COUNTY'S HOPING TO MAKE HAY GROWING GRASS NEAR PITCHESS.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer

CASTAIC - Barren county-owned land that serves as a buffer between the Pitchess Detention Center and the Golden State Freeway will be planted with hundreds of acres of grass.

Los Angeles County officials are working with a farm company to plant the 200 acres with sod that will be sold at nurseries. The county will get a cut of profits.

``I think it's great that the land is being used,'' said Lt. John Hernandez, at Pitchess Detention Center. ``It will have a cooling effect in the summer. It will look nice.''

The county has a three-year contract with Summit Farms, which has leased the acreage to Turf Grass of America.

``It will bring safety, beautification and economic aspects to the area,'' said Dan Gibson, manager of Turf Grass. ``It is good ground for what we want to do with it.''

No inmates will work on the farm.

In the first phase of the project, farmers plan to have 120 acres under production and slowly increase the amount over time.

``We hope to produce 200 acres of grass over a period of time,'' Gibson said. ``It will take away the dry grass during the summer and provide a beautification aspect for the center, the community and along the freeway.''

The county will receive 7.5 percent of the farm's gross income or a guaranteed monthly rate, said Chuck West, director of real estate for the county. The money will go to the county's general fund.

``The minimum that we plan to charge is $1,000 per acre for cultivation,'' West said. ``It's hard to tell how successful they are going to be.''

Work has begun on the site, with workers rushing to grade and level the land before winter sets in.

``They hope to meet the deadline before it gets too cold,'' said Hernandez. ``The first harvest is expected around March or April.''

West said that the land lease, suggested by Sheriff Lee Baca, makes good business sense. The county has long considered using that land for profit, introducing plans in the 1990s for an industrial park there, but that project never materialized. The county also has considered the land for training centers, but officials said an agricultural operation was the most suited for the area.

Land around the Pitchess Detention Center has long been used for farming.

``Historically, open areas were used as alfalfa fields when we had a farm operation,'' Hernandez said.

Inmates used to run a hog farm there as well as a dairy and a nursery.

Turf Grass of America has 15 other farms across the United States and has approximately 9,000 acres of grass in production at any one time.

``This is our first venture in Southern California,'' Gibson said. ``We're looking to provide a high quality product.''

Officials said they chose the location because the surrounding area is developing and in need of landscaping.

``We feel fortunate to be able to produce our sod locally,'' Gibson said. ``New homes are being built everywhere. We're excited to be in California. We have a perishable product. It's good if we can be located close to where the sales activity is going to take place.''

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Photo:

(color in SAC edition only) Sheriff's Lt. John Hernandez watches the progress of barren land being prepared for the planting of sod near the Pitchess Detention Center. The county has a three-year contract with Summit Farms, which has leased the acreage to Turf Grass of America.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer