Triangle T Ranch
Location:
Chowchilla, California, in Madera County
Years in Operation:
13 years
Leading Harvest Program User:
Manulife Investment Management
Size of Operation:
12,000 total acres of farmland, split down the middle, with dedicated acres for pistachios and almonds
Crop Type:
Almonds & Pistachios
Objective 4. Crop Protection
To achieve crop protection goals while protecting people and the environment.
RELEVANT INDICATORS
Indicator 4.1.3. Pest Control Practices:
Prioritization of the use of lowest risk, most selective treatment options to achieve crop protection goals whenever appropriate.
Leading Harvest Indicators at Work
- Triangle T Ranch leverages AutoSpray technologies from Fieldin to improve precision and reduce the amount of chemicals emitted during spray applications, particularly in young orchards with larger gaps between trees.
- AutoSpray is a LiDAR-powered (remote sensing) solution that detects the tree canopy and only sprays where trees are present, eliminating chemical waste between trees and at the ends of rows.
- More efficient spraying enables them to cover more acres with less chemicals. With AutoSpray, they’re now able to cover up to 33% more in some mature almond blocks.
- By retrofitting their existing farm equipment with the AutoSpray kits, Triangle T Ranch has reduced chemicals emitted in their spray applications by up to 24% per block in young orchards within the first two months of implementing AutoSpray.
- Triangle T Ranch actively preserves and creates habitat for owls and other birds of prey to serve as a natural means to help keep pests in check across the farm.
- More than 3,000 habitat trees have been planted for native bird species including horned owls and red-tailed hawks.
- A generous buffer has been established around a century-old mesquite tree on the farm to protect owl nests.
- The Triangle T team works with local high school ag students to construct bird and bat boxes that create safe breeding habitats.
“Did you know?”
- More than 1.4 million trees have been planted on Triangle T Ranch, and every year, eight acres of non-productive vegetation are planted to support bee and monarch habitats.
- In the 2022-23 water year, roughly 18,000-acre feet of water was recharged on the property, helping improve the water balance of the local Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA).
- Triangle T Ranch has the capacity to divert 256 cubic feet per second of water off of the Eastside bypass flood protection system to help protect local communities when flood events occur.
- Manulife Investment Management, the management company of Triangle T Ranch, was the first agriculture business to have its entire U.S. agriculture platform certified under the Leading Harvest Farmland Management Standard.
