In 1970, Timothy Hall became a partner in a farming venture in the state of Sonora, Mexico.  In Mexico, he managed ranch operations (700 acres), developed a 100,000 tree nursery, and worked as a farm advisor in sub-tropical fruits for the Mexican Federal Government, the Sonora State Government, and for private growers.

 

 During the growing seasons, Mr. Hall worked in the Central Valley of California as a researcher for The Fig Growers Association, collaborating with the United States Department of Agriculture, the University of California’s Kearny Field Station, and the Fresno County Farm Advisors Office.  This research culminated with Mr. Hall co-authoring a University of California Extension booklet.  Tim has been a pioneer in the fig industry in Mexico and also worked to reintroduce the amaranth grain into Mexico.

 

 In the 1980s, Mr. Hall continued his farm consulting work in Mexico focused mainly on arid lands agriculture.  He also worked as an apprentice with the world-renowned geophysicist and hydrologist, Stephan Riess (nominated for a Nobel Prize).

 

Tim first read about Paulownia in the early 1990’s.  In late 1992, a group of American and Australian investors arranged a joint venture to market the Paulownia in the United States.  Their company, the Sapphire Dragon Corporation, established a nursery in Santa Paula, California.  As far as can be determined, this was the first commercial production of Paulownia in the Western U.S.  By early 1995, after some unsuccessful attempts to market the Paulownia in Mexico, Sapphire Dragon contracted with Mr. Hall, based on his extensive experience in Mexico, to market two Paulownia species (P. kawakamii and P. fortunei) in Mexico.  The Paulownia was well received in Mexico, and soon Sapphire Dragon Corporation proved incapable of filling the orders.  Tim and his brother Tom, soon formed Eco Ranchos, and began growing their own supply of trees.  Their first nursery was in the Ojai Valley of California, and Eco Ranchos eventually formed Eco Ranchos, S.A. de C.V, a Mexican Corporation and produced trees in three different locations in Mexico.

By early 2003, Eco Ranchos had marketed and planted Paulownia trees in more than a dozen states in Mexico and in several foreign countries.  By that time, Tom Hall had returned fulltime to his construction company, and Christopher Danch had joined Eco Ranchos as a full partner.  By mid-2003, Tim was California Director of the American Paulownia Association (APA), and Co-Director of the International Marketing for the APA.  Mr. Danch and Mr. Hall continued to promote agroforestry and to provide consultation for projects in the United States, in Mexico and other countries, including Brazil, Guyana and Ghana.

Over the past 10 years, Eco Ranchos has worked to market various species of the tree, and to develop the protocols for every stage of propagation, commercial grow-out, plantation establishment, and plantation timber production.  Eco Ranchos has also developed excellent markets for Paulownia logs and dimensional lumber.