In California’s Central Valley, where drought cycles, labor shortages, and regulatory scrutiny loom large over agriculture, one family farm has quietly developed a model of innovation rooted in tradition. Gemperle Family Farms, headquartered in Turlock, CA, blends three generations of stewardship with a deeply analytical approach to modern almond farming that is anchored in regenerative practices, poultry-almond integration, and data-driven decision making.
At the heart of it all is Richard Gemperle, a trained hydrologist and engineer who now oversees over 2,000 acres of almonds in Stanislaus and Merced counties, including 250 acres of organic production. His path back to the family business was as circuitous as a river meander, shaped by geology, European engineering projects, and a quiet conviction that farming could, and should, do more than just grow crops.
“We’re not just farming almonds,” says Gemperle. “We are farming soil, water, and future potential. That means thinking long term and making decisions today that will hold up 30 years from now.”…