UC Blog
Herb-infused manure nourishes contentment
After a hard life - which included multiple divorces, alcoholism, drug addiction, the loss of a young son and bankruptcy - specialty fertilizer producer Denise Ritchie is now finding gratification by rescuing dairy cows before slaughter and using manure to create biodynamic compost.
Ritchie's story was featured this week in a Los Angeles Times Column One article by Martha Groves. She and her husband Randy purchased a dairy cow at auction last August. The animal was christened Bu, ensconced at a friend's organic dairy farm near Fresno, and became the namesake for the Ritchies' "Bu's Blend Biodynamic Compost."
According to the Times article, Ritchie stumbled upon and was inspired by the biodynamic process, which mixes organic principles with cosmic spirituality. The Ritichies believe their compost emanates "energetic life forces to vitalize vegetables, plants, flowers, lawns, gardens, farms and our earth," according to their website. While much of mainstream agriculture is unconvinced about the value of biodynamic tenents, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Glenn McGourty sees their value.
"There are lessons for all of agriculture in some of the basic agronomy that biodynamic farmers practice," McGourty was quoted in the story.
Bu's Blend is sold in about 50 California nurseries, running about $20 for a 1.5 cubic foot bag, easily double the cost of other organic composts.
"You're healing your soil with this stuff," the story quoted Sarah Spitz, a KCRW producer and a graduate of the Los Angeles County UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener program.
The LA Times story says the Master Gardener became a customer of the fertilizer after studying various approaches to gardening and concluding that biodynamics "was the purest, healthiest and cleanest system." Every seed she has planted using Bu's Blend, she told Groves, has sprouted and grown "big and beautiful."Program Support Unit launches website
The Program Support Unit (PSU) has launched a new website, http://ucanr.org/sites/PSU, which details its services and the process for requesting assistance from the staff. The site also has a blog that the unit plans to use to communicate the latest news on ANR Competitive Grants, sources of funding, and event planning. A page called “Resources” will be added to offer tips and tricks on event planning, database management, websites and more.
The program support team, which includes the Program Support Unit and AVP Barbara Allen-Diaz’s staff in Oakland, will also provide support to facilitate preparation of grant documents and/or coordinate meetings to discuss AFRI proposals. Contact your Strategic Initiative Leader to obtain approval for AFRI assistance.
ANR Strategic Initiatives
Endemic & Invasive Pests and Diseases (EIPD), Ian Gardner
Healthy Families and Communities (HFC), Sharon Junge
Sustainable Food Systems (SFS), Joe DiTomaso
Sustainable Natural Ecosystems (SNE), James Bartolome
PSU was created to provide programmatic support in key areas to ANR members working in the area of initiatives, programmatic and advocacy efforts, statewide programs and leadership groups. Some of the services PSU provides include:
- Assisting with planning, coordination of meetings to facilitate development and implementation of advocacy goals.
- Facilitating development of requests for proposals, coordination of review panels, compilation of funding decisions and interface with Business Operations Center for distribution of funds.
- Providing support for workshops, conferences, symposia that are of regional or statewide scope.
- Providing meeting agenda development, facilitation and note taking assistance for ANR efforts, such as Program Council, Executive Working Group, and others as requested by ANR leadership.
- Working with the leaders of the Strategic Initiatives to plan, coordinate and conduct meetings of advisory teams and other groups to facilitate the development and implementation of the Initiative missions and programs.
For more information about PSU, contact Joni Rippee at joni.rippee@ucop.edu.
View or leave comments for the Executive Working Group
These announcements are also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.
Wine alcohol content is going up
The Wall Street Journal's wine critic, Lettie Teague, said winemakers are beginning to push beyond wine's traditional alcohol-content ceiling of 14 percent - sacrificing the favor of some wine afficionados for flavor and intensity.
The federal government taxes wines with 7 to 14 percent alcohol as "table wine," and taxes wines with 14 to 24 percent alcohol at a much higher rate as "dessert wine."
A wine's alcohol is determined by the grape's sugar content. As grapes ripen, they accumulate sugar, which is converted to alcohol during the fermentation process. The higher the sugar, the higher the potential alcohol of the wine.
UC Davis agricultural economist and director of the Robert Mondavi Institute Center for Wine Economics Julian Alston has charted the sugar content of grapes over the past 30 years, Teague reported. He said grape sugar is on its way up, leading to wine with higher alcohol contents.
Alston attributes the change to climate, later harvests and growing popularity of big-flavored, full-fruit wines.
"Mr. Alston calls this 'the Parker Effect,'" Teague wrote, "a reference to wine critic Robert M. Parker, who seems to get blamed for most things in the wine world these days."
Parker is a U.S. wine critic with international influence, according to Wikipedia. He created a 100-point wine grading system and says he scores wines on how much pleasure they give him. Parker believes corruption and other problems have made his consumer-oriented approach necessary and inevitable.
Meanwhile, many fine wine purveyors won't even try wines with alcohol content above 14 percent, Teague reported."I won't taste wines over 14 percent alcohol, because I want a balanced wine, and I think 14 percent is the threshold of a balanced wine," the story quoted Rajat Parr, wine director of the San Francisco-based Michael Mina restaurant group.
"Is (this) just the next form of wine snobbery . . .?" muses Teague.
Wine tasting (Photo: Brenda Dawson)
Farm advisor hails self-pollinating almond
A self-pollinating almond variety under study at the USDA's research facility in Parlier would relieve farmers of costly annual bee rental to pollinate their trees, according to an article in Saturday's Fresno Bee.
"That is like the Holy Grail," UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Roger Duncan told Bee reporter Robert Rodriguez.
"You can feel that hairiness with your tongue," the release quoted USDA geneticist Craig Ledbetter. “That can turn off U.S. almond consumers, who are used to the smooth texture of Nonpareils."
Ledbetter used Tuono as the male parent in conventional hybridizations with California almond cultivars and selections. In 2008, he brought eight promising self-pollinating selections to the California Almond Board for evaluation of taste and appearance. Testers rated the nuts comparable to Nonpareils, the USDA release said.
ABC Action News in Fresno also took on the story. It said Ledbetter began his work with self-pollinating almond trees 17 years ago out of fears Africanized bees could kill off local hives.
"It was out of those concerns we really started the program," Ledbetter told reporter Dale Yurong. "It's ironic that a different bee problem (Colony Collapse Disorder) came up."
Bee hives in a California almond orchard.
Weekend Family Fun on the Farm
I just checked the weather. Only a few clouds in the forecast, some sunshine and temperatures in the low 70s this weekend, sunshine again next weekend. It looks just perfect for a family trip out to a farm or two to enjoy a picnic on the green grass under the blossoms. Here's a few suggestions for getting out there:
Blossoms, Bees & Barnyard Babies by
Sonoma County Farm Trails Sunday April 18, 2010
A one-day event offering the public "a behind-the-scenes peek at Sonoma County's finest food and agriculture" For $25 per vehicle or $10 per person, visitors can walk through orchards and fields in bloom, see newly-born animals, sample local honeys and learn the art of beekeeping, and a whole lot more. Reserve Your All-Farm-Pass today, available until sold out. On-line at the site above or 707-837-8896
Mariposa Agri-Nature Trail presents A Weekend in the Country - April 24 & 25, 2010 - Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm ** Sunday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm ** (866) 425-3366
A full schedule of events is planned, with farmers, vintners and ranchers at 11 different beautiful foothill locations opening their gates to the public, offering tours, demonstrations, tastes and even catch-&-release fishing for the kids. Tickets are $10 per person or $25 per family, purchased in advance at the Mariposa Visitors Center, participating wineries or at the first location you visit on the day of the event. Check out the schedule of events and a very sweet video at their website
Apple Blossom Festival - April 17 and 18, 2010 presented by the Apple Hill Growers Association, El Dorado County
Experience the incradible beauty of mother nature as thousands of apple trees flaunt their spring bloom. A variety of activities are offered by many of the 55 individual ranches who are members of the assoication. There's an Apple Blossom Cross Country run for the ambitious. (register at www.applehill.com) Other adventures: complimentary wine and dessert pariehs, a train around Cider Lake, horse and pony rides, an opportunity to get inside a real bakeshop kitchen, at-the-orchard cooking classes, quilt show and quilt raffle, wine tasting, and even artists painting "in the open air" Lots to enjoy before there's even an apple in sight! (530) 644-7692