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High-Quality Agricultural Products in California and Beyond
Chaffin Farms produces a diverse selection of agricultural products in California, including alfalfa, cotton and upland cotton, and wheat and durum wheat. Explore the range of crops grown by Chaffin Farms.
Alfalfa
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a perennial flowering plant and an important forage crop for cattle and horses. As one of the most important legumes used in agriculture, alfalfa is widely grown throughout the world and is most often harvested as hay. The United States is the largest alfalfa producer in the world, with California, South Dakota, and Wisconsin among the leading alfalfa-growing states.
Characteristics and Agricultural Value
Depending on the variety and climate, alfalfa can live for three to twelve years. This cool-season perennial legume can grow to a height of 3.25 feet and resembles clover, with clusters of small purple flowers. Its deep root system can sometimes extend to 14 feet, making the plant particularly resilient, especially during droughts. Alfalfa also has a tetraploid genome. Originally domesticated in Iran during the Bronze Age to feed horses brought from Central Asia, alfalfa reached Greece around 490 B.C., where it was used as horse feed for the Persian army. It was later introduced to the United States from Chile around 1860. Alfalfa has the highest feeding value of all common hay crops and is used less frequently as pasture. Like other legumes, its root nodules contain Sinorhizobium meliloti bacteria, which have the ability to fix nitrogen and produce a high-protein feed regardless of available nitrogen in the soil.
From Harvest to Community
With the ability to harvest alfalfa nine times annually, Chaffin Farms carefully manages each harvest through the curing and baling process. Depending on the time of year, harvested alfalfa typically cures for three to seven days before it is ready for baling. Approximately 85% of the alfalfa produced at Chaffin Farms is baled for the retail market. Beyond its commercial production, Chaffin Farms also donates alfalfa hay each year to groups that use livestock in the rehabilitation of people with learning difficulties.
Upland Cotton
Cotton is a soft natural fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant. Once processed to remove seeds and traces of wax and protein, the fiber consists of nearly pure cellulose, a natural polymer. Cotton production is highly efficient, with ten percent or less of the raw material's weight lost during processing to convert cotton bolls, also known as seed cotton, into pure fiber.
The Structure Behind the Fiber
Cotton's strength, durability, and absorbency come from the structure of its fibers. Each cotton fiber consists of 20 to 30 layers of cellulose coiled into a series of natural springs. As the cotton boll opens and the fibers dry, they form flat, twisted, ribbon-like shapes that interlock with one another and can be spun into fine yarn. Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), also known as Mexican Cotton, is the most widely planted cotton species in the United States, accounting for approximately 95% of U.S. cotton production and about 90% of production worldwide. Chaffin Farms donates several hundred pounds of harvested cotton pods each year to the Boys Republic for its signature Della Robbia Wreaths. Through its exclusive cotton marketer, Calcot, Chaffin Farms also produces signature cotton towels.
Durum Wheat
Wheat is a grass and one of the most important cereal crops and human food grains. It ranks second in total cereal production behind corn, with rice ranking third. It is a staple human food used to make flour for breads, cookies, cakes, pasta, noodles, and couscous. Wheat can also be fermented for beer, alcohol, vodka, and biofuel, while the grain and straw have applications as livestock forage, fodder, construction material, and roofing thatch.
A Staple Crop with a Long History
Wheat and barley were the first cereals domesticated in Turkey. The loss of seed-dispersal mechanisms through domestication left cultivated wheat with a limited ability to propagate in the wild. In 2006, global wheat consumption exceeded production for the first time, creating a gap that is likely to widen as the requirement for wheat continues to increase beyond production. The use of wheat as a biofuel may further exacerbate the situation. Durum wheat (Triticum durum) is the only tetraploid species of wheat widely cultivated today and is the hardest of all wheats. Its high protein content and gluten strength make it well suited for pasta and bread. Most durum grown today is amber durum, with larger amber-colored grains and a yellow endosperm that gives pasta its color. When durum is milled, the endosperm becomes a granular product called semolina, which is used for premium pastas and breads.
Onions
California is a top producer of onions in the United States, producing roughly 31% of the nation's total crop with a roughly even split between fresh-market sales and processing.
Historical Production and Yields
• Yield Growth: Crop yields have doubled since 1920. This increase comes from the development of hybrid seeds and better understanding of local climate needs. [1]
• Early Farming: Commercial onion farming in regions like the San Fernando Valley dates back over a century, relying on extensive manual labor for planting and harvesting fields. [1]
• Processing Leader: If dehydrated onion production totals are included, California ranks as the number one onion-producing state in the country. [1]
Garlic
Origins and Early Cultivation
• 1850s: Garlic cultivation in California began taking root during the Gold Rush as settlers realized the fertile valley soils were ideal for farming. [1]
• Late 1800s: Italian immigrants settled in Gilroy, bringing garlic starts because the Mediterranean-like climate matched their homeland. [1, 2]
• 1920s-1940: Commercial scale production expanded significantly when Japanese immigrant Kiyoshi Hirasaki began large-scale farming in Gilroy by 1929, operating the largest U.S. garlic farm by the 1940s. [1, 2]