The plaintiffs, Kings County Ventures and Green. This article published earlier by our partners Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism (CCIJ) is part of a collaboration that includes the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), California Health Report, CCIJ, Circle of Blue, Colorado Public Radio, Columbia Insight, The Counter, High Country News, New Mexico In Depth and SJV Water. The SDGs where we. All rights reserved. Their concern is where Vidovich is taking the groundwater. The truth, as always, probably lies somewhere in between. The Water Board began holding hearings on the issue this past summer. Everyone else is just pumping and pumping, he said. 2023 www.visaliatimesdelta.com. Michael is seasoned agribusiness investment and business development professional with more than a decade of experience. Thats fine for a farming operation the size of Sandridge or Boswell, but smaller growers cant afford to let that much ground go unplanted. The companies are also at odds over groundwater. Enter your email address to receive INSTANT ALERTS of new articles and to be added to SJV Waters WEEKLY NEWSLETTER. What Will Become of Fallowed Valley Farmland? California The canal company sued but couldnt immediately stop the project. None of that has been discussed yet, he stressed. Hugues was also divisional CFO in Turkey. This is what businesses do, he said. He Toppled Vince McMahon. The giant JG Boswell Company has little love for Sandridge Partners. Our team includes leading industry operators and executives as well as a seasoned board of advisors from across the food and agriculture industry. Through Sandridge, Vidovich owns about 130,000 acres with 38,500 acres in Kern, 82,000 acres in Kings, 9,500 acres in Tulare and 300 acres in Fresno county, per ParcelQuest. Page met Vidovich in 2005 when Page was farming 400 acres out near Wasco. Vidovich is, after all, a powerful landowner in the Central Valley. (Source: Sandridge Partners cross-complaint) This fight between Boswell and Sandridge is just the latest between the two farming giants, which own more than 230,000 acres in Kings County between them. I understand the fear, but its not based on reason.. And he served two terms on the Santa Clara County Planning Commission, appointed once in 1990 and he again in 2010, igniting controversy among activists concerned about sprawl. Water is a key variable smaller farmers have little to no control over. Boswell Company, and Sandridge Partners, controlled by John Vidovich, will be back in court March 23 where Judge Valerie Chrissakis will decide whether the Sandridge pipeline is subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Groundwater and floodwater are two very different things. We further understand that Mr. Vidovich has caused both surface and pumped groundwater to be physically moved via pipeline and canals from and to lands controlled by him, thereby crossing boundaries of counties, GSAs, water districts, subbasins, defined places of use, and perhaps areas that are otherwise regulated.. His letter states that if all the groundwater being pumped out of the Tulare Lake subbasin isnt fully accounted for, that could harm other GSAs in the subbasin. strategic advisory firm. He paid em three times what anyone else wouldve for their land and now theyre all gettin water because of his policies, Page said. Longtime friend and associate Ted Page defended Vidovichs operations. Thats true of the entire San Joaquin Valley, where he said farmings footprint is retracting because of pumping restrictions looming under the states new groundwater law. Lois Henry is the CEO/editor of SJV Water. In aprevious story about the Tulare Lake Subbasin groundwater plan, SJV Water noted that it included only vague outlines for how it planned to manage the areas overdraft and most pumping reduction plans wouldnt kick in until 2035, five years before SGMAs deadline. The district plans to store flood flows on land next to the California Aqueduct, the main artery that moves water from northern to southern California, then pump it south. According to legal briefs filed by Tulare Lake, all the floodwater that can be put to beneficial use has been, and theres no leftover water available for Semitropic. Vidovich is gobbling up all the parcels he can so he can keep on pumping, Mitchell said. After Vidovich sold his Dudley Ridge state water, Pace said he drilled several wells in Green Valley, built a pipeline across I-5 and took the valleys groundwater to keep his Dudley Ridge trees alive. Yeah, hes got a lot of money and hes been buying up land, makes some people nervous, Page said. Ive learned that I have to be diversified in my water, Vidovich said. Carol provides administrative support to the Team and ensures that the office runs smoothly. His operation is extensive and very smart.. And the company maintains positions on just about every ag and water related board and commission in Kings, giving it considerable political heft. It shows something about the thought process that we dont usually get to see, she said, wondering if the letter is a kind of smoking gun that exposes the true intent of the pipeline as a public project thats being hidden.. The difference, Vidovich has charged, is that Boswell continues to farm using groundwater. The plaintiffs, Kings County Ventures and Green Renewable Organic and Water Holdings, sued after the deal fell through in 2009 for their Quay Valley project. s.parentNode.insertBefore(gcse, s); Exporting large amounts of water from one farm region to another and aggressively pumping groundwater both negatively affect other landowners. Its an unusual letter and I was surprised to see it, Chrissakis added. News Theres nothing hidden about how Sandridge moves water, he said. Now, hes involved in a project that could set him up as a water marketer on an extreme scale. But the size of farms increased 14.5% from an average 559 acres to 640 acres. For the portions that can be tracked through state and other water district records, the water is mostly flowing south to Kern County, much of it from Kings Countys two largest and most powerful farming operations J.G. Litigation is pending with respect to some of the suspected transfers, but not all., Sandridge is being sued by the Kings River Water Association, which claims it is moving river water outside its rightful place of use.. Sunridge Partners (UK), LLP acts as the investment advisor for the Sunridge funds that invest in agribusinesses globally. Both men saw Hurleys involvement in numerous local districts including Angiola, Deer Creek Storm Water District, Green Valley Water District and the Tri-County Water Authority, a newly formed GSA, as more Vidovich control. Under his leadership, Buena Vista has installed a pipeline system to reduce reliance on canals, which lose a lot of water to seepage and the district has become extremely active in buying up land for water banking. But water pipelines arent permitted or monitored by Kings County, according to the county Public Works Director, so its impossible to know if they stop at the county line. But everybody talks about it, and were all concerned.. They have the original 1881 homestead certificate signed by a secretary in the James Garfield administration for 80 acres southeast of Lemoore, where they still live and farm. It wanted an operating agreement and hefty insurance coverage. Sunridge Partners (UK), LLP (FRN: 821518) is an Appointed Representative of Kroll Securities Limited, (FRN: 466588) which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The association contends that even though those lands are in the county, they are beyond whats considered the rivers service area. And river water cannot be taken outside that service area, according to the lawsuit. Pace gave a nod to Vidovich on that count. Our goal is to supply the highest quality almonds, at competitive prices, to customers worldwide. Sandridge sent a hold harmless letter and refused the rest. It just doesnt look very good for us right now, Smith said. Will Pandemic Make or Break the Valley? Kings and Tulare farmers and water managers want to know. The agencys role is simply to review groundwater plans to see if theyre adequate. Vidovich says the animus against him goes back to his 2009 sale of State Water Project (SWP) contract rights tied to land he owned in the Dudley Ridge Water District in Kings County. But, she said, her department cant really step in until it has reviewed groundwater plans submitted to the state in 2020. The Kings is as erratic a river as the Kern so floodwaters are unpredictable. News, Latest The Water Board began holding hearings on the issue this past summer. Designed with by Trinity Mobile Apps, use of the heavy equipment to stop the pipe project is not a protected tactic under the law., Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), Gov.s proposed $40 million for farmland retirement is welcome but more needed, Boswell bulldozers allowed to stay put, blocking Kings County pipeline project, SJV Water about this new pipeline, Vidovich. But its difficult when right next door theyre dropping [water levels] 60 to 100 feet, Russ Freeman, Westlands Deputy General Manager for water resources, said in a previous SJV Water article. Posted on August 6, 2018 Bakersfield Californian. There are often laws binding it to a basin. That information also isnt contained in groundwater plans for the El Rico Groundwater Sustainability Agency, which covers Boswell lands almost exclusively. nor its destination. The Gilcrease family has been growing crops in Kings County since the 1880s. SJV Water is an independent, nonprofit news site dedicated to covering water in the San Joaquin Valley. Ultimately, he said, even if Boswell and Sandridge did move all their state water out of Kings County, its a fairly minor loss to the county. She commenced her career working administratively for a medium sized American oil company until it was bought by BHP Billiton, where she continued as Executive Assistant running the London office of the Chairman & CEO. Bilyana holds a BSc in Management with first class honours from Cass Business School and is an ICAEW Chartered Accountant. Lukas works across all aspects of the firm from business development to portfolio company operations. We partner with exceptional agriculture and food companies to guide them through rapid yet sustainable growth, to become clear industry leaders. Boswell Farming Company and Sandridge Partners, controlled by John Vidovich. Number three, water from Angiola cant physically get to Semitropics proposed storage cells. Wyrick writes that it is believed Sandridge uses a canal/pipeline system to move groundwater from the Tule and Westside subbasins south and west for use in the Southwest Kings GSA as well as lands in the Kern Subbasin. Kings County is small by San Joaquin Valley standards only 1,392 square miles, or just about the size of Rhode Island. Sandridge Partners, controlled by Silicon Valley developer John Vidovich, is a relative newcomer to the region, making large land acquisitions in the last three decades. Philipp was an investment professional at King Street Capital, a large hedge fund, where he led investments in real asset sectors throughout Europe. The fight between the Tulare Lake Canal Company, controlled by the J.G. Some farmers cant afford to do either, making the difficult decision to get out of agriculture all together. It was kind of a crutch in case I flunked, he said. On April 1, 2014, a Kings County jury awarded a $128.6 million verdict in favor of Kings County Ventures and GROW and against McCarthy Family Farms for breach of contract involving the sale of the water rights and against developer John Vidovich and Sandridge Partners for intentional interference of two contracts involving water for the Quay . We lose innovation., Still, Zetland didnt fault Sandridge or Boswell. By locking up the land, he said, Vidovich will be able to deny smaller farmers like him and Pace the water they need for their own operations. From that perspective, it becomes massively economically inefficient, said Zetland. And I want to keep farming.. Its a decimal point, Vidovich said of state water amounts compared to what farmers use from rivers and groundwater. His father, Stephen Vidovich, formed De Anza Properties and helped develop the valley. Theres so many canals and ways it can move; its hard to track, he said. The large, black pipe could be seen . However, Vidovichs comments do not address whether all the river and groundwater is being used in Kings County or sent elsewhere a question that has become nearly impossible to answer. In contrast, John Vidovich, who helms Sandridge, comes from a Silicon Valley farming-turned-developer family. As water drops, growers engage in a well-digging arms race. Number one, the settlement agreement between Angiola and Lower Tule/Pixley irrigation districts wont allow Angiola or Sandridge to move the water out of Kings County. It got to a point where the only way we could get an approval was to go to the voters, he told the Silicon Valley Business Journal hours after filing the initiative paperwork in April 2016. The fight between the Tulare Lake Canal Company, controlled by the J.G. And in 2017, the levees had to be raised another two feet at a cost of $14 million to residents, according to the letter. John Vidovich Active Sunnyvale, CA President for De Anza Building & Maintenance Construction, Inc. (408)738-4444 Overview 46 Companies 8 Connections 7 Locations Contribute Follow John Vidovich Overview John Thomas Vidovich has been associated with forty-six companies, according to public records. We are one of the largest vertically integrated almond suppliers in the world. Earlier this week, a Kings County Superior Court Judge ordered a preliminary injunction on the pipeline owned by Sandridge Partners and Santa Clara County's John Vidovich, as first reported by SJV Water. The Tulare Lake Canal Company, controlled by JG Boswell Company, moved the equipment onto the canal banks in late January to block trenching for a pipeline by Sandridge Partners, controlled by John Vidovich. But Semitropic is the first district to get this close to making it a reality. But hes also moved his State Water Project supplies south to lands he owns in Kern County. Avila says corporations are gobbling up the land to plant more permanent crops and draining the countys water in the process. It has 61 wells capable of pumping a combined 240 cubic feet per second. Exactly what groundwater would be moved? Boswell and Vidovich also find themselves on opposite sides of whether the Kings River is being fully utilized by all of its rights holders. The SDGs where we believe Sunridge can have the greatest impact are: We are a proud signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment, the leading global proponent for incorporating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles in investment activities. Farming runs deep in the blood of growers like Jeff and Karen Gilcrease. Regardless of Thursdays ruling, onlookers can expect it wont be the end of this issue. The sale is still considered a blow to Kings' water portfolio by other farmers. The giant J.G. When contacted in December by SJV Water about this new pipeline, Vidovich wouldnt say what type of water it would carry (groundwater? Local Education It now retains about 132,000 acres in Kings as well as 3,700 acres in Tulare County and 23,000 acres in Kern County, according to ParcelQuest, a property information database. News, California Sunridge Partners (UK), LLP acts as the investment advisor for the Sunridge funds that invest in agribusinesses globally. The Fresno Bee reported the verdict against McCarthy Family Farms and San Francisco Bay Area developer John Vidovich and Sandridge Partners. Philipp Saumweber is an experienced principal investor and operator in the agriculture sector, which he has worked in for over a decade and has deployed capital across the agricultural value chain in Europe, North America and Australasia. Putting a blockade on the canal banks was not a legitimate use of that easement, he said. That was the last straw for Pixley, which sued in 2013. A strong, diverse farming sector is vital to the local economy and food security and it requires water. Absolutely not. Strafford PUD attorney Ray Carlson said during the hearing that the district had been in very preliminary talks with Sandridge about the future possibility of moving its wastewater through the pipeline. They are suing Angiola for what they say was Hurleys illegal takeover of the tiny Atwell Island Water District. The corporations and the bigger guys are buying up land left and right for astronomical prices, Smith said. Over the years, the farm has truly been a family operation with Karen keeping the books and their children helping to bring in the harvests. We welcome you to contact us to discuss how we might partner to create mutually beneficial opportunities in the agribusiness sector. No, no, Im not selling water to LA, he said. Farmers in the heart of Californias agricultural belt Kings County sense something is awry with their water supplies. Semitropic Water Storage District in Kern County has applied for the flood water which it plans to store on land owned by Vidovich near Kettleman City, between the Blakeley Canal and California Aqueduct. Michael holds a BSE in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MSc with Distinction in Shipping, Trade, and Finance from Cass Business School. Construction of the pipeline, on land owned by Sandridge Partners, is causing concern among Kings County farmers and others. A skill his detractors say hes used to maneuver water away from its rightful place to his own benefit. You may have never heard of John Vidovich, but his impact on the day-to-day life of the average southern San Joaquin Valley farmer is difficult to be understated. Four years ago, Dudley sold several thousand acre-feet of its annual State Water Project contract to. Its a $500 million project, of which Semitropic is hoping to get $250 million from Proposition 1 funding. When you have a bowl and only three straws, it takes longer to empty, Walker said. Ag Giants Boswell, Vidovich Sling Mud at Each Other, Tulare Man Convicted on 20 Counts of Molesting Two Girls and a Boy, Big Raises for SCCCD Part-Time Faculty 'A Really Good First Step, But Just The First Step', Bud Light Sales Fall 26% as Transgender Backlash Worsens, Speaker Kevin McCarthy Blasts Russia Over 'Killing of the Children' in Ukraine, Its Farmers vs. At one point, he was moving nearly 30,000 acre feet a year, according to Angiolas records. Boswell Company and Sandridge Partners, owned by John Vidovich.
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