Two northern San Joaquin Valley newspapers turned to UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors for stories published yesterday. The Merced Sun-Star published a feature story about hydroponic farmers Kevin and Patty Olds of Le Grand. Hydroponic farming "beats Mother Nature out of her game," reporter Dhyana Levey quoted Mr. Olds.
Levey went to Merced County UCCE farm advisor Scott Stoddard for comment.
"Of course, it's that controlled environment that's nice," he is quoted. "And you can really extend your season - grow into the winter months. Those are the main reasons."
Stoddard also shared the fact that hydroponic greenhouse production takes a high level of management expertise.
"Pest management can be difficult. You have to be 'Johnny on the Spot' and catch things," Stoddard is quoted in the article.
The second north valley story appeared in yesterday's Stockton Record. By longtime ag reporter Reed Fujii, the story is written in response to a series of newspaper ads asking Lodi-area growers to consider replacing their vineyards with olives. The article doesn't say whether it was the Lodi Farming Company that placed the ads, but it does quote the president of the organization, Jeff Colombini, extensively.
"There's 70 million gallons of olive oil consumed in this country and 99.5 percent are produced outside the country," said Colombini, according to the article.
For this story, Fujii sought comment from UCCE's resident olive oil expert Paul Vossen of Sonoma County. Vossen feels California growers can compete in the global market in olive production. He compared it to the success the state's growers have had with almonds.
"Spain was the No. 1 producer of almonds in the world, and all of a suden here comes California," he is quoted in the article. "Why is that? It's all mechanical."
Olives growing in super-high-density orchards can be similarly automated, Vossen told the newspaper.