With nearly 70,000 farms in California, farming is important to the state. Common ground crops grown in the state include hay, tomatoes, and rice. Orchards produce many fruits, including grapes, oranges, and lemons. Nuts like almonds, pistachios, and walnuts are also grown here. Farmers in California work over 24 million acres of land in the state. 

Additional facts about farming and food production in California:

As you might expect, all farms are different. Due to the different types of farms on land, each requires specific equipment to get the tasks on hand. 

The following are the types of farms most common in California and the suitable equipment for each.

ORCHARDS AND VINEYARDS

Enviromist

1) Domed sprayers for controlled application of herbicides:

• 1524 Vineyard Sprayer Tow Type – This sprayer can treat up to 8 feet widths (11.5 feet when fitted with Undivina 600 CDA extensions). Undivina 1524 CDA offers reasonable but economic center-row weed control. The machine is highly popular in orchards, vineyards, and amenity situations like roadsides, parks, and fence lines.
• Spraydome 3049 CDA - The Spraydome 3049 CDA range of drift-reducing sprayers has been specifically designed and developed for treating weeds growing between rows of fruit and nut trees. Featuring extendable wings, the sprayers’ adjustable width and broad reach make them ideal for use in tree crops. It is also popular in controlling weeds in vineyards with varying row widths and a host of amenity situations, including spraying parks, roadsides, and fence lines. The machine’s shielded design helps prevent spray drift and allows the sprayers to be used even in windy conditions. There’s no drift reduction in chemical usage as the product is deposited at its intended target, reducing the loss of chemicals in the atmosphere.

Falc

1) Shredder for pruning off the trees:

• Cat 1000 F – Standard features include:
  • The “F” series has one position manual offset. “SP” offsets hydraulically.
  • 5.5” rear roller for level cutting and height adjustment.
  • 20-60 HP required.
  • Electronically balanced rotor and long-life rotor bearings for smooth operation.
  • The rotor diameter is 4.7”.
  • Hardened steel hammers are standard.
  • Type 1 blades are also available.
  • Harvest tines and front wheels are available as optional equipment.

2) Grass shredder for weeds between tree rows

• Condor 1600 –
  • Rear roller
  • Gearbox with internal freewheel.
  • Shredder Bar
  • Rear hood and bar for harvest tines.
  • 540 rpm PTO shaft
  • The F model has a 2-position hitch, while the SP model has a hydraulic offset.

3) Tillers for ground prep and maintenance between rows of trees and rotary tillers for ground maintenance between rows of grapes, berries, etc.

• A900 (also known as Type A)–
  • For tractors, 30 hp max.
  • 540 rpm PTO with shear bolt protection
  • Low maintenance chain side drive.
  • Single-speed gearbox; Rotor speed is 312 rpm
  • Four blades per flange
• B-1250 Supero – Single speed gearbox (250 rpm)
  • For 20 to 50-hp tractors
  • Model BS: 4 blades per flange
  • Model BS – Super: 6 blades per flange
  • 540 rpm PTO with shear bolt
  • Depth control skids standard
• C-1300 Super –
  • Single-speed or four-speed gearbox (206 rpm)
  • For 40 to 70-hp tractors
  • Gear side drive
  • 540 rpm PTO with slip clutch protection.
  • Six blades per flange
  • Depth control skids
• GL 3000 –
  • For 120 - 220 horsepower tractors.
  • 1000 rpm PTO w/ torque limiter
  • Single-speed gearbox. Alternate gear ratios are available on request.
  • Oil cooler std 4000-4500, optional on 3000-3500.
  • Category II/III hitch

4) Specialized shredder for working between the trees

• Jolly 1650 Shredder – Ideal for cutting or light pruning grass, brambles, and bushes.

Rinieri

1) Ground maintenance for around and between the trees

• CM – Tine Cultivator and Hydraulic Frame – Rinieri’s Cultivator “CM” with special supports “Stone-Jumper” of working groups equipped with anti-shock springs; the frame is width-adjustable and cylinder for vertical hydraulic lifting available to decrease the overall and easier the movements. The rear roller adjusts the working depth between 15 cm and 25 cm. A model is available with 5 – 7 – 9 – 11 spades.
• Hoeing Plough – Hydraulic hoeing plough linked to a fixed mount 3-point linkage complete with an independent hydraulic distributor for the hoeing of vineyards. It is possible to mount one or two front furrows to increase the working width and furrows for row ridging.

2) Machine for removing unwanted weeds and suckers at the base of the trees

• Bio Dynamic Orchard Wide – The recent Bio-Dynamic product line offers fast weeding in vineyards and orchards with working speeds up to 12 km/h. The Bio-Dynamic products have two characteristic features: The Bio-Disc tills the soil and moves it towards the plants, and the Bio-Star works the soil between the plants.

ROW CROPS

Falc

1) Shredders for removing crop residue after harvest and topping onions before harvest.

• Master 1800 Shredder  – Professional lateral shredder for grass, bushes, and brambles in orchards, citrus groves, olive groves, and for roadside maintenance.
• Master Special 1600 Shredder - The professional lateral shredder is for grass, bushes, and brambles in orchards, citrus groves, olive groves, and roadside maintenance.
• Next 1500 Hydraulic Shredder - Used for chopping grass, light-to-medium prunings, and vegetal residuals in general.

2) Tillers for soil prep

• A900 – (also known as Type A):
  • For tractors, 30 hp max.
  • 540 rpm PTO with shear bolt protection
  • Low maintenance chain side drive.
  • Single-speed gearbox; Rotor speed is 312 rpm
  • Four blades per flange

2) Grass shredder for weeds between tree rows

• Condor 1600 –
  • Rear roller
  • Gearbox with internal freewheel.
  • Shredder Bar
  • Rear hood and bar for harvest tines.
  • 540 rpm PTO shaft
  • The F model has a 2-position hitch, while the SP model has a hydraulic offset.
• Gamma 5000–
  • Rear trailing board extensions
  • 380 HP rated, single speed gearbox with oil cooler
  • Dual end drives
  • 1000 rpm PTO with torque limiter
  • 330 rpm rotor
  • Durafaced tiller blades; 6 blades per flange
  • Quick hitch compatible Cat III hitch
  • Also available with a spike rotor.
• Kappa 4000–
  • For 190-300 hp tractors
  • 1000 rpm PTO with torque limiter
  • 3-speed lever control gearbox. Rotor speeds - 246,308, and 356 rpm.
  • Cat III hitch & rear PTO
  • Optional equipment includes depth control wheels, depth control skids, cage roller, and packer roller
  • Spike-type rotors and straight-blade rotors are available.
  • Double wall rotor tube on 4000 & 4500.

3) Spaders used to incorporate crop residue into the ground in organic operations

• Mini Toro 1000–
  • 40 to 80-inch working width
  • 4 Speed Gearbox
  • For 30-60 horsepower Tractors
  • PTO shaft with clutch
  • Cage Protection
• Panda 1000
  • 35 to 58-inch working width
  • 4 Speed Gearbox
  • For 20 - 35 horsepower Tractors
  • PTO shaft Less clutch
  • Cage Protection
  • The tractor must be equipped with creeper gear.

Massano

1) Soil prep and bed forming before planting new crops

• RSE-Plus 2600R–
  • • For 140 to 300 hp tractors.
  • • Built with a working width from 340 to 580 cm and a working depth from 15 to 30 cm.
  • • Used mainly by large horticultural companies to improve the seeding preparation in one pass.
• RSF 80” Tiller / Bed Shaper
  • For 80-150 HP tractor
  • The soil carrying stones or vegetable debris strikes a vertical “comb” of spring steel tines where loose, clean soil passes through while stones, root clumps, clods, etc., are screened out, falling to the bottom of the cut to be buried by clean soil.
  • Reverse rotating tiller that works soil and throws dirt
  • Up over the tiller’s rotor to the rear.
  • 80-inch width.

Stanhay

1) Vegetable planters, both vacuum, and belt

• 785 Row with 120mm Wheel  – This is the original 785 Stanhay air drill and is still available today. Based on the design of the 870, it is a dependable drill with thousands of rows still in use worldwide.
• 820 Push Drill - Highly versatile, the 820 Push Drill is designed for planting small areas and quantities of seeds at a time. The large-diameter rear cage wheel and ergonomic handles make it easy to push, while the four-speed drive gives four seed spacings per seed belt.
• 840 Wheel Unit Planter - It is designed to fit behind compact and small tractors or ATVs. It is ideal for the smaller grower or market gardener drive from the large-diameter rear cage wheel. The four-speed pulley drive gives four seed spacings per seed belt.

Gaspardo

Vacuum planter for vegetable seeds. The following lists Gaspardo’s MTR range of planters:

MTR Precision Planters – Gaspardo’s ten years of experience in the precision planter sector have resulted in the MTR range of planters. The MTR planter is the entry model of a homonymous range of precision planters, which are multi-purpose and suitable for planting in well-tilled and minimally-worked soils, ensuring maximum precision.

1) Fixed frame planters – The fixed frame MTR model is available in multiple versions ranging from 4 to 12 rows with inter-row spacing of 45, 60, and 75 cm.

• MTR – The MTR planter is the ideal solution for small farmers and farms with no width limitations for road travel. It delivers the best planting results every time. Available with both micro granulators and fertilizer spreaders.
• Mistral  – 8.5-meter-long fixed-frame planter with 12 or 18 rows for high production demands. The solution combines performance and value for money. It is perfect for bigger businesses requiring transport methods suitable for long distances. It has a light version and a built-in trolley for faster and easier transport.

2) Twin-row mounted planter

• MTR Twin  – Precision planter model, designed to plant twin rows in one pass for more improved and precise seed placement. It is particularly useful for crops like maize, soya, onions, and other crops. This machine is an innovative solution that ensures an increase in crop yield and a consequent cost reduction.
• Quincoince System  – It is a metering system synchronized between the MTR Narrow twin-row units. It is designed to precisely stagger the seed discs for placement in a triangular pattern with the utmost reliability and accuracy.

3) Telescopic-frame mounted planters

• MTE – It is the practical, reliable, and ideal partner for small and medium farmers mainly concerned with planting certain crops like maize, involving frequent road travel. It comes with 6 or 7 planting units and has a 4.3-meter frame with the outer units retracting telescopically to 3.0 or 3.4 meters.
• Marta  – Marta is ideal for planting maize, onions, and other crops planted in widely spaced rows, minimizing width for road travel with its hydraulically retracted outer units. Marta provides the optimal solution for areas with narrow lanes or roads with poor access.

4) Telescopic planters with variable row spacing

• Monica  – Monica is the mounted retractable telescopic planter. You can adjust its length to 2.55 meters. Its versatile design allows you to work with a row spacing from 45 to 75 cm for planting different crops with a single investment. It also comes with double-disc or Suffolk fertilizer coulters. Monica is a benchmark for farmers and contractors for planting crops with different row spacing.

5) Wing-fold planters with variable row spacing

• Magica – Magica is renowned for its operational versatility, thanks to its wing-fold planter, which provides adjustable row spacing, and a Suffolk coulter fertilizer placement system.

6) Wing-fold mounted planters

• Mirka  – It is the ideal solution for professionals planning to carry out planting and localized fertilizer placement using a single-rear mounted implement. The 8-row model with 75-cm row spacing has a hydraulically operated wing-fold frame for a narrow transport width of only 3.0 meters.
• Manta  – It is ideal for planting on any soil condition. It has excellent operational capacities with practical use. The wing-fold feature makes this machine ideal to use on ground that has not been uniformly tilled or on non-linear fields.
• Manta XL  – The Manta XL has a hydraulic folding frame featuring telescoping sections. Due to its 12 units with a 75 cm-row spacing, it has high productivity and the ability to uneven ground contours, making it an ideal piece of equipment built to cater to the demands of planting professionals, contractors, and substantial farms.

Robocrop

Automated weed removal equipment that replaces costly hand labor.

• Robocrop InRow Bio Weeder  – It can weed most fruit and vegetable crops plated with regular planting and row spacing.
• It has the same robust rotary weeding system as the Robocrop InRow Classic.
• It has the same precise disc steer system as the classic one.
• It features a high-speed rotary action that causes minimum soil spatter and low crop contamination.
• It has enhanced image analysis.
• Rear mounted to any Cat 2 tractor linkage.
• It operates from the tractor hydraulic system.
• Excellent visibility of the weeding operation from the tractor seat.
• Precise height control for exact weeding precision.
• Tough enough for heavy land situations.
• Optional spot applicator/drencher.

M.O.M.

1) Mulch plastic removal post-harvest in fields where vegetables have been transplanted.

• Extractor Retriever  – It is designed to collect plastic sheets from greenhouses across the field at the end of the vegetable growing season.
• Mulch Retriever  – The machine is designed to collect plastic sheets from greenhouses and across the field.

2) Drip tape removal post-harvest to allow bed prep for the following crop

• Double Drip Tape Retriever  – The machine is designed to collect and wrap the dripline of the drip irrigation system of medium-large companies.

BERRY PRODUCTION

Rinieri

1) Pruners for removing excess foliage before the season

• CRL Tower-1 L  – The new frames TOWER 1 and 2 for pruning machines CRL are characterized by the same central structure, very resistant and equipped with tilt and hydraulic lifting to which is coupled an upper part with a displacement or double displacement depending on the model. This particular design makes the machines to be modified after the purchase. Spring safety controls protect cutting bars, and the horizontal bars also have a manual closure for transport. The double-blade cutting bars CRL are sturdy and allow a very accurate cut thanks to the double blade- tooth movement.
• CRV T2 B4+2F  – The new frames TOWER are characterized by the same central structure, are very resistant, and are equipped with tilt and hydraulic lifting, which is coupled to an upper part with a displacement or double displacement, depending on the model. This particular design makes the machine to be modified after the purchase. The stainless-steel cutting bars CRV with rotating knives are durable and lightweight, allowing a fast and perfect cut-up to 15 km/h.
• CRV Tower Vine Trimmer  – The new frames TOWER are characterized by the same central structure, very resistant equipped with tilt and hydraulic lifting to which is coupled an upper part with a displacement or double displacement depending on the model. This particular design makes the machine to be modified after the purchase. The stainless-steel cutting bars CRV with rotating knives are durable and lightweight, allowing a fast and perfect cut-up to 15 km/h.

Falc

1) Shredders to remove the tops of strawberries to regenerate crops for the new season.

• Next 800 Shredder  – For chopping grass, light-medium prunings, and vegetal residuals in general.
• Super Sax 2100
• Front and rear hitch and PTO allow for front and rear tractor mounting.
• Hydraulic offset hitch is standard equipment.
• 540 rpm PTO shaft
• 4-groove pulley for 1600 & 1800
• 5-groove pulley for 2100
• The rear roller & 2 front support wheels are standard.

M.O.M.

1) Mulch plastic removal post-harvest in fields where vegetables have been transplanted.

• Extractor Retriever  – It is designed to collect plastic sheets from greenhouses across the field at the end of the vegetable growing season.
• Mulch Retriever  – This machine collects plastic sheets from greenhouses and across the field.

2) Drip tape removal post-harvest to allow bed prep for the following crop

• Double Drip Tape Retriever  – The machine is designed to collect and wrap the dripline of the drip irrigation system of medium-large companies.

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