Almond Sustainability a Priority

Documenting Almond Sustainability

By Jessie Theisman, Associate Editor

Sustainable almond farming utilizes production practices that are economically viable and are based upon scientific research, common sense, respect for the environment, neighbors and employees. The result is a plentiful, nutritious and safe food. That’s what the Almond Board of California is working to achieve along with Joe Browde from SureHarvest.

Joe Browde, of Sure Harvest, Heads up the Almond Sustainability Program for the Almond Board of California

The almond sustainability program uses grower submitted production information to demonstrate the sustainability of the almond industry.

“Some of the benefits have been consistent over time. At the ease of the program, folks can more readily participate in a user-friendly mechanism,” Browde said. “They’ll be able to look at the practices, how they compare to their peers around the state, and see what they can do to improve their performance. Mostly economically, as well as for the environment. The more participation, the more value for the almond board that can tell the industry story.”

“What we want to do is get folks engaged. We want to let them ensure that they see the value individually as well as see the greater value for the whole industry across the state” Browde said.

“Documentation is the name of the game going forward. They just have to get out there and tell their story,” said Browde, who also touched on how sustainability in California isn’t the exception. “It is the rule, and we find the more we look at practices, we’re actually amazed at times at the performance of almond growers across the state.”

“We want to make it as easy as possible, but we also want to make it valid at the end of the day and ground-truth things. It’s going in the right direction. We’re pleased, the almond board’s pleased and we’re going to make a difference,” Browde said.

Patrick Cavanaugh2017-01-19T16:22:52-08:00January 19th, 2017|

Red Wave Sale a Success

Red Wave Sale is a Hit at Fresno State

By Melissa Moe and Jessie Theisman, Associate Editors

Every January, Fresno State hosts a large lamb and goat sale, known as the Red Wave Sale. Typically, around 60 lambs and 45 goats are sold in the sale, many of which were bred and raised by students on campus at the Fresno State Sheep Unit. The remaining sheep and all of the goats are consigned to the Red Wave Sale by Fresno State Alumni.

Red Wave Goats Ready for Sale

Student involvement is a huge part of the Red Wave Sale. Fresno State offers a class in which students learn to manage and run a livestock sale and show. The Red Wave Sale is entirely hands on and involves months of preparation to run smoothly. Cameron Rocha is a student at Fresno State who is very involved in the Red Wave Sale and helps manage the Sheep Unit.

”It really starts months and months before – almost before the lambs are even born,” Rocha said. “Getting the sale ready. ‘How we want to do our sale order?’ Dates, times and ideal weights that we want for the lambs. The Red Wave Sale benefits me, as a student. I spend a lot more time, here on campus. It keeps me on campus, keeps me more involved, keeps me out of trouble.”

Not only does the sale benefit students, but it also helps support Fresno State’s Jordan College of Ag. The sale contributes to the Sheep Unit, as well as other programs within the animal science and agriculture education departments.

The Red Wave Lamb and Goat Sale would not be possible without the support of alumni and affiliates. The Pavletich family of Pavletich Club Lambs has been breeding sheep in the Central Valley since 1971, and Scott Pavletich has been bringing lambs to the Red Wave sale for years.

“We’ve been here every year for the past eight or ten years, bringing a consignment. Every year the sale keeps getting better and better. Just like the sheep at Fresno State – they keep getting better and better,” Pavletich said.

Sheep and goats bought at the sale will be hauled to county fairs all around the state, from San Diego to Shasta and everywhere in between. Many of the sheep and goats were also bought by youth exhibitors who compete with their livestock in jackpot-style shows all across the state and in other parts of the nation.

Fresno State’s Red Wave Sale not only has a history of producing happy customers, it produces champions as well. Next month, many of the animals sold in the livestock sale will be shown at the Red Wave Classic, a livestock show put on by the students at Fresno State. The show will feature classes for sheep, goats, hogs and cattle, as well as a futurity class for exhibitors who are showing animals that were bought at the Red Wave Sale.

Patrick Cavanaugh2021-05-12T11:17:11-07:00January 18th, 2017|

Cherry Industry Hoping for Better Year

Cherry Growers Face Challenges in California

By Jessica Theisman, Associate Editor

The cherry trees in California are sitting dormant now, but they will be waking up soon, for what the industry hopes to be a better season than the last few years.

“Cherry trees will soon push bud and leaf out and produce a crop by late April. We’ve had, I think, a decent amount of what we call chill portions,” said Nick Matteis, a spokesperson for the California Cherry Board.

California Ag Today’s Farm News Director Patrick Cavanaugh, left, speaks to Nick Matteis.

Enough minimum temperatures will help the trees become more vigorous in the spring. “It’s one of the things that makes growing cherries particularly challenging in this state,” Matteis said. “By January, folks will know, and hence, based on that information, that’s when the rest-breaking materials are sprayed if needed.” Rest-breaking sprays are used to compact and advance bloom and harvest in cherries.

Many consumers in California really hope that this upcoming season will be a good season for cherries. “The only thing that makes it worthwhile is that people still just love to have those cherries at the earliest chance possible,” Matteis said.

“Last year, we got rain at the wrong time. Then we had a lot of split cherries that just didn’t make it to the market. The year before that, anybody’s guess is as good as anybody else’s,” Matteis said.

The cherry growers this year need a break. The state of California did not have a very good crop set two years ago, though last year, they had the opposite. “That’s the story with cherries, we’re always trying to squeeze into a really tight window, whether it comes to growing conditions or markets,” Matteis said.

There are always multiple factors that could lead to a decline in production. “There was some speculation amongst the growers that it maybe had something to do with bloom and pollination. Some thought maybe the chill was a factor, too. Of course, when you talk about any kind of factorial statistical analysis, I’m sure there are many combinations that’d be impossible to simplify,” Matteis explained.

Patrick Cavanaugh2017-01-12T19:39:57-08:00January 12th, 2017|

Citrus Trucks Will be Tarped

Tarped Citrus Trucks Will Fight ACP

By Melissa Moe, Associate Editor

In the ongoing battle against Asian Citrus Psyllids, an insect that is known to vector the fatal Huanglongbing disease in citrus, the California Department of Food & Agriculture has issued a new regulation to require trucks to be tarped when moving citrus. This regulation will be phased in and permit holders will be notified by CDFA.

Joel Nelsen, president of the California Citrus Mutual, explained that the regulation will prevent the spread of this vector-transmitted pathogen. “What we discovered is that psyllids were flying towards fruit sitting in trucks and bins as they were being transited from Southern California to the San Joaquin Valley, because of the aromas that the fruit gives off,” he said.

Fruit is not considered to be a vector of Huanglongbing since ACP can only vector the disease through leaves and twigs. However, these pests are catching rides on trucks all over the state on the fruit that was considered to be relatively safe.

“What happens is the Asian Citrus Psyllid is attracted to the aroma coming off of the orange, and it flies towards it thinking it’s going to find a food source,” Nelsen said. “Well, it rides around on the orange for a couple of hours, until it figures out that there’s no green waste or twigs attached to that fruit, and then it flies off.”

Fruit that is being transported from Bakersfield to Fresno could be taking these hitchhiking pests anywhere along Highway 99. While on this joyride, they could go up and down 5, across 126, or across 10 from Southern California into the San Joaquin Valley. News of new ACP finds have been right along these traveling corridors.

“We discovered that we may be part of the problem in helping Asian Citrus Psyllids spread, or have a hitchhiker role,” Nelsen said. “We made that determination as a result of some research done by the University of California. We ended up talking to growers at seven different grower meetings; several hundred in total were participating in the discussions. We all came to the conclusion that it’s going to cost us some money now, but it’s better than costing us the industry later.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2021-05-12T11:00:46-07:00January 9th, 2017|

Boron Affects Rootstocks

Excess Boron Threatens Orchards

By Brian German, Associate Broadcaster

There has been some exciting research taking place examining the effects of high levels of boron on various types of rootstock. Katherine Pope is an Area Orchard Systems Advisor, covering a large area that includes Sacramento, Solano and Yolo Counties. High concentrations of boron have been a big problem for some growers in the area.

“This is a bigger topic for Yolo County, and there’s a few areas on the west side of Fresno county and also areas in San Joaquin County … that have excessively high boron. There’s veins of boron that come out of the Coastal Range,” Pope said.

Katherine Pope, UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor, Yolo County warn growers of excess boron

Pope’s work as a UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor has her involved in covering production research, education and assistance with almonds, prunes and walnuts. Boron can cause a myriad of problems in orchards, making preparation before planting even more important. “You would want to test your water and your soil before you plant. Because if you plant the wrong rootstock on high boron ground, boy, you’re going to feel it for the next 20 years,” Pope said.

Some of the early findings of the project have shown there is not a steadfast rule regarding what rootstock variety fits what limitation. “We have nine different rootstocks that we tried, of a lot of different origins. Peach-almond hybrids, some that have plum in them, or some that are just peach,” Pope said. Other preliminary findings suggest that complex hybrids are more tolerant to high boron, sodium and chloride.

Some of the rootstocks that appear to be performing well under heavy boron conditions are both peach-almond hybrids. “Both Titan FxA and Nickels performed really well last year. … That’s probably a mix of generally being vigorous trees, and so they’re higher-yielding no matter what, and the wider spacing we have them at,” Pope said.

The project has also shown that the rootstocks Lovell and Krymsk 86 continue to perform poorly under high boron conditions. “Lovell – which is usually a fairly sizable, decently-yielding tree – and Krymsk have both had pretty low yields, about one-third of the yields of the highest yielding trees,” Pope said. Researchers can tell that those rootstocks are letting a lot of boron up into the tree by looking at the boron numbers in the hull. “Those two rootstocks do well in a lot of conditions but high boron is not one of them, according to the results we have.”

The trial is still fairly new, as the rootstocks were planted in 2011. Last year was the first significant harvest. Pope mentioned that if boron levels reach 0.5 parts per million, that’s when it starts to become a concern.

Patrick Cavanaugh2017-01-05T10:57:23-08:00January 5th, 2017|

CDFA Supports Ag Education

CDFA Awards more than $250,000 to support Ag Education

Today, the California Department of Food and Agriculture has awarded $257,000 to four organizations for projects that enhance agricultural education and leadership opportunities for students, teachers and youth under the 2016 California Special Interest Plate (CalAgPlate) grant program.

“The CalAgPlate program helps to support agricultural education and leadership opportunities,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “Every purchase and renewal of a CalAgPlate provides funding for activities that enrich the lives of students through exposure to farming and ranching across the state.”

Funded projects include school farm tours with the Dairy Council of California; ‘LearnAboutAg’ assemblies at elementary schools hosted by California Foundation for Ag in the Classroom; an agricultural leadership program in Monterey County for community leaders and professions; and support for California Future Farmers of America’s (FFA) leadership and development programs. Each of these projects provides educational and leadership opportunities connected to the agricultural sector.

The CalAgPlate program is funded with proceeds generated through the sale of specialized, agriculture-themed license plates through the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

CalAgPlate project abstracts are available online at www.cdfa.ca.gov/calagplate

Help to support agricultural education and the CalAgPlate program by purchasing a special interest license plate at your local DMV office or online today.

California Ag Today2017-05-15T21:49:00-07:00January 4th, 2017|

Almond Board’s Sustainability Program Gets Even Better

Almond Board Program Streamlined

By Jessica Theisman, Associate Editor

The Almond Board has set a new standard for the Ag industry, according to Joe Browde, a senior research associate for Sure Harvest, which is working with the Almond Board towards sustainability.

It isn’t news that best management practices is the goal of the almond sustainability program, which has been in place since 2010. According to Sure Harvest, “sustainable almond farming utilizes production practices that are economically viable and are based upon scientific research, common sense, a respect for the environment, neighbors and employees.” The result is a plentiful, nutritious and safe food.

Browde gave California Ag Today some insight on this well-known program. “What we’ve done is try to make it more user-friendly, streamline the whole process to ensure the value.” He explained that they wanted to “improve the value of the program so growers can see it more clearly, and handlers, too, as they increasingly assess their practices.”

Sure Harvest made the process more adaptable for all to use. “We’ve made it adaptable to various platforms. Obviously the traditional computer itself, the laptop, but now also well adapted even to smart phones and, of course, other mechanisms as well,” Browde said.

Sure Harvest has created a brand new program to simplify the process. “So if you answer a practice once, it’s auto-populated elsewhere where a similar practice is asked, so it’s all about making life easier for the assessor so they can enjoy the experience more” he said. “They will feel the value at the end of the day.”

Joe Browde also explained the Almond Board of California’s new bee and pollination module. “Brand new one. The bee health and pollination module is specifically desired by ABC … to go with their best management practices guide for bees, and they want to make a big deal on what they’re doing in that realm.”

The main goal of the Almond Board of California and their bee and pollination module is to help consumers understand the value in bees and their importance to the world supply chain of food. “We have developed a new module for that to help them answer those questions and folks can assess. They can use it perhaps even in a verification scheme one day with suppliers” Browde said.

Sure Harvest and the Almond Board are both researching the module. “We’re talking about various ways to help folks throughout the supply chain see the value and to be able to address their various customers” Browde said. Although these studies may still be in their infancies, “we’re trying to figure out the best strategic direction forward with ABC leadership.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2017-01-03T14:10:43-08:00January 3rd, 2017|

CalAgJobs: Big industry Needs

CalAgJobs Connects Job Seekers

By Brian German, Associate Broadcaster

The men and women in the California agriculture industry help provide food to consumers all around the world. That makes it even more important to prepare the next generation of farmers and ranchers to fill that role.

Shannon Douglass is the Director of Outreach at CalAgJobs – a company that connects those looking for ag careers with employers who are looking to find long-term team members. Some people think about agriculture in terms of being a shrinking industry, but Douglass explained that California agriculture is as vibrant as ever. “Farms themselves are getting larger, and we need people who are those professionals, who can help the farmers and help those farms continue,” she said.

Throughout the state, agricultural companies face unique needs that require specialized knowledge. CalAgJobs was established with a goal to link passionate and qualified people with great ag careers. “We think it’s really important to be encouraging people in college, especially, to be looking at internships in agriculture so eventually they’ll look at those jobs,” Douglass said.

The team at CalAgJobs believe that agriculture is more than just a job – it’s a way of life. Douglass indicated that a tremendous number of opportunities available for those who are interested in studying agriculture. “We end up with about 4.5 job opportunities for every crop science grad in California; especially in crop science, the jobs are huge,” Douglass said.

To search for employment using CalAgJobs, go to their website here.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-12-31T12:14:17-08:00December 31st, 2016|

Better Navel Orangeworm Spray Coverage

Navel Orangeworm Sprays Tough to Target

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Farm News Director

Naval orangeworm is the number one pest in almonds and pistachios, and there’s a lot of research going on to find ways to manage this pest. One important strategy is timely sprays, but Joel Siegel, a research entomologist with USDA Ag Research Service in Parlier, CA, said that it’s tough to get that spray on target.

Joel Siegel

“Spraying for naval orangeworm is learning to live with loss. Many years ago, my professor told me to assume that 90 percent of what you put out never goes where you want it to go. I didn’t know that he was being an optimist when he told me that,” he said.

To confirm this, Siegel set up a controlled experiment sponsored by DuPont. “Using the best setup of spray rigs at two miles per hour, we’re basically getting 10 percent of what we calculated in the tank was actually getting on the nut,” he said. “Then if you add the difficulty of saying, you want to get it in the suture on an early split almond, you’re probably getting about two percent of what’s in your tank actually on that suture zone, so you’re dealing with a 98 percent loss.”

Siegel said the spray is getting in the tree, but not on the nut or the suture of the nut. “I’m talking about just getting on target. It’s getting on the leaves, it’s getting on the bark, it might be getting on the ground.”

Siegel noted that it’s actually better to spray at night, when the naval orange worm adults are flying. “That way, some of the drift can actually contact the adults. The other advantage of night spraying is that the humidity is higher, so you’re not getting that loss of having the droplets evaporate.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2021-05-12T11:02:00-07:00December 29th, 2016|

FFA Inspired Animal Sciences Major

Fresno State Student Jessie Theisman Wants to Teach Next Generation

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Farm News Director

Jessie Theisman grew up in San Diego and is now a senior at Fresno State studying Animal Science. She did not come from a farm family and virtually none of her friends had any knowledge of agriculture.

But then she discovered FFA. “I began my interest in ag my freshman year through FFA, where I started getting involved with lambs. Eventually it turned into goats. Then it turned into cattle,” Theisman said. “After that, I decided I wanted to be an Animal Science major, and I transferred up to Reedley College, where I studied Animal Science and even became involved with the Young Cattlemen’s Committee.”

“I then transferred to Fresno State where I continue my studies in Animal Science and my interest within the YCC. I should be graduating next fall. I’ll take another year to get my credentials, and I’ll be an Animal Science teacher,” she noted.

Another individual who fueled Theisman’s passion in agriculture was her great-grandmother, who had a farm in Anderson, which is in Shasta County, just south of Redding. “Basically, she was the last person we had that was involved in ag.”

Theisman noted that when she got involved with FFA, all the doors opened up for her in high school.

“That’s what lead me to wanting to become an ag teacher so that I could open up those doors for the younger generations themselves,” she said. “I want to make it easier for the younger generation who did not come from an ag background to become involved in ag because that’s a very difficult thing to do if you’re not born into an ag family.

And Theisman is still working with livestock while at Fresno State. “I do breed goats, and I want to give kids the chance to show their animals, get involved in ag, and hopefully, it opens more doors for them, as well as builds confidence.”

“I really hold 4-H and FFA very close to my heart. Those were probably the best years of my life,” she said.

“And I’m still involved with the FFA. I go back to my high school. I volunteer all the time. I do go to the state conference [in Fresno] and I work that through Fresno State.”

Theisman was also involved with the speech contest, the livestock judging contest and the livestock show team.

“All of that was honestly the best years of my life. There is not anything I would ever change … I would never give that up,” she said.

Patrick Cavanaugh2017-02-22T18:37:34-08:00December 27th, 2016|