Waking up at the crack of dawn, irrigating crops, tending to cattle and rigorously inspecting the farmland for general health and invasive weeds — these are just a few of the many tasks that farmers at Willow Springs Ranch and Coats Ranch complete to go from a seed to a meal at the dinner table. 

Out at the ranches in Central Point, those farmers bring natural grass-fed beef and a variety of freshly picked fruits and veggies — depending on what has been harvested recently — to locals through the farmstand. 

“Right now it’s pickling cucumbers and slicing cucumbers and later this week it’ll be lemon cucumbers, then it’ll be tomatoes and then it will be our cantaloupe,” ranch hand and mechanic Tony Pastere said of the current focus. “It’s a lot of labor and it’s a lot of love … we try to do the best we can.” 

Willow Springs Ranch is around 165 acres and is owned by Jerry May, with his stepson Andy Coats operating the adjacent roughly 10 acre Coats Ranch as well as the farmstand with Pastere. 

“Our own families want to have good food to eat, so we just try to produce something that’s quality and local that we know exactly what’s been done to it,” Coats said. “We put a lot of pride into all of our products that we produce; we try to produce good, quality produce so that everybody’s happy with it.” 

The farm also offers U-pick opportunities for people to pick fresh fruits such as blueberries, peaches, melons and more depending on the season. For its beef selections, the ranch offers quarter, half and whole cow, as well as pepperoni and jerky.

With the variable nature of farming, the farmers announce what is available and when to get it on the farmstand’s Facebook page at The Farm Stand LLC. 

The farmstand is a bright yellow structure located at 3371 Willow Springs Road in Central Point. 

“It’s fun for families to bring out kids to do the U-pick so the kids can understand where their food comes from,” Coats said. 

May and his wife, Wendy May, purchased Willow Springs Ranch in 2004. 

The farm has been family owned and operated since first being established in 1875 by John McKay and has passed down through multiple generations, including the previous owner, Lola Saltsgavers. 

Considering the challenges family-owned farms face in the modern age with market volatility, labor costs, large-scale industrial farm competitors and other expenses, May and his crew farm for the love of the land and the crucial role it fills for local communities.

“You’re not going to become a millionaire becoming a farmer. You do it because you love being out here and working with the land,” Coats said. 

On how he’s been able to maintain the ranch for more than 20 years, May noted the importance of flexibility and communicating with and learning from other local farmers. 

“You’ve got to be able to adapt quickly,” May said. “You also have to look for mentors … you’ve got to be willing to learn and be open minded about what’s going on.” 

Mentors such as Larry Martin of the Martin Family Ranch in Central Point helped introduce the farmers to New Zealand rotational grazing, an efficient and sustainable method of grazing cattle that mimics natural grazing patterns. 

Another facet that’s helped Willow Springs and Coats ranches stay in business has been focusing on variety rather than putting all their eggs in one basket by planting a single crop. 

“Most farmers normally do one thing; we’re doing 15 different things in one day to sell and make money in a two-and-a-half month period,” Pastere said. “The more we grow, the more we can offer.” 

“You have to find your niche and have to be willing to try new things to make something different and make ends meet, otherwise you won’t be farming for very long,” Coats said. 

Regardless of rising irrigation prices, fuel prices, the cost of power and other factors, the farm is here to stay for the community, bringing fresh beef and produce to the dinner table. 

“Seeing how excited and happy our customers are at the end of the day helps make up for (the challenges),” Pastere said. 

“We’re making sure we’re producing something that we would feed to our own families,” Coats said. 

For more information on the ranches, visit willowspringsranchcp.com. 

Reach reporter James Sloan at james.sloan@rv-times.com.