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LinkedInPosts Tagged: Apple
How Cold Is It? Ask Siri and Check for Bees
Have you ever asked Siri "How cold is it?" Siri, a computer program known as Apple's "intelligent...
A honey bee foraging on oxalis at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 25 in Vacaville, Calif. Temperature: 53 degrees. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Pollen-packing honey bee on oxalis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
There she is! Silvery wings and all. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Celebrate the harvest - visit a farm
All over California, farmers are harvesting the last summer crops, picking apples, crushing grapes, and watching pumpkins ripen. All over California, farmers also welcome the public to enjoy family-friendly harvest festivals, education and entertainment. To help urban and suburban Californians connect with local farms and agricultural events, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) hosts the UC Agritourism Directory.
Here is a sampler of harvest season fun on the farms this month:
Apple Hill Growers' Association - El Dorado County
About 50 years ago, when a pear blight destroyed the pear crop in the El Dorado County foothill region near the small town of Camino, UC Cooperative Extension pomology specialist and farm advisor Ed Delfino worked with local growers to save their ranches. They began to plant apples, formed the Apple Hill Growers' Association and started inviting their neighbors from the valley to visit the farms for fresh apples and fun. Since the time of the group's first apple press and press picnic in 1964, the original ranch marketing association has blossomed into a very successful ranch marketing endeavor.
Today, Apple Hill includes over 55 ranchers, including Christmas tree growers, wineries, vineyards and a spa. For 50 years, Sacramento region families, along with those from the east side of the Sierras, have made a tradition of driving up Highway 50 to enjoy picking apples, drinking wine, arts and crafts, pies, jams, jellies, music, and other activities. Visitors will find their day filled with old-fashioned fun.
The ranches are now open, with U-Pick orchards, entertainment, crafts, food and events at multiple locations. Learn more at www.applehill.com/.
For current information, download the free official Apple Hill™ app available through itunes or in the Google Play Store.
Oak Glen is where the Apple Hill growers visited to learn how to share their apple harvest with the public, back in 1964. One of the most scenic spots in Southern California, Oak Glen is nestled in the heart of Apple Country, where it is cooler in the summer and winter offers snow. An hour or so from Los Angeles or Palm Springs, the 30 members of the Oak Glen Apple Growers Association offer a pleasant day trip or weekend away from town.
Visit orchards, pick fresh apples and drink fresh-pressed cider, and enjoy hot apple pie and other fresh baked apple treats at one of the family restaurants. Other attractions include an animal park, the Wildlands Conservancy, horse drawn wagon rides, the historical Oak Glen School House Museum and many activities offered by the different farms.
For apple picking and other fun: www.oakglen.net/
Grape Stomping, food, drink and fun in the Capay Valley, Yolo County - September 19, 2015
Guests can step into a vat of grapes and stomp until their feet are purple. Visitors can also ride the farm's tractor tram, enjoy free honey and olive oil tastings, take part in grape-themed activities and crafts, visit the petting zoo, and take a self-guided walking tour of Capay Organic.
Tickets are on sale now through Sept. 17, for $15 per person (children ages 12 and under are free) or 4 tickets for $50. After Sept. 17, tickets will be sold at the farm for $20 per person. Guests can also camp overnight at the farm in the orchards. Campsites can be reserved in advance for $35 each at www.capaycrush2015.eventbrite.com by Sept. 17 (admission not included).
To purchase tickets, go to: www.capaycrush2015.eventbrite.com. Call 1-800-796-6009 with any questions.
Work Day & Barn Dance at Pie Ranch by the coast - Pescadero, September 19, 2015
RSVP for the work day and/or barn dance by emailing simone@pieranch.org. Private groups of more than 10 are encouraged to schedule a separate tour/program with the farm as they are attempting to keep the dance open and accessible to the greater community.
The work day begins at 2 p.m. Park past the roadside barn and check in at the roadside barn. The tour begins at 4 p.m. Entry is $10 to 20 per person, charged on a sliding scale. Pay at the Roadside Barn. A potluck dinner begins at 6 p.m. The event is alcohol free. The barn dance is from 7 to 10 p.m. Entry is $12 to 20 (sliding scale).
Children under 12 are free. More information on the work day and barn dance here.
News flash from Pie Ranch: "We planted the tomato plants in the spring and now we are up to our ears in tomatoes! While the summer bounty lasts, we will be holding our Cherry Tomato U-Pick everyday! Between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., you are welcome to stop by the ranch and pick cherry tomatoes right off the vine!
Weekend Along the Farm Trails - Sonoma County - September 26 & 27, 2015
Most of the stops are free.
All you need is transportation, a map of your route, a cooler to keep your purchases fresh, and a sense of adventure! Register now for your chance to
~ Explore Sonoma County's vibrant agricultural community.
~ Experience life on the farm behind the barnyard gates.
~ Meet your farmers, vintners & artisan producers.
~ Enjoy tastes, tours, & demonstrations fresh from the source.
Please note that some farms are only open one day. Feel free to contact the organizers with questions: farmtrails@farmtrails.org.
Please let the organizers know how many people will be in your car by selecting the corresponding number of tickets. Register now
Bloomingcamp Ranch Harvest Festival - Oakdale - September 26 & 27, 2015
Admission is free for this small farm festival near Modesto. Bring the family for live entertainment, chef demos, hayrides, games, kids art patch, pie eating contest, petting zoo, local arts and crafts and a car show. It all happens at Bloomingcamp Ranch, 10528 Highway 120, in Oakdale. For more information: www.bloomingcampranch.com or (209) 847-7437
Farm and Ranch Tour in the Sierra foothills - Mariposa County - September 26, 2015
The 2015 farm and ranch tour features four farm and ranch locations, along with a special display of the UC Master Gardeners near downtown along the Creek Parkway. Each location will showcase their unique agricultural operations, and vendors and artists will be set up as well.
Tickets are $10 per person, or $25 for a whole car. Kids under 12 are free when accompanying a paying adult. Tickets may be purchased at any tour location and are good for all locations. website/more info
Hoes Down Harvest Festival - Capay Valley, Yolo County - October 3 & 4, 2015
On Saturday, enjoy live music, circus performances, kids arts and crafts, a kids hay fort, contra dancing, agricultural workshops, farm tours, good food, a crafts fair and farmers' market, and more music. The silent auction features a range of affordable treats.
Camping is available on Saturday night in the walnut orchard, with breakfast and longer workshops and activities offered on Sunday.
All of the proceeds from the Hoes Down Harvest Celebration go to non-profit organizations that support sustainable agriculture and rural living.
Admission Prices:
Adults: $20 when purchased online – $25 at the gate.
Children (2-12): $5
Under 2: Free
Saturday Night Camping: $25 per car – No reservations needed.
website, tickets, more info
For more info about these events and more California farms and ranches to visit, see www.calagtour.org
Author: Penny Leff
Horne vs. Department of Agriculture: Government Seizure of Agricultural Produce Ruled Unconstitutional
This is more than tangentially related to our current challenge of USDA – CDFA protocols related to management of the light brown apple moth (LBAM). As most of you know, a field of strawberries or caneberries found to be infested with LBAM by USDA-CDFA personnel is closed until it is confirmed to be cleared of the larval stages of this insect. During the time of closure, the grower is forced to sell his or her berries within the quarantine resulting in lower prices from a less robust market or absent that opportunity, leave it to rot, resulting a total loss. While the government isn't showing with a truck, getting shovels and taking the berries, it isn't difficult to define the LBAM regulatory actions amounting to government taking of the crop.
http://news.investors.com/062215-758505-supreme-court-raisin-takings-law-unconstitutional.htm?p=2
The Supreme Court decision was in regards to the Raisin Administrative Committee marketing order which demanded up to 47% of the plaintiff's crop in a year. This was to support prices of raisins, but the case turned around what was fair compensation for the crop taken.
The opinion of Chief Justice Roberts is telling: “The Government has a categorical duty to pay just compensation when it takes your car, just as it does when it takes your home”, in a reference to the protections afforded by the Fifth Amendment of the taking of personal property by the US government, which yes does include something like raisins.
Admittedly, the broader applications of this ruling are unclear. This case concerns a marketing order rather than a regulatory regime such as that imposed by the USDA and CDFA for control of the light brown apple moth. Indeed, the Ninth Circuit court found the raisin marketing order to be constitutional since all growers benefitted from the program from the higher prices brought about by reduced supply. This could (arguably) be the case with the LBAM Program as well, since growers outside of California would benefit by not having to deal with this insect.
Whatever the outcome for our situation here, it's encouraging to see the Constitution at work protecting our rights.
High LBAM detections in Monterey Bay, Growers Advised Again to Control Leafrollers
Growers and pest control advisors on the Central Coast should be alerted to the gravity of the current leafroller situation. Owing to a warm winter, large numbers of leafrollers, including light brown apple moth (LBAM), have been observed throughout the Monterey Bay area.
Berry growers need to be diligent in using best pest management practices for leafrollers (given in other posts on this blog as well as the UC IPM website) right now to prevent additional field shutdowns and regulatory scrutiny. The issue is particularly important for organic berry fields where worm control tactics are limited.
This is a very big deal, because the USDA – CDFA regulatory effort is still in full swing. If LBAM is detected in a shipment, it could very well result in field closure for a long period of time, handing eye watering losses to the grower. Very much worth paying attention to the matter of LBAM on the Central Coast.
In the way of review, growers shipping should have a compliance agreement issued to them by the County Agricultural Commissioner. Harvested fruit is inspected on a monthly basis at the cooler, and if a suspect LBAM larva is found, the shipment is held up. An investigation is launched during this time to confirm whether the larva is actually an LBAM. During this time, no fruit may be moved from the field that was the source of the lot. Results may take days to get back, and if it is confirmed to be LBAM by DNA laboratory analysis the USDA- CDFA people will visit the grower for an inspection of the block or field where the larva was found. It is very important to note that while the grower is waiting for results to get back on a suspect larva, he or she should be very active in cleaning up the field - pre-emptively treating with insecticides and removing leaf rolls.
If on inspection more larvae are found in the field (they don't miss many, your threshold of detection is very low), the field is shut down for shipment outside the area of quarantine, and regulatory sprays must be done and need to be repeated until inspections find ZERO suspect LBAM larvae in the field. Regulatory sprays have to be witnessed by USDA or CDFA personnel. The whole process can take a month or longer, when one figures in delays, shortage of inspection personnel and mandated limits on work hours for state and Federal employees.
Further elaboration on the inspection protocol can be found here:
//ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=4993
Compliance agreements issued to growers require weekly inspections (every seven days) for LBAM of the production field by a PCA or qualified scout. If this weekly scouting is not done or records of it not kept, a grower having a positive LBAM find (starting 30 days to harvest for export to British Columbia, Canada) will be in violation of the compliance agreement. This will result in the compliance agreement rescinded (ie taken away) and the possibility of a hefty fine.
PCA's are busy professionals, and sometimes the weather doesn't comply it might be difficult for them to get to the field every seven days. That's why it is so important for the grower to have qualified scouts on the farm doing weekly LBAM inspections (they are not difficult). Mark has held a number of trainings already, and will hold two more trainings; one in English on May 28 at 8 am at the UCCE office, 1430 Freedom Boulevard, Suite E (same office as before) and another on May 29 in Spanish at 8 am at the same location. The trainings aren't long, tops maybe an hour after which each participant will receive a signed certificate of participation. If you need help with management of leafrollers right now, you can contact Mark (mpbolda@ucanr.edu), or Hillary (hthomas@calstrawberry.org), directly to provide additional resources or to consult with you on the site specific issue, risk factors, and management options.
In short, yes, it's important to pay attention to leafrollers in your fields this year. Additional information in English and Spanish is included in this Green Sheet from the Commission that went out on February 18, 2015:
http://reports.calstrawberry.org/Reports/Green%20Sheets/02.18.2015_LBAM%20Advisory.pdf
Classic LBAM, lots of webbing on leaf to the left, larva nestled under the calyx of the fruit.
Importance of Scouting for Light Brown Apple Moth
The Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) is present in urban and natural areas of the county, and can easily migrate into agricultural fields. British Columbia, Canada has zero tolerance for LBAM in shipments of plants and harvested crops. Growers whose fruit will be shipped to British Columbia, Canada must sign a Compliance Agreement with the Agricultural Commissioner. One of the critical elements of that Compliance Agreement is visual field scouting for the LBAM.
Visual Field Scouting Requirements:
- Must begin at least 30 days prior to harvesting fruit for export to British Columbia, Canada.
- Must be performed weekly during the harvest season.
- Written records of the scouting must be kept by the grower.
- The scouting must be done by a licensed Pest Control Advisor (PCA) OR an “approved scout”.
Approved Scout:
- A licensed PCA is an approved scout.
- Growers provide the Agricultural Commissioner with the name of their PCA, who will do the weekly scouting.
- The PCA may be unable to perform the required weekly scouting for the grower, due to weather, a recent pesticide application, or simply because he or she is too busy.
- It may be helpful for growers to assign alternate qualified “approved scouts” to ensure the scouting is performed and recorded on a weekly basis.
- Mark Bolda, UCCE Caneberry and Strawberry Advisor, can provide training and an “Approved Scout” certificate to those who attend the training. Mark is holding trainings in May.
- Approved Scout trainings are scheduled to be given at the UCCE Auditorium, 1432 Freedom Boulevard in Watsonville
o May 28 will be in English – 3PM to 4 PM
o May 29 will be in Spanish – 3 PM to 4 PM
Importance:
- Canada is our county's largest trading partner.
- Serious consequences will result if LBAM is intercepted by Canadian officials on a shipment.
- The grower's records will be examined; if the grower has not complied with the terms of the Compliance Agreement, fines can be levied on the grower.
- The entire industry will be affected. Canada could refuse to accept harvested fruit from the County of Santa Cruz or the State of California. This would cause a drop in price received for all growers due to the extra supply of berries in the market.
