UC Blog
Late October rain a mixed bag for California ag
Rain and cool temperatures this week have prompted newspapers to see how the weather change is sitting with the state's agricultural industry.
The Woodland Daily Democrat reported that local rain and wind were good for some crops, and bad for others. The cool weather has postponed the harvest date for rice, while the rain has provided enough water for wheat to germinate, the story said.
UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Kent Britton told reporter Katherine Jarvis farmers should wait until Nov. 1 to plant their winter wheat to avoid frost damage later in the season.
The Stockton Record reported that late winegrape varieties, tomatoes, almonds, walnuts, cut hay, beans, silage and grain corn, and rice are all taking a hit from the weekend rain. Meanwhile, the rain is a boon to cattle and sheep ranchers whose pastures are being watered.
UCCE viticulture advisor Paul Verdegaal told reporter Reed Fujii most of the Lodi area's 100,000 acres of vineyards have already been harvested.
"It's probably overall a little less damaging for the Lodi district than compared to the coastal and foothill areas, (where the harvests) are a little bit delayed," Verdegaal was quoted.
Fujii also spoke to UCCE vegetable crops advisor Brenna Aegerter. She said there could be rain-related problems with cannery and fresh market tomatoes.
"Usually there's a delay, so maybe they can't go into the field for several days," Aegerter was quoted. "Then when they get back in, you get fruit rot, when the fruit has been wet for a couple days."
A weak economy is pinching the premium wine industry
Like many business sectors, the California premium wine industry is suffering under the weak economy, according to an article published over the weekend in the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat.
Wine produced in Napa and Sonoma counties used to be cheap alternatives to French wines. Now connoisseurs are turning to less expensive wines from Australia, South America and California's Central Valley.
UC Cooperative Extension viticulture farm advisor Glenn McGourty told reporter Glenda Anderson that he believes consumers will return to North Coast wines when the economy improves.
“Lodi is kind of like the person you go out with that's really hot but you don't want your parents to see them,” he was quoted.
The story opened with the travails of McDowell Valley Vineyards of Hopland, which is facing possible foreclosure Nov. 5. McGourty said the McDowell situation is not unique.
“A lot of people are on the ropes,” he was quoted.
Wineries are cutting back on how much they buy and the prices they'll pay for grapes.
The McDowell vineyard reported that the value of its premium winegrapes has dropped from $1,400 a ton to about $700 a ton. A winery offered to buy 32 tons of McDowell sauvignon blanc at $600 a ton. In Lodi, winegrapes average about $500 a ton, the story said.
The wine market decline is putting some people out of business.
Transgenic goats' life-saving potential under study in Brazil
Technology developed by UC Davis animal scientist James Murray that could significantly reduce human suffering and death from diarrhea has found a home in Brazil.
Goats genetically altered to produce milk that prevents diarrhea have been in development in Murray's Davis lab for decades, according to an article in Technology Review. However, sensitivity to the idea of bioengineered animals in the United States has severely limited research funding. Currently the project is supported with a three-year, $400,000 USDA grant to assess the risks of transgenic animals.
"The only money available is to look at environmental safety. It's a backwards way of funding the research," Murray is quoted in the article. "We haven't gotten enough to move the research forward; we are four or five years behind where we should be."
In Brazil, where diarrhea is the fifth or sixth most common killer of children under five, the government has pledged $3.5 million to establish a herd of transgenic goats and initiate human trials on their milk.
"I think it's brilliant," Murray was quoted. "We want to see it used. We don't care which country does it."
The goats in Murray's lab were engineered to express large amounts of human lysozyme, a protein found in human milk, tears and saliva that destroys the cell walls of bacteria. Drinking the milk would inhibit establishment of the diarrhea organism.
The milk from transgenic goats could enter human trials in elementary school children within two years, the article said. If it proves effective, the Brazilian researchers hope they can powder the milk and export it other countries where many children are afflicted with diarrhea.
James Murray
Solano growers plan joint marketing project
Solano County growers will gather this afternoon in Fairfield to learn how they can participate in the Solano Grown direct marketing program, according to a press release distributed by the county's news office. The article was picked up by the Vacaville Reporter.
Solano Grown was initiated in February 2010 by the Solano County Agriculture Department and University of California Cooperative Extension with a $50,000 grant from the USDA Marketing Services Agency. Local farmers will benefit from a Solano Grown website, promotional materials and advertising at no cost. The website will list farmers' products, hours of operation, contact information and links to their websites.
A key component of Solano Grown is a colorful logo, based on box label designs of the late 1800s and early 1900s, the release said. The logo's blue base is a reference to the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta; rolling hills and a bold banner identify the county.By selecting produce marketed under the Solano Grown brand, local consumers will be helping sustain Solano's agricultural heritage.
The USDA grant will cover the program's startup costs, however,the continuing success of the Solano Grown effort will depend on the development of a member-supported marketing organization, the release said.
Reminder of ANR town hall and upcoming deadlines
October 27: Comments about the Endemic and Invasive Pests and Diseases Initiative Draft Plan will be accepted until 5 p.m. Oct. 27. Anyone with an interest in the EIPD Initiative Draft Plan can review it at http://ucanr.org/sites/EIPD, then submit comments to the initiative leader via http://ucanr.org/sites/EIPD/EIPD_Strategic_Plan_Questionnaire.
October 28: The ANR town hall with Vice President Dooley to discuss the budget and other ANR business is set for 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Oct. 28. on Adobe Connect. The procedure for accessing this town hall is different than in the past. Access the town hall through your ANR Portal at https://ucanr.org/portal.
November 1: UC Davis will start expiring passwords of people who haven't upgraded to a passphrase of 12 characters or more. Password expirations will occur on Nov. 1, or later depending on the first letter of your username. To find the date your password will expire, go to http://security.ucdavis.edu/personal_password.cfm and log in using your Kerberos username and password. To upgrade to a passphrase, go to https://computingaccounts.ucdavis.edu and click on the blue "Upgrade to a Passphrase" arrow.
November 15: The deadline for strategic initiative leaders, associate deans of the colleges, county directors or workgroup chairs to submit proposals for new advisor and specialist positions is Nov. 15. Only these designated representatives have access to submit position proposals. Answers to frequently asked questions about the position proposal process are at http://ucanr.org/sites/anrstaff/New_advisor_and_specialist_positions.
View or leave comments for the Executive Working Group
This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.