REGULATIONS SOUGHT TO BE ADOPTED PRIOR TO NOV. 3O

Ag Solar Easements For Review

The California Department of Conservation (DOC) TODAY released draft regulations for the creation of solar use easements on agricultural land, beginning an official public comment period. Approval of the draft by the Office of Administrative Law starts a one-year clock for DOC to institute the regulations.

“Our goal is to move more quickly and to adopt these regulations prior to November 30, 2013 so that they will go into effect at the start of 2014,” said John Lowrie, who heads DOC’s Division of Land Resource Protection. “Having these regulations in place will help the state reach its renewable energy goals.”

The text of the regulations can be found at www.conservation.ca.gov/dlrp/lca/Pages/SolarUseEasements.aspx.

California has adopted a number of goals and strategies to encourage the production of electricity from renewable resources and thereby reduce the production of greenhouse gasses.  One of those strategies is to encourage the use of photovoltaic energy to produce electricity. It has been estimated that photovoltaic panels will need to be installed on 100,000 or more acres of land to meet the 2050 greenhouse gas reduction targets.

“California has some of the world’s most productive and diverse agricultural land in the world,” Lowrie said. “The Division of Land Resource Protection’s primary goal is to conserve these resources. However, many of the same attributes that make land useful as farmland — such as an abundance of sun and flat, wide open spaces — make the land attractive to the developers of photovoltaic facilities. These regulations will both ensure the best farmland continues to be protected and define a path for the creation of needed solar facilities.”

SB 618 (Senator Lois Wolk), signed by Governor Brown in October 2011, encourages the development of photovoltaic facilities on marginal and impaired farmland by creating solar-use easements.  Under certain circumstances – with approval from DOC in consultation with the Department of Food and Agriculture — a Williamson Act contract can be rescinded in order for property to simultaneously enter into a solar-use easement.  In most cases, the easement will require that the land be used for solar photovoltaic facilities for a term of no less than 20 years. 

DOC’s rulemaking clarifies the responsibilities of landowners and project proponents hoping to create a solar-use easement; defines the roles of local jurisdictions and the department in processing proposals and applications; and establishes a fee structure for project review.

At this time, no public hearing has been scheduled concerning the proposed regulations.  Any interested person may request a public hearing; he or she must do so no later than September 15, 2013. Requests can be sent to Lowrie’s attention by FAX at (916) 327-3430 or email at solar.ag.comments@conservation.ca.gov. Written comments also may be submitted by those methods; the written comment period closes at 5 p.m. on September 30.

2016-05-31T19:45:24-07:00August 16th, 2013|

FDA TO ASSESS FOOD SAFETY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

FDA to Prepare Environmental Impact Statement on Proposed Produce Rule

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will evaluate the potential environmental effects of the proposed rule, “Standards for Growing, Harvesting, Packing and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption.”

FDA is also announcing the beginning of a “scoping process,” designed to determine relevant issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis.

Comments are due by November 15, 2013, to coincide with the closing of the recently extended comment period for the proposed produce safety rule.

FDA is conducting the EIS in response to comments and its own analysis that an environmental analysis is needed. The agency is already assessing issues that may give rise to significant impacts from the standpoint of the environment and the practicality of the rules and alternative ways to achieve the food safety goal.

FDA is paralleling its own assessment of the issues with the EIS process, thus the Agency doesn’t anticipate that the EIS will delay final rule deliberations, but rather will generate additional data and analysis and provide the opportunity for stakeholder engagement.

FDA will carry out the EIS through a public process and actively engage various stakeholders, including other Federal agencies, State agencies and Tribal leaders.

Submit comments electronically starting August 19, 2013 on http://www.regulations.gov, using the docket number FDA-2011-N-0921.

To submit comments by mail, send to FDA at:
Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305)
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061
Rockville, MD 20852

All submissions must include the agency name and docket number, FDA-2011-N-0921.
2016-05-31T19:45:24-07:00August 16th, 2013|

OPEN HOUSE BROUGHT OUT CROWD

Monsanto Completes Veg-Seed 
Research Facility in Woodland
Edited by Patrick Cavanaugh and Laurie Greene
Monsanto Company TODAY announced the completion of a $31 million expansion at its Seminis vegetable seed research headquarters in Woodland, CA.  The expansion includes a 90,000 square-foot state-of-the-art research laboratory and office building, establishing the location as Monsanto’s primary site for molecular breeding of vegetable seeds. Unveiled today during a special open house, Monsanto’s lab in Woodland is the largest of its kind in the world for vegetable seed health testing.

A Crowd Gathers in Woodland to See the new Monsanto

  Vegetable Seed Research Facility.
The facility’s open house attracted more than 100 attendees interested in seeing how Monsanto provides its customers quality seeds with requested traits, and good taste and nutrition for its consumers.

“The space and resources this expansion brings to Woodland will allow us to increase our research and help farmers everywhere grow more new, exciting products for the world’s dinner tables,” said Mark Oppenhuizen, Woodland’s strategy and operations lead. “It also allows us to maintain a close working relationship with our customers in an area which has become a hub for seed science and which generates seed for more than half of all vegetables grown in the U.S.”  

A Ribbon Cutting event just prior to the Open House.
“We sell product in 160 countries,” Oppenhuizen said.  “One thing about the vegetable business, there is tremendous passion about our products. Vegetable consumers are excited about the products that come from our seeds, as are the farmers who grow them.”

Steady growth in the vegetable seed business over the past few years at the Woodland site spurred the expansion. This facility employs approximately 250 full-time personnel and 150 contract seasonal employees.

Traditional breeding remains Monsanto’s main focus in its research on more than two dozen types of vegetables. Yet, the expansion includes the addition of a seed chipper process created by Monsanto engineers.  Analyzed seed chips (small parts of the seed) enable research breeders to know the characteristics of a plant—before it is planted.  Breeders then conduct more efficient research trials to pinpoint vegetable traits that will improve grower productivity and provide consumers with improved benefits such as better vegetable taste, color and quality.

The open house accompanied the 2013 Woodland Field Day at which eight Seminis breeders showed their research and how it is designed to meet the demands of growers worldwide and consumers who seek more nutritious vegetables in produce isles everywhere.

Here are just a few of the breeders that California Ag Today editors spoke to:

Alan Krivanek
Tomato breeder Alan Krivanek noted that Seminis is working on fresh market tomatoes with the economy of choice for consumers. “We want growers to have a great tomato to grow and earn a profit, but we also want consumers to have a choice on flavor, color and nutritional value,” he said.

Cantaloupe melon breeder Jeff Mills is working on western shipper-type melons. In his trial, one variety, 0099, is well suited for the spring and fall seasons in Arizona. Another variety, 0331, shows promise for the spring and fall market throughout California   “This cantaloupe has a nice firm shell, with high flesh firmness and a wonderful flavor,” said Mills. “It yields a good size 9 across all growing areas.”

Jerome Bernier
Watermelon breeders Greg Tolla and Jerome Bernier brought out some seedless watermelon lines with wonderful Brix and good 45 to 60-size count. “Our newest oblong-striped seedless, SV0241WA, is a good yielder for the grower and very adaptive to all growing areas in the country,” he said.

“This variety is part of our overall portfolio of good producers, 36, 45 and 60s with a good range of resistance to Anthracnose, Fusarium and Powdery Mildew,” Bernier said.

Bernier and Toll are breeding watermelons for all the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Australia. Nearly all the varieties in the trials are seedless types, but these breeders also work on some valuable seeded types that are still enjoyed around the world.

Nischit Shetty
A New Seedless Watermelon line.
Cucumber breeder Nischit Shetty went over his special lines that include pickling varieties grown throughout the U.S. and on about 6,000 acres in the San Joaquin County. “We have many cucumber lines for the slicing market,” Shetty said.

“One of the big areas that Seminis has been addressing on is Downy Mildew Resistance, and we have two commercial slicing variety hybrids, SV3462CS and SV4719CS, that are showing enhanced levels of Downy Mildew resistance,” he noted.

Brian Just is a sweet pepper breeder; he highlighted a commercial variety of green bell pepper called Huntington. “The feedback from growers has been positive as Huntington is showing great adaptation for nearly all micro-climates, including the Fresno and the coastal growing areas as well,” he said.

Bian Just
Just said that Huntington is a small and sturdy plant with dense foliage that provides a canopy to protect the fruit from sunburn. “It also has Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV)-resistance that is holding up very well, and it is a great yielder,” he noted.

Marlin Edwards, the Seminis Chief Technology officer said the Woodland operation does everything it can to ensure that we deliver quality seeds to our customers around the world.

2016-05-31T19:45:24-07:00August 16th, 2013|

THE EVENT IS SEPT. 12 AT The WESTSIDE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION CENTER IN FIVE POINTS

Twilight Field Day and Bus Tour
This year, the event has been expanded to include an afternoon bus tour to three San Joaquin Valley farms where conservation agriculture systems are already being successfully implemented. Registrants will gather at 1 p.m. at the UC Westside Research and Extension Center,17353 West Oakland Ave., Five Points, to load the buses.

The farm tour visits:

    Johnny and Joann Tacharra Dairy in Burrel. The Tacharras will explain their plans to apply dairy waste water through an overhead irrigation system to grow forage crops. 


    Armando Galvan of Five Points Ranch. Galvan will show how he refined his irrigation system to apply water to vegetable and row crops. Galvan installs special nozzles and boom configurations on his overhead irrigation drop lines that are designed to improve water infiltration and avoid ponding and crusting on the soil surface. 


    Scott Schmidt of Farming ‘D’ Ranch in Five Points. Schmidt will discuss the new management strategies that must be applied to successfully implement new agricultural systems.

Following the tour, the participants reconvene at 4 p.m. at the UC Westside REC for a workshop on the economic and environmental benefits of conservation agriculture systems. The event continues with a free barbecue dinner, entertainment by the Wheelhouse Country Band and a keynote address by Suat Irmak, director of the Nebraska Water Center and professor of biological systems engineering. The Water Center was established at the University of Nebraska by congressional mandate in 1964. Nebraska farms currently lead the nation in adopting precision irrigation systems.

Following Irmak’s presentation and discussion, Mitchell will name the 2013 Conservation Tillage Farmer Innovator of the Year award winner.

The expanded event coincides with a concerted effort by the Conservation Agricultural Systems Innovation (CASI) Center to grow the conservation agriculture movement in California. CASI is a diverse group of UC researchers, farmers, public and private industry and environmental groups formed to develop and exchange information on sustainable agricultural systems for California row crops.

“In each century, there are just a handful of times when agriculture can transform itself in revolutionary ways,” Mitchell said. “There is growing evidence that today presents one of those rare chances for agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley to reinvent itself.”

The event is free but pre-registration is requested to help with planning for the bus tour and dinner. Please R.S.V.P. by email to Diana Nix at dlnix@ucdavis.eduor by completing the online survey.

2016-05-31T19:45:24-07:00August 15th, 2013|

ORIENTAL FRUIT FLY QUARANTINE IN SOUTHERN CALIF.

BREAKING NEWS

CDFA: Quarantine on Fruit Fly

California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced TODAY a quarantine where oriental fruit flies have been detected in the Anaheim area of Orange County and in the Artesia/Cerritos area of Los Angeles County.

The oriental fruit fly is known to target over 230 different fruit, vegetable and plant commodities. Damage occurs when the female lays eggs inside the fruit. The eggs, in turn, hatch into maggots that tunnel through the flesh of the fruit, making it unfit for consumption.

Multiple adult flies and larvae have been detected on properties in the quarantine zone. Additional information, including a map of the 130-square-mile quarantine zone, is available at: Oriental Fruit Fly (Off) Quarantine Information. The zone is centered on the Anaheim (Orange County) and Artesia/Cerritos (Los Angeles County) areas and includes portions of Buena Park, Cypress, and Stanton, reaching south to Westminster Boulevard, north to Florence Avenue, west to Paramount Boulevard, and to the east to Anaheim Boulevard.

“Our system to detect invasive species like the oriental fruit fly is working well and according to design,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “The key is to respond quickly and take action before the pests can spread.”

Following the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), CDFA uses a “male attractant” technique as the mainstay of its eradication effort for this pest. This approach has successfully eliminated dozens of fruit fly infestations in California.

Trained workers squirt a small patch of fly attractant mixed with a very small dose of pesticide and hang it approximately 8-10 feet off the ground on street trees and similar surfaces. Male flies are attracted to the mixture and die after consuming it. 

The male attractant treatment program is underway over several square miles surrounding the sites where the Oriental fruit flies were trapped. Maps of the treatment areas are available online at: Exotic Fruit Fly Eradication Information.

While fruit flies and other pests threaten California’s crops, the vast majority of them are detected in urban and suburban areas. To prevent the spread of fruit flies through homegrown fruits and vegetables, residents of fruit fly quarantine areas are urged NOT to move any fruits or vegetables from their property. Fruits and vegetables may be consumed or processed (i.e. juiced, frozen, cooked, or ground in the garbage disposal) at the property where they are picked.

On or near these properties, additional measures include removal of host fruits and vegetables, fruit cutting to detect any fly larvae that may be present, and treatment of host trees and plants with the organic-approved material, spinosad.

The most common pathway for these pests to enter the state is by “hitchhiking” in fruits and vegetables brought back illegally by travelers as they return from infested regions around the world.

To help prevent extensive infestations, officials ask that residents do NOT bring or mail fresh fruit, vegetables, plants, or soil into California—unless agricultural inspectors have cleared the shipment beforehand. Because fruit flies and other pests can hide in a variety of produce, it is important to cooperate with any quarantine restrictions and to allow authorized agricultural workers access to your property to inspect fruit and oriental fruit fly traps for signs of an infestation.

The oriental fruit fly is widespread throughout much of the mainland of Southern Asia and neighboring islands including Sri Lanka and Taiwan. It is also found in Hawaii.

Residents with questions about the project may call the department’s Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899.

2016-05-31T19:45:24-07:00August 14th, 2013|

Grape Day 2013 Delivers Good Knowledge

Grape Day Features Mgmt. Practices

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor

Attendees gathered at Kearney for the 2013 Grape Day.
Nearly 100 attendees were at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center today to hear the latest from UC and USDA researchers on many topics.

The early field tour took growers and others in the industry to an on-site grape vineyard to see the effect of water deficits on the productivity of numerous red wine grapes cultivars grown in the San Joaquin Valley.

Larry Williams
Larry Williams, UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology, is researching big red winegrape varieties, initially started by Jim Wolpert, UC Davis Viticulture Extension Specialist.

Wolpert selected the varieties that looked to have the potential to be grown in the SJV. Now, Williams is working on irrigation management, or the effect of deficit irrigation on wine grape vine growth and wine quality.

What was initially a larger trial of 60 different cultivars from Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, is now 20 different cultivars planted in a new block in which Williams works.

“While these cultivars responded differently to water stress, they all looked good at 50 percent ET for the season,” Williams said.

Grape Day Attendees View Vineyard Trials.
Other regimes include:

·      No water between berry set and veraison. Then at veraison, irrigation was at 50 percent ET.

·      Full ET from berry set to veraison and then cut the water off.

“Right now we are seeing visual effects, but we have no definitive answers or recommendations,” Williams said.

“For instance, the cultivar Tanat receives no water from berry set to veraison, and some of the berries are not coloring up. Other varieties are responding in a similar way,” Williams said. “Cabernet and Syrah both looked good under the treatments that were imposed.”

“We will harvest the grapes this week and start to make wine in order to gather data on how treatments affected wine quality,” Williams said.

Matthew Fidelibus
Moving over to table grape research, Matthew Fidelibus, UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology, focused on the effect of pre-harvest calcium chloride and chlorine dioxide applications on Crimson Seedless fruit quality.

He is working with Carlos Crisosto, UC Davis Plant Sciences, on alternative methods for controlling pre-harvest and post-harvest fungi-decay of table grapes using a preharvest application of calcium chloride, and chlorine dioxide.

Fidelibus reported that there were few or no berry or leaf injuries with 0.25 percent calcium chloride; but higher concentrations caused some damage. “Neither calcium chloride nor chlorine dioxide affected fruit quality or field rot incidence (which was very low during the trial),” Fidelibus said. “Both compounds provided some postharvest rot protection of conidi-inoculated fruit, but not nesting- (packed-) inoculated fruit.”

Fidelibus noted that additional testing is needed to determine if the treatments might reduce bunch rots under conditions of higher disease pressure.

Teresa O’Keeffe
Moving into raisin research, Teresa L. O’Keeffe, with USDA ARS, spoke about the ecology of mycotoxin-producing Aspergilli in raisin vineyards. She noted that Black Aspergilli, are commonly observed in agriculture as black molds. “Two species, Aspergillus niger and A. carbonarious are often associated with the microbial complex that causes bunch rot. In fact, A. niger infections can also lead to vine cankers,” O’Keeffe said.

In addition, A. niger and A. carbonarious can be associated with a mycotoxin known as ochratoxin a (OTA) that causes kidney damage in humans if ingested at high enough concentrations.

While there has been very little research conducted in the U.S. on OTA, several EU countries have done testing in both raisins and wine, with results that are well below harmful concentrations.

O’Keeffe noted that recent USDA studies show that even at the highest levels of OTA in both wine and raisins, results are still well below the EU regulatory limits. “By continuing to study vineyards in the SJV, we hope to establish a baseline on how various black Aspergillus species grow and interact with each other during healthy berry development,” she said. 

O’Keeffe is a research technician for Jeff Palumbo, a microbiologist with USDA ARS.

Philippe Rolshausen
Philippe Rolshausen, UC Riverside Specialist, Botany and Plant Sciences, spoke about grapevine wood disease management options on table grapes in the SJV.

“Wood diseases can be a big issue for 20-year-old vineyards, but when problems set into a five-year-old vineyard, there are bigger economic problems at hand,” said Rolshausen.

Control strategies are the same for raisin, table and winegrapes. Esca is the main pathogen that affects table grapes. “This pathogen can be a major problem in table grapes causing loss of wood, cordons, canes, all of which reduce yield,” Rolshausen said. “There can also be a cosmetic impact with necrosis of berries because of the fungi in the vine.”

Rolshausen commented that 2011 was a big year for Esca disease spread due to environmental conditions; mainly rain, during the previous dormant season.

The only way to prevent the disease from infecting the vine is to apply fungicides over the pruning wounds. Manually painting every pruning wound is very labor-intensive and cost prohibitive. “By protecting pruning wounds, you prevent infection,” Rolshausen said.

Rolshausen said that trials suggest that a single tractor spray application with Topsin M, one day following pruning, is able to protect the vine. “Doing this will extend the life of the vineyard by an extra 10 years,” Rolshausen said.

Rolshausen also asked all growers to participate in an online survey, “Management of Measles/Wood Canker Diseases in Table Grape Production.” This survey will gather information regarding wood pathogens in vineyards to assess how they affect grower yields and how growers are dealing with them.

David Haviland
David Havilandstepped to the mic and presented research on the use of Movento in table grapes for controlling vine mealybug and nematodes.

“This is going to be a different talk for me,” he began. “Usually I talk about the efficacy of many different products, but this time I’m only going to talk about one product, Movento, because it is so unique in controlling mealybugs.

“In controlling mealybug, it’s a numbers game, but that’s not all,” he said. “You want to lower the numbers but you do not want what remains to injure your crop.”

Haviland continued, “Reducing crawler movement goes along with overall mealybug management. And while there all several insecticides available for treating mealybugs, such as Movento, Lorsban, Applaud, and Belay (Clutch), it’s important to think about resistance management when choosing any product.”

Haviland noted that there are steps to follow for Movento to work.

·      Apply to leaf

·      Moves across leaf surface

·      Becomes Systemic

·      Mealybug ingests Movento

·      Movento starts to inhibit biosynthesis

·      Mealybug continues living on existing fat reserves

       —Crawlers die within a few days.

       —Adult females can survive for 6-8 weeks due to extra fat reserves.

Haviland also described nematode trials using Movento. He noted that:

·      Movento definitely has nematicidal effects.

·      Movento is best applied in the spring at 6.25 to 9 ounces per acre; however lower rates were more effective in some studies.

·      In old, heavily infested vineyards, Movento application for nematodes pays off.

·      Yield effects, if any, are unlikely to be seen before year two.

·      Use prudence with regard to irrigation as many factors affect systemicity of Movento.

·      More data should be available next year to determine the effect of irrigation and girdling on Movento movement.

·      Expect results to be highly variable from site to site.

Haviland thanked his SRA, Stephanie Rill, for all her help in his research. He also thanked the Consolidated Central Valley Table Grape Pest and      Disease Control District for funding the mealybug research, and the California Table Grape Commission for funding the nematode research.

The final speaker, invited to talk about wine, represented a new approach to Grape Day.

Andrew Waterhouse
Andrew Waterhouse, UC Davis Professor of Enology, Department of Viticulture and Enology is a leading expert on wine quality. He talked about varietal aromas and retaining specific flavors of grape in the wine. But as wine oxidizes, those aroma compounds can be lost. “Oxidation can be divided in two basic steps, quinone formation from polyphenols and aldehyde formation, all of which causes a loss in flavor,” said Waterhouse.

“Sulfites are widely used to prevent oxidation by reacting with quinone.

Tannins in red wine are also important as they react with quinone, thus removing oxidation from wine,” Waterhouse noted.

Waterhouse noted that the industry is also working with ascorbic acid and glutathione because both could be useful in reducing oxidation.
 

2016-05-31T19:45:24-07:00August 14th, 2013|

From the California Farm Water Coalition

Judge Temporarily Halts Trinity Water Release
United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill issued a temporary restraining order halting water releases from Trinity Reservoir by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation through Friday, August 16. According to the Order, the stated purpose of the planned releases is to “reduce the likelihood, and potentially reduce the severity, of any event that could lead to associated fish die off in 2013” in the lower Klamath River.

Plaintiffs San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority and Westlands Water District stated in the application for a temporary restraining order that Reclamation lacked the legal authority to release CVP water in this manner.

The order stated that nothing in the record indicates that delaying the additional flows by several days to permit a more measured analysis of the issues would render ineffective the overall flow augmentation efforts.

2016-05-31T19:45:25-07:00August 14th, 2013|

YOLO COUNTY ISSUES 2012 CROP REPORT

Big Increases for Yolo County Ag

Yolo County Agricultural Commissioner John Young has issued the 2012 County Crop Report that boasts an all-time high gross agricultural production value of $645,766,504, a 17.5% increase over 2011, due to higher commodity prices per unit and increased acreage.

Nut crops, particularly walnuts and almonds, exhibited a striking per unit price increase versus 2011, with farm gate values approximately 50% higher in 2012.

 

Yolo County’s leading commodity remains processing tomatoes up nearly $500,000 from 2011 attributed to increased commodity value and, to a lesser degree, additional harvested acres.

Wine grapes, rice, alfalfa hay and walnuts remain in the top five commodities in gross value, with almonds number six. Incidentally, organic production grew nearly 33% in gross value in 2012.

To complete the top ten commodities are field corn, sunflower seed and wheat.

Yolo County exported to nearly 100 partners.
2016-05-31T19:45:25-07:00August 13th, 2013|

SEED PRODUCTION FOR THE WORLD

Terra Nova Ranch

Lettuce Seed Operation


By Patrick Cavanaugh
 
In driving around on the West Side of Fresno County, you may see a field of a crop growing upward with a mass of seeds in a big flourish at the top. This is an important lettuce seed operation for North Pacific Seeds.

North Pacific is based in San Joaquin and specializes in contract multiplication of high quality vegetable and herb seeds. The company serves seed companies and wholesale distributors around the globe. North Pacific is a daughter company of South Pacific Seeds based in Australia.

At Terra Nova Ranch, different varieties of lettuce are grown in mini-blocks. This time of year, the seeds are carefully harvested by hand crews. It’s all part of the multi-faceted activities happening in the San Joaquin Valley during the summer months.

2016-05-31T19:45:25-07:00August 13th, 2013|

HARVESTS COMMENCE ON THE WEST SIDE

A Diversified Farmer Delivers For All



By Patrick Cavanaugh

George Ayerza is with A & A Farms, and the last three weeks have been rushed with harvest work that not only helps feed consumers, but clothe them as well.

George Ayerza, following a long day in the fields.

He just finished up harvesting 220 acres of cannery tomatoes on the West Side of Fresno County near San Joaquin.  “We had good production of around 50 tons per acre,” he noted. “The quality of the crop was excellent too.”

Ayerza noted that they had only one of three fields that was lightly impacted from Curly Top Virus. Curly Top was very bad for many growers across the county this year.

Ayerza’s Cannery Tomatoes being harvested.

Over the last few days, he started shaking his 160 acres of almonds beginning with his Nonpareil variety.  “So far, production looks good, although the almonds look a little smaller than last year, probably due to the excessive heat we had in July,” Ayerza assessed. “Harvest will continue over the next few weeks.”

“This week, we will also be starting to harvest our seed alfalfa,” Ayerza said.

Ayerza will also be harvesting his dehy onions. The crop will be dug and loaded into trucks for delivery to a dehy processor.

His cotton is flowering beautifully. “We hope to set a great crop,” said Ayerza. “We plan to harvest the cotton in late October; everything is about two weeks early this year.”

2016-05-31T19:45:25-07:00August 12th, 2013|
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