About Us
Goose Valley Ranch
A Family Organization
George Denny purchased the land in 1986, and brought his young family out from San Francisco to have a look. Everyone agreed it needed some work, and with the help of a young entrepreneur starting a leveling business, they began carving fields into the landscape.
Ted de Braga realigned the canals until the entire property could be irrigated with a single ditch circling the fields. Ted stuck around to try out farming, and has grown 100 million pounds of wild rice since.
In 2022, George retired as CEO and his son, Amos Denny has assumed his role. As long as there's water in California, you'll find the Dennys and de Bragas growing something at Goose Valley.
What makes Goose Valley a family organization is, of course, the people. New employees are warned - most people who come to work with us tend to stay a long time. This summer we will be celebrating the contributions of Dusty and Shanna de Braga to the ranch over their 30 year tenure with us.
1986
Note the three pivots in the southwest due to the harsh slope and the bog in the Northwest
2021
Down to one pivot and fields with just enough slope to grow anything, any year.
Why Wild Rice?
Wild rice picked us. The old lake bed that formed the valley over centuries provided a water-tight bottom. Some plants struggle in clay soils, but wild rice likes "wet feet." If we stopped farming it, it would go on sprouting out of the paddies each spring, beating out weeds easily. After making some wonderful partners nearby, we landed on wild rice as our focus.
Wild rice is native to Minnesota, and known primarily as a colorful addition to many rice blends. For us, it's great just as it is, hot with a little pesto or cold as a summer salad. High in protein, with a rich nutty flavor, and can last forever, there's nothing like it.
