[KHTS] – Lombardi Ranch, a part of the Santa Clarita community’s Halloween tradition and festivities, will not open this year — but KHTS AM-1220 wants to “Save Lombardi Ranch” so it can reopen in 2016.
Lombardi family members announced earlier this month the ranch won’t be open for the fall 2015 season, after first hosting their Halloween Pumpkin Festival in 1989.
Government officials have not allowed the usual release of water from the Bouquet Reservoir because of the potential effects of siltation on the unarmored threespine stickleback, an endangered fish.
“It looks like we are not opening,” said Adria Lombardi Faulconer, in a previous interview. Faulconer runs the ranch with her nephew Levi Lombardi. “We have not planted anything because we don’t have water to plant anything.”
KHTS AM-1220 co-owners Jeri Seratti-Goldman and Carl Goldman have set up a GoFundMe account called “Save Lombardi Ranch” to raise supplemental funds while the ranch is closed to help fund alternative water resources for next year.
“The Lombardis don’t know we are doing this. We didn’t tell them. We have known Bob and Joann Lombardi for 25 years,” Carl Goldman said. “They are proud, hard-working folks who are the first to give and never ones to take.”
The Goldmans hope to raise $100,000 for Lombardi Ranch.
“We pride ourselves on the quality of our produce and strive to always have the best. During the month of October we add pumpkins, Indian corn, corn stalks and gourds, family fun and entertainment,” said Joann Lombardi, in an SCVHistory story in 2013. “Our Halloween Pumpkin Festival began in 1989, but Lombardi Ranch has been selling pumpkins since 1968.”
Lombardi Ranch lost about 95 percent of their corn to the drought and lack of water from the Bouquet Canyon Reservoir in 2014, Lombardi said. “There’s no telling what I lost with pumpkins.”
“I had to give (the corn) up,” Lombardi said, regarding the corn and other produce, in a previous story in 2014. “It burned and died out because I was trying to save pumpkins.”
The water wells for the Bouquet Canyon residents and businesses, where Lombardi Ranch is located, are nearly dry due to the lack of water let out from the Bouquet Canyon Reservoir.
The lack of well water and lack of rain have made it nearly impossible for the Lombardi family to plant produce, Faulconer said.
“It’s really hard (for us) to put it out there that we are closing,” Faulconer said, in a previous interview. “Hopefully, we are not closing for good.”
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54 Comments
Tiffany Aune
Jasmine Garcia
Just drove by there today! So sad to see how deserted and dry it looks! Really will miss it this year.
: (
Is there a link to the GoFund Me page??
yes, it’s in the story
http://www.gofundme.com/savelombardiranch
That’s great! How can we all help
im very confused on where the money would go since they cant use the water>??’
I agree. How is money going to fix the problem of water?
right???? ill gladly give money but not sure what its going to>lol
They could probably use the $ to purchase pumpkins from another farm and have them shipped, but that is only a temporary solution.
Maybe they can build a well
If it’s so they can have a festival this year I’m in but this article was very lacking in actual information .
They don’t get water like you and I do in our tract housing projects. A System was never set up that far down bouquet (LARC ranch has the same problem and has to have water come in by truck). Wells need to be built – pipes need to be laid – basically whatever it takes to get that part of the valley into the new millennium. It’s actually kind of ridiculous that it hasn’t been done already
They both have wells but have dried up because they stopped the water in the creek from flowing.
So sad, that was a tradition with my parents & now my son. What can we do??
Yes we need the GoFundMe page link. I want to pass this around.
it’s in the story
http://www.gofundme.com/savelombardiranch
The county and feds need to fix the Bouquet Creek so the water can get down that way Maybe they would have some runoff from that. Same with LARC ranch having to truck in water
THE LOMBARTIS HAVE PLENTY OF MONEY, THEEY NEED TO USE IT ISTEAD OF ASKING OTHERS….IT SHOULD NOT EVEN BE CLOSED IF YOU ASK ME.
So sad. We used to come up from Burbank to visit the ranch!!!
Jason Severson sad!
I have worked for the Lombardi’s for 4 years as a tour guide and I have to,say they are the most hard working , caring people I know. I have loved working there seeing all,the people so enjoy themselves having fun with there families and friends.. The children love it there. The smiles and experience that the children get to have is priceless. I was going,to help again this year but I will hope next year and after I will be able too. I wan to do,what I can to,help..
Love to help my kids are grown and have kids of their own yet still remember Lombardi ranch, scarecrow alley, picking out their pumpkins, moved away from area there’s nothing here that’s as memorable I miss Lombardi
They had awesome tomatoes
Miss the tomatoes. Do have some nice memories too
Would love to help too, but how is this going to help the water issue?
The story does not mention how many 1000s of gallons of water are needed, where it can come from or how we will get it to the ranch and what the cost will be. That cost will be the $ target for fundraising.
Maybe they should sell some acres, I know the builders would love their land.
The SCV doesn’t need to build anymore
No water, no vegi.
It affects all the lombardi workers ….pray for a good solution
Praying
Wow let’s save that fish. SMH
It’s crazy how few people are aware of that. And someone suggested they sell some of their land? It’s the ant agricultural movement and no one realizes it. Scary
It’s crazy how few people are aware of that. And someone suggested they sell some of their land? It’s the ant agricultural movement and no one realizes it. Scary
Exactly people don’t open their eyes to see the real problems
Craig Jesse Jake :(
Angie Luna
Wow lol does anyone see the bigger picture?? No u dnt. WE HAVE NO WATER. WE ARE SLOWLY DYING . THIS IS A GOOD THING. it’s sucks yes but SAVE THE WATER!!!!
Then why is the government shipping hundreds of thousands of fresh water to be dumped in streams and river beds and lakes to allow a random fish to mate or migrate? I agree we need to preserve our resources but why are farmers suffering when there’s obviously enough water to dump? There’s a big problem, but it’s not necessarily the drought.
Then why is the government shipping hundreds of thousands of fresh water to be dumped in streams and river beds and lakes to allow a random fish to mate or migrate? I agree we need to preserve our resources but why are farmers suffering when there’s obviously enough water to dump? There’s a big problem, but it’s not necessarily the drought.
I’m not agreeing to shutting it down or to stop growing the resources we need. I never said that and I don’t believe there’s enough water. I’m not a fan if our government
Sad
R
R…???
I was sleepy…have no idea
Another casualty of this crazy weather we are having all over the country.
I appreciate the Goldman’s passion for wanting to help the Lombardi’s, however I do agree with the question of what will these funds be used for? Money will not create rain or the water needed for them to grow crops. Not knowing the Lombardi’s I cannot comment on their financial situation or if they are at risk of losing the farm because of non-production this year. But it seems to me that in light of this drought, it is a small price to pay to shut down for a year. I would much rather see the same passion and go fund me activity being directed to LARC Ranch that serves a direct purpose to help mentally disadvantaged adults.
I’m not sure that giving money is the answer unless they can buy water from a state that has ample extra water. Where is that? Yes I am sorry to see this. I too took my kids there but what is even sadder is the hills being knocked down for more houses which will us more WATER. Money can not manufacture water. “I’m out” on this fundraiser.
To the people who suggested that they sell some land. Are you CRAZY? If they don’t have WATER to grow food what makes you think that building houses will be better? There are other homes/families up Bouquet that are having problems with their wells too! We need the stream to flow so the ground water level will rise enough to fill the wells.
Kayelin Neri
Yeah I saw this. Apparently still closing for this year. :(:( for Elijah’s first Halloween. Sucks! I wonder if we can still go and take the kids traditional picture though. Lol