Looking good Geno. Would love to farm more on our place-now up to 33 acres but it's crappy N.Nev land canyon up over the mountain and down.
I'm sure glad I traded my couple of acres of 10' deep columbian loam in the N. Sac valley for what I now have but all the Californians have followed me here. Last frost and snow 6/11 first frost was probably third week of Oct. And that was a little late.
I know you know the drill in Modoc Co. Beautiful country.
We got lucky with this place J. Our house side of the seasonal creek is volcanic rock/ red clay/ and shallow hardpan. Of course, they were smart putting the house here, it's not in the flood area. The side with the field in it is all bottom land. All that working the dirt and I found one softball sized rock when I was I done. Not sure how deep the hardpan is, but I can sink a shovel and keep going without hitting any. Put some fruit trees in this past spring and didn't hit any going down about 2', so I'm happy.
I know what you mean about moving to an area you like, but having to deal with that weather. June 19 here for last frost and first frost was early Sept. I think I added it up to 81 frost free nights. Probably why grass hay, alfalfa, and beef are the biggest agriculture items here and why high tunnels are so popular.
Happy for you that you got away, but that Valley dirt is sure some good stuff, and being able to grow a palm tree means a whole lot of other stuff is an option too. If I lived down there I'd have my own olive trees for sure. I picked up a couple of supposedly cold tolerant pomegranate bushes this past spring, they're in winter mode now on the south side of the house. I'll know in the spring if they really are cold tolerant.