|
The Quail Spring Farm is a 20 acre agricultural property located just
outside the main entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. As you
head into the park from the town of Joshua Tree, we are 3 miles up the
road and adjacent to the JoshuaTree Ranch. We welcome visitors, but please to not just drop in without an appointment.
|
|
"There is a metric – “farm to fork”, and it is a measure of the
average distance from the farm where food produced to
where it is consumed. In the USA, the average is currently
estimated at 1,400 miles and getting larger. Relying on
non-locally grown food is both energy and "carbon intensive, not
to mention risky from a long long tem perspective." |
|
The Quail Springs Farm in
its present form was established in 2006 and based on the concept of
small scale agriculture in a rural setting. The Farm is leased to
James and Kelly Verret, but the operation of the farm is sort of a
cooperative and are still evolving. We currently sell pigs and other animals products and hope to soon be selling chicken and
duck eggs. Supplies are limited, but we do contract to sell animals
and animal products for a future date. Food for special occasion
like turkeys for thanksgiving and Christmas are popular.
Prices are competitive with other locally grown food options, but higher
than you might expect.
info@QuailSpringFarm.Com
The farms agricultural
activities are can be classified into
four area
- Small and Large Animal Raising
- Fish Farming
- Cultivating activities and greenhouses.
- Conservation Initiatives & Education
The farm is currently operated by James & Kelly Verret and a few
other individuals, but the long term
vision for the property is for it to be operated as a community farm or
cooperative whose members would jointly leases the properties and shares
in the cost of it's operation. If you are interested in getting
involved in our activities or
have your own project in mind, please contact us at
info@QuailSpringFarm.Com |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
D.J. the "Farm Dog", 2nd in
command. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
"The Right
to Farm Act" -
California
Agricultural Protection Act |
|
Originally passed in 1981, this help preserve
the agriculture in areas where increased population and other
changes in the local area cause people to complain that a
agriculture is a public nuisance.
§ 3482.5. Agricultural activity not a
nuisance; exceptions; construction with other laws
(a) (1) No agricultural activity, operation,
or facility, or appurtenances thereof, conducted or
maintained for commercial purposes, and in a manner
consistent with proper and accepted customs and standards,
as established and followed by similar agricultural
operations in the same locality, shall be or become a
nuisance, private or public, due to any changed condition in
or about the locality, after it has been in operation for
more than three years if it was not a nuisance at the time
it began. See "CA
Right to Farm"
|
|
Community
Alert |
|
Recently, a controversy that began in Joshua Tree is spreading
throughout San Bernardino county. See
www.right-2-ride.com
This controversy involves BLM Section 6 in Joshua Tree,
groups of equestrian users, and the County of San Bernardino.
The county is closing down horse trails on public land and seem
to be using the same heavy handed tactic that are often used by
the county to regulated off road vehicles. For
other information on projects affiliated with Wally Barker, see
www.wallybarker.com |
|
Per The County
Code
(t)
Agriculture. The
tilling of soil, the raising of crops, horticulture, small
livestock
farming,
dairying or animal husbandry. This includes all uses customarily
incidental
thereto,
except the following: slaughterhouses, feed yards, hog farms,
fertilizer works,
bone
yards, plants for the reduction of animal matter, or any other
industrial or
agricultural use that is determined by the Planning Commission
to be similarly
objectionable because of noise, odor, smoke, dust or fumes.
(w)
Agricultural Grading.
Grading on land designated for exclusive agricultural use. See
also
“Grading.”
(x)
Agricultural Preserve.
Designated areas of existing,
viable and productive
agricultural land within which land conservation contracts can
be enforced under the
provisions of the California Land Conservation Act of 1965
(Williamson Act), to stay
in
agricultural use for a designated period of time. Under the
contracts, the property
owner is
granted certain tax advantages for the continuation of
agricultural use of the
land.
|
|