Hay Fields

Tilled hay fields, 1948.

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Amenities

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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

The mile-long, level marine terrace fronting Bechers Bay invited tillage by the island ranchers and may have been a factor in relocating the ranch complex from Rancho Viejo in 1870. The fields are bounded by the ocean cliffs to the east and the eucalyptus windbreak and airstrip fence to the west. The fields stretch more than a mile from the Carrington Pasture fence on the north to Water Canyon on the south.

During the Vail & Vickers era these large fields were annually plowed and planted with barley, alfalfa, and oat hay. Vegetables and potatoes also were planted inside (east of) the eucalyptus windbreak. The fields have been abandoned and are covered in high grasses and encroaching coyote brush and other native vegetation.

For more detailed historical information and citations, please refer to the Historic Resource Study: Island Legacies - A History of the Islands within Channel Islands National Park