Posts Tagged: meeting
Annual Avocado Meeting
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 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
Pitahaya Meeting Soon
The 2019 Pitahaya/Dragon Fruit Festival/Field Day
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Located at the UC South Coast Research & Extension Center
1601 Irvine Boulevard, Irvine, CA 92618
6:30am - 2:30pm
Please join us as we discuss how to grow a pitahaya from a seed, irrigation and design considerations, weed management strategies without glyphosate, nematode issues, and much more! To view the entire agenda, click here. We expect this Festival to sell out, so register early!
Registration is $40.00 per person if paid online or postmarked by Monday, September 9, 2019. The price will be $50.00 after this date or at the door, if space allows (checks only at the door). Register early as attendance is only limited to 100 participants. Click here to continue on with registering.
Registration fee includes continental breakfast, lunch, pitahaya or dragon fruit ice cream tasting, and an informational packet.
Please Note: refunds will not be issued, but substitutions are allowed.
For questions regarding registration and substitutions, please contact Erin Spaniel at 858-822-7919. For general program information, please contact Ramiro Lobo at 858-243-4608.
pitahaya poster