The Vigna family started farming 90 acres in Hollister in the late 60’s.   Since then, their father has passed, so the two daughters, Julie and Nancy, along with their mother, have taken over the farm operations.  In the past, they have grown hay for sale but it is getting harder for them to find reliable people to come and cut the hay when it is ready to be harvested.  The physical labor of the ranch is hard for all the women in the family so, this year, they are planning on running some cattle on the land and then sell the cattle at the local auction at the end of the season.

The Vignas heard about the Short Course when the San Benito Water District sent out a friendly reminder to all the growers who are getting San Felipe water.  They signed up and took the Short Course last fall.  They say that what they learned, and the contacts they made, are invaluable. 

The Vigna Ranch has a natural ephemeral creek that flows through it and this culvert drains water to that creek.  As the impervious surfaces in the drainage area, and the resultant flows, have increased, the creek is getting more water and, rather than draining, the water has been ponding and is wet more of the year.  As a result, they haven’t been able to plant that area until later and later in the year.

When they attended the Short Course, they learned about the importance of monitoring with water that was running onto their property and some options to deal with it.  After the class, they contacted the city and other agencies and they received a written letter from the city of Hollister saying that soon the road and culvert will be fixed.  They were very happy about the outcome and that so much of their rangeland will not be lost.

They also learned about grassing their waterways to reduce sediment and pollutants that may flow off the land.  They tried it this winter by throwing some seed down in the dry creek bed during the winter.  After they did it, they realized it was not “weed free” seed and they were not happy with the results - but they have learned what they need to do and will be working on it for next year.

Julie and Nancy say that they have also become much more conscious of the water coming onto and leaving their property since they have taken the Short Course.  Overall, they all think the Short Course was worth their time and are glad they took it.