermuda seed, Broccoli seed and Durham wheat seed.