KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
Lombardi Ranch, a part of the Santa Clarita community’s Halloween tradition and festivities, will not open this year due to a combination of the California drought and the lack of water in the Bouquet Canyon area — but KHTS AM-1220 wants to “Save Lombardi Ranch.”
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Lombardi Ranch officials announced earlier this month the ranch won’t be open for the fall 2015 season, after first hosting their Halloween Pumpkin Festival in 1989.
“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 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.”
Click here to visit the Save Lombardi Ranch GoFundMe page.
The Goldmans hope to raise $100,000 for Lombardi Ranch.
Should the Lombardi’s not accept any of our donations, we will create a scholarship fund in the Lombardi’s name. It shall go to a local William S. Hart District Student who intends to attend college and major in Agriculture.
“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 a 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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How exactly is this money supposed to help? I’m interested in helping but is this going to drill a new,deeper well or is this going to import water? What’s the plan and I’m in!
I believe it’s to financially support the ranch since they’re losing money during their busy season by not being able to plant/grow during the drought.
Exactly! Is this a water problem or a financial problem?! They don’t go hand in hand. Tell the truth about what’s going on before your solicit a fundraiser.
I agree with Kelsie how is this money suppose to help. The Forrester service has been giving an okay to do the work on the creek. The Forest service is waiting for an appropriation bill to get money for the work.
Money will not help the water situation unless it is for there personal use.
I agree. What are the plans for using $100,000 ~ how will it be used to benefit the ranch? Water is what they seem to need. Love Bob, Joann, Adria and the whole Lombardi family. I have worked there many years and can’t imagine one year without them. I will support them any way I can but would like to understand the plans more!
Copied and pasted from Carl Goldman’s editorial (https://www.hometownstation.com/santa-clarita-news/editorials/editorial-save-lombardi-ranch-santa-claritas-halloween-icon-154522):
There will be no Lombardi Ranch this season. We are way past the pumpkin planting window. Lombardi will not be opening this year. However, we can preserve and save this precious Santa Clarita asset for future years. KHTS has established a Go Fund Me account to save Lombardi Ranch. Our intention is to create a large enough stockpile to allow the Lombardi’s to purchase water next year to assure Lombardi is around for future generations. Our goal is to raise $100,000.00, which should be enough money to assist in front-loading next year’s crop should we remain in a drought.