By Tim Tesconi
The Tresch family of Petaluma takes the pursuit of excellence very seriously in the care and management of their 2,600 acres of pristine grazing land, which they consider the bread-and-butter of their organic milk production.
It’s part of the family’s Old-World philosophy that if you take care of the land, it will take care of you and the cows that graze upon it. It’s a philosophy of environmental stewardship that has served the Tresch family well during the 120 years – and six generations – they have been on the Petaluma ranch. The original 320-acre home ranch has been expanded to 2,600 acres of contiguous pastureland using profits from milk to acquire neighboring ranches that became available.
“This land is who we are,” said Joe Tresch, 77, who has lived his entire life on the ranch settled in 1905 by his great grandparents. He seldom ventures beyond the ranch driveway, content to live and work on land he loves.
“I get my news talking over a barbed wire fence,” said Tresch, a true remnant of the Old West.
