Posts Tagged: cas
Local Hero Makes a Better World
The California Avocado Society held its 104th Annual Meeting recently and acknowledged an individual's contributions to the avocado industry with its Oliver Atkins Award. This award is presented in honor of nurseryman Oliver Atkins who went beyond what was required or expected, benefitting the avocado industry and its growers. His devotion to the industry was noted in his day-to-day activities and to the changes that he brought to the industry. The award was made to Mr. Pablo Rodriguez.
The award was presented by Nurseryman Rob Brokaw and the following notes were made during the address:
Pablo Rodriguez was born in Mexico in 1950, one of eight kids. He attended a private school on scholarship from ages 8-12, finishing his formal education at 8th grade. He came to the US in order to support his parents and siblings at age 20 in 1971 and worked up and down California for two years before landing at an avocado/citrus nursery in Ventura county.
The nurseryman at the time made a point of “keeping an eye on Pablo”, and Pablo soon rose to be the nursery manger, developing an expertise in grafting. He bought a home in Santa Paula, raising a family there. He gained US citizenship in 1996. He and his family also have a company that performs topworking which is now managed by son Robert.
Readying a rootstock for a graft
As the nursery became involved in working with partners overseas, Pablo's expertise was in demand. He has worked with collaborators in Mexico, Peru, and Dominican Republic, Chile, Florida, Hawaii, Spain, South Africa and more.
His skills and expertise are evident in the millions of avocado and citrus trees that have been produced here in California under his watchful eye, but the greater impact of his efforts resonates around the world.
Pablo and Samuel Garibay showing South Africans the Brokaw Way
Today Pablo is in semi-retirement. In his case, that means he works just as much as he ever did. He's constantly operating in the background shoring up processes and ensuring smooth operations. On Sundays, he can be found wandering the orchards – “just making sure the graftwood is good for harvest this week!” He isn't asked to do this; he just does it because it needs to be done.
But the real story about Pablo, apart from his intelligence and his accomplishments, is his profound humility and humanity. Pablo's dealings with others are informed by a deep spirituality and morality. He seeks to raise others, preferring to remain in the shadows.
Pablo is a guy who, when asked if he can do the impossible, will think for a while, then shrug and say, “Well, it has to be done”. And then does it. This happens regularly.
To his family, to California growers and to the global avocado industry, Pablo has given selflessly of himself. We're all enriched by his presence in our community.
A Serious budman
pablo getting the budwood ready
Annual CA Avocado Society Meeting
California Avocado Society's
2019 Annual Meeting
Mature high-density plantings and pruning - what happens over time!
avocado alley, time to prune
Avocado Annual Meeting - October 4/5
BIG Things are happening in the avocado world!!!
Come find out at the Annual Avocado Meeting to be held in two weeks. Yes, it's coming up fast. And it's going to be in the Temecula area. New growers need to come to learn from the members what wonders are in store for them as growers.
Check out "Which Way World Avocado?"
http://ceventura.ucanr.edu/newsletters/Topics_in_Subtropics76791.pdf
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Grower Meetings are Good
One good idea from a meeting can make all the difference of whether that was a meeting worth going to or not. One idea, that's all it takes to make a big difference back at the ranch. A lot of times the good idea comes from the people you meet there. Sometimes it comes from the speaker's presentation. Sometimes the idea comes to you while processing something you've just heard.
Whatever. I just went to a meeting organized by the Ventlecura County Farm Bureau where there were several speakers and numerous vendors. Lots of good ideas popped up on nutrients and water management. The practices were for the general grower audience, not specifically for citrus or strawberry growers. Meetings can often be focused on a given crop like the CA Avocado Society or Index Fresh avocado meetings. That doesn't mean a lemon or a flower grower couldn't learn from avocado practices. They can. Cross fertilization is good. And this Farm Bureau meeting was a good meeting.
Coming up October 4 and 5, is the annual CA Avocado Society meeting. This starts off with a field tours on the first day, then settles down to a lecture room style on Friday. This should be a good chance to meet other growers, see some interesting field practices and hear some good talks. It will be a good meeting.
grower meeting
Where to Look for Infornation about Avocado Varieties
There are something like 1,000 named varieties of avocado. Big, small, green, black, purple, round, pear-shaped, winter, summer, fall harvest, anise smelling leaves, all kinds of distinguishing features. A homeowner once called to ask about the ‘San Marcos' variety of avocado and we viewed images of this tree and fruit and finally figures out it was a ‘Bacon' that was planted on San Marcos Pass and had adopted the new name because they didn't know what to call the avocado tree in the backyard. So there are a lot of trees that are misnamed for known varieties.
If you want to find out the name of an unknown tree in your backyard, there is a convenient online source of information at Avocado Information at UC Riverside. There is an online list with photos of avocado varieties at:
http://ucavo.ucr.edu/avocadovarieties/VarietyFrame.html#Anchor-47857
And a variety database you can use to search by name at:
http://www.ucavo.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/Panorama.cgi?AvocadoDB~form~Search
There's also a list of unreleased varieties at:
http://ucavo.ucr.edu/avocadovarieties/UnreleasedVarieties.html
One of the best sources of variety information is the CA Avocado Society Yearbook where most varieties were listed for registration. Some of the descriptions are online, but in many cases it's necessary to go to the original paperback version
http://www.avocadosource.com/CAS_Yearbooks/CAS_Yearbooks.htm
Yearbooks can be found at many UCCE offices in Southern California, UC Riverside and Davis libraries, many Southern CA public libraries and from interlibrary loan.
avocado fruit