Final Argentina Farm Tour

JANUARY 7, 2014

Don Pablo Farm

Today on our way back to Buenos Aires we stopped at the Don Julio farm near the town of Mones Cazon, BA. Farm owner, Pablo Grunbaum, and his son, Gaston, told us about their farm and then we set out in pickups for the farm tour.

The original 1897 farm house has been renovated twice, in 1938 and 1966.

Pablo Grunbaum and his son, Gaston, with the SDARL Crew at the Don Pablo Farm.

The Don Julio farm consists of 24,570 acres located in two different sites. Like many of the other farms we have visited, this one is diversified with crops and cattle.  Crops planted at the farm site we visited today include a mix of corn, soybeans, wheat and sunflowers. Then oats and alfalfa are planted on the remaining land for stock cow and feeder cattle grazing purposes. In 2014 the Grunbaum's plan to fatten 1500 head of steers on about 490 acres between both farm sites.

Pickup trucks were the way to tour around the Don Pablo farm! 

Ninety percent of the cattle are black Angus. The cattle
are finished mostly on pastures of alfalfa and oats. Whole
corn is supplemented in varying amounts depending
on the quality and availability of the pasture.

Here is Ramon, one of three gauchos on the Don Pablo Farm. We were excited
to see one of the gauchos at work today rounding up and roping cattle.

The number of acres planted and grazed varies every year due to the weather. For example, in 1987 80 percent of the farm site we visited was covered by water. Over the last 22 years, 2012 was the wettest and 2013 was the driest. As of today, the last rain came December 8th, so the drought in this area continues. The normal average annual rainfall is 32 inches.

I am sure Glen, Owner of Legend Seeds, is teaching
Bill and Dale about the soybeans at the farm.

At another stop on the tour we took a look at the drought suffering corn.

On the sandier soils and the slightest of hills, the drought is very evident.

Many of the homes we have been in while touring the farms
have beautiful displays of antique furniture and decor.
The Don Pablo Farm house was no exception.

Following lunch at the Don Julio farm, we traveled the 280 miles back to Buenos Aires where we will stay one more night before visiting the livestock auction and flying to Santiago, Chile.