Avocado Cafe

 

Avocado Café is intended to be a meeting of interested avocado growers from California and elsewhere with an open discussion for ideas and inputs.  Our organizing committee primarily consists of California growers but also has extension personnel and international members as well.   Although we cover the “how to” aspects of avocado farming we are most focused on introducing new concepts and ideas to the avocado community to stimulate further discussion and innovation.  We draw upon local, national and international speakers for these sessions.  The sessions are recorded and posted to all interested parties on www.avocadosource.com.

 

Avocado Café

February 18, 2022

8:00 – 10:00 a.m. PST

 

Avocado productivity:

How the interplay of light and vegetative vigor influences yield

Speakers:

Rodrigo Iturrieta, University of California, Riverside

How shoot growth influences fruiting and light distribution

Gerardo Adunate, Avocado Consultant, Chile

Optimizing pruning strategies to increase light and enhance fruit production

 

These sessions are open to all. Register for this virtual meeting by emailing cafeavos@gmail.com

avocado forest

Learning Avocados

 

cas field day

Local Hero Makes a Better World

The California Avocado Society held its 104^th 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 8^th 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

What Will Happen if HLB is Found Near You? Find Out April 16-18

The Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program is hosting informational meetings throughout California to inform citrus growers, packers and haulers about what to expect from CDFA's regulatory response if Huanglongbing is found within five miles of a commercial citrus business. Attendees will learn about the regulatory processes an HLB detection would trigger and have time to speak one-on-one with meeting presenters. These educational meetings, named “The State of HLB in California,” will take place on April 16 in Escondido, April 17 in Santa Paula and April 18 in Exeter.

 

Each meeting will cover the following topics:

• Overview of how Asian citrus psyllids and HLB spread – Dr. Beth Grafton-Cardwell, Entomologist, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
• What toexpectfromCDFAifHLB is found in or near a commercial grove –CDFA
  • Review regulatory response to the following scenarios:
    • HLB is detected in your grove
    • Grove is within 400 meters of HLB detection
    • Grove is within the 5-mile HLB quarantine
  • Overview of what type of compliance paperwork growers, packers, haulers will need if in the 5-mile HLB quarantine zone
• The current status of ACP and HLB in California – CDFA

After each meeting, there will be time for attendees to speak directly with the presenters and others, as well as gather information from the day's presentations, during an informal “resource fair.”

Meeting Dates and Locations
Note: RSVP is not required but is encouraged. RSVP for one of the following meetings here.

Tuesday, April 16
9 – 11 a.m.
San Diego County Farm Bureau
420 S. Broadway
Escondido, CA 92025
RSVP Here

Wednesday, April 17
10 a.m. – noon
Santa Paula Community Services Building
530 W. Main St.
Santa Paula, CA 93060
RSVP Here

Thursday, April 18
10 a.m. – noon
Exeter Veterans Memorial Building
324 N. Kaweah Ave.
Exeter, CA 93221
RSVP Here

Questions? Contact us at CitrusInsider.org/contact-us.

 

Phioto:

ACP-On-A-Stick

ACP mounted

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

 

 

To: Avocado Society Members and Our Guests, You are cordially invited to attend the 103rd Annual Meeting of the California Avocado Society, October 4–5, 2018. The location for this year's meeting is the Embassy Suites by Hilton Temecula Valley Wine Country in Temecula, California. On Thursday, Oct. 4, there will be two Field Tours: Krnich Ranch and ACW Farms, both located in Fallbrook, California. Registration will begin at 9:30 AM at Krnich Ranch where registrants will pick up their registration folders, maps and very importantly, name tags. At 10:00 AM, we will tour Krnich Ranch and have the opportunity to examine two topics: the high density plantings of Reed avocados and the UC rootstock trials. In the afternoon, beginning at 1:30 PM, we will assemble at ACW Farms and at 2:00 PM begin our tour. Our tour will include: state-of-the-art use of solar power, mechanized irrigation and mulch production and drone demonstration-pioneering techniques that truly demonstrate “innovation on the farm.” Concluding the field tour at 4:15 PM, will be the President's Reception Barbecue that honors past presidents of the Society. The President's Reception is included with your Annual Meeting registration fees. On Friday, October 5, the Annual Meeting will be held in the conference room of the Embassy Suites by Hilton Temecula Vally Wine Country, Temecula. Registration and continental breakfast begin at 7:30 AM.  At this time, registrants may also peruse the displays of products and services offered by sponsoring agribusiness suppliers to our industry.   The main program will begin promptly at 8:30 AM. It is my great pleasure to announce that our keynote speaker this year is Jorge Enrique Restrepo, Executive Director of Corpohass, Medellín, Colombia. Mr. Restrepo will discuss the origins and development of the Colombian avocado industry and his expectations for the future. Dr. Tim Spann, Research Program Director of CAC, will present an overview of the recent 2018 Avocado Brainstorming Conference held in South Africa.   Dr. Mark Hoddle, Biological Control Specialist and Principal Investigator, UC Riverside, will discuss current and future avocado pests. His presentation will include an interactive session between speaker and audience that should be enlightening and entertaining. I am certain that all will find this year's Annual Meeting to be highly informative and provide much food for thought when making our management decisions. The Society will also present the highly esteemed Oliver Atkins Award and the prestigious Award of Honor to growers and/or researchers who have demonstrated outstanding service to the avocado industry. We look forward to a great showing of support and appreciation by our growers. For additional Annual Meeting information and registration, please the CAS website https://californiaavocadosociety.org/annual-meeting.html If you have questions regarding the schedule of events or application, please contact Sawsan Knobel, the Executive Administrator at (949) 940-8869.   Yours sincerely, Keith Blanchard, President, California Avocado Society

 

2018 Annual Meeting Information & Registration

 

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