UC Blog
Consider every eventuality before planting vineyard
Sacramento Bee food editor and restaurant critic Mike Dunne devoted two columns in a row to the sad saga of winegrape grower Harmon Overmire. After retiring from the aerospace industry, Overmire planted four acres of Malbec wine grapes in Sheldon, Calif. A somewhat uncommon winegrape variety, Malbec creates an inky red wine with plum-like flavor and is often used for blending, according to the Malbec entry on Wikipedia.
Overmire's sorrow, according to Dunne's first column (published Sept. 24), springs from the inability to find a buyer for his crop. "I haven't found a soul. No one was even interested, and the grapes are ready to pick right now," Overmire was quoted. "I would just like to break even."
In today's column, Dunne looks to a UC Cooperative Extension expert for perspective on Overmire's plight. He spoke to Lynn Wunderlich, the viticulture farm advisor for El Dorado and Amador counties. Growing and making wine is probably one of the more romantic pursuits for whiling away an active retirement. But Wunderlich warns, "If they need to make money at it, think again."
According to Dunne, Wunderlich suggests would-be winegrape farmers must be serious about growing quality fruit. She urged farmers to join the local grape-growers association and to network with winemakers.
And all this should be done early. "Harvest time isn't the best time to sell," Wunderlick told Dunne.
Overall, Dunne said, Wunderlick is upbeat about prospects for new winegrape growers.
"There are still opportunities for growth, but it needs to be well thought out," she was quoted.
A cluster of Malbec winegrapes.
Debate over Prop. 2 continues in earnest
An article in the San Diego Union Tribune over the weekend presented both sides of the debate over Proposition 2, the initiative on the November ballot that, if passed, will set new standards for farm animal confinement.
The story implied that UC Riverside poultry specialist emeritus Don Bell is an "opponent of the measure" when it followed a statement about concerns that Prop 2 will increase food prices with his quote.
According to the story, Bell said:
“Pennies, nickels, dimes and dollars add up as today's prices for everything (increase) – not just eggs and not just food. Unjustifiable cost increases are a luxury we simply can't impose upon the public in today's troubled economy.”
The story included a wide variety of viewpoints on the measure:
“It will put us out of business.” - Ryan Armstrong, Valley Center farmer
"It would be a bad idea.” - Nancy Reimers, Gustine veterinarian
“These animals are sacrificed for the benefit of people. The least we owe them is to treat them humanely.” - Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States
“If anybody who buys eggs went to one of those factories, you would have a hard time convincing them to keep buying those eggs.” - Nigel Walker, Dixon farmer
"'Battery' cages are certainly promoting suffering." - Ixchel Mosley, Eastlake veterinarian
“This is not a trivial effect for the individual farmer, to the allied businesses associated with egg production and to the egg-consuming public." - Don Bell
“The most likely outcome . . . is the elimination of almost all of the California egg industry over a very few years.” - Dan Sumner, director of the UC Agricultural Issues Center
Olive farmers dread another exotic pest
As if the 1998 introduction of olive fruit fly into California weren't enough, UC Cooperative Extension scientists have now found shopping center olive trees in San Diego and Orange counties infested with olive psyllid, according to a story in Western Farm Press.
“Psyllids are some of the most fecund insects I have worked with,” the story quoted UCCE IPM entomology advisor Marshall Johnson.
(Fecund has two definitions: intellectually productive and fertile. No doubt that Johnson's meaning was the latter.)
The article said Johnson toured several San Diego County sites with infested ornamental olive trees in July, but found very low populations of the insect. He will repeat the tours this fall and again in April when the first generation is expected to appear.
“We need to learn all we can about this insect to anticipate its impact on California’s commercial olive production,” Johnson was quoted.
This photo, from the UC Statewide IPM Project, shows pale waxy material excreted by olive psyllid infesting olive leaves and stems.
Sign of psyllid infestation.
Think globally, act locally
UC Cooperative Extension takes the adage "Think Globally, Act Locally" to heart. With 52 county offices all around the state, the organization is poised for local action. Such efforts were covered by a number of local news outlets in recent days.
The Pine Tree, with "Celebrated News of Calaveras County and Beyond," ran an article on local agritourism with information from UCCE farm advisor for Plumas and Sierra counties, Holly George.
“If you eat food or wear clothes, you’re already involved in agriculture,” George was quoted. “An important part of agritourism is to help tourists and the community to understand and appreciate what’s beyond the barnyard gate.”
Calaveras County director Ken Churches offered a folksy definition of agritourism for the story:
“If you had a train ride operating on your property, that’s not agritourism. But if your train goes through an apple orchard and (you) give tours while visitors sip on apple cider, that’s agritourism."
The Riverside Press-Enterprise reported on local efforts to stamp out red imported fire ants. UC Riverside entomologist Les Greenburg gave a down-home asessment on the pest:
"If you're sensitive to the venom of stinging insects, then you have to worry about it. You certainly don't want the ants where kids are playing."
The Paradise Post covered a UCCE-sponsored "nutrition decathalon" that took place at a local elementary school, and included a variety of events aimed at improving the health of local children. UCCE nutrition educator Kristy Bresette was quoted in the story as saying:
"Music is always wonderful to pump up the kids. The trivia booth brings education into this event."
The Modesto Bee localized a story about pruning that first appeared in the Kansas City Star. While the Kansas City paper referred readers to a K-State and University of Missouri Extension Web site for more information, the Modesto story gave the exact guidance, but substituted ANR's main portal Web site, http://ucanr.org.
The Calaveras Enterprise brought its readers an article headlined "Sheep and chickens and miniature horses-oh,my!" The story details the pleasant lives a local farming couple have carved out for themselves in rural Calaveras County. A part of their tie to the local community, the story says, is their heavy involvement as 4-H club leaders.
Fresh fruits and veggies at school promoted on KXJZ
The Capital Public Radio program "Insight" ran a segment this week on successful efforts in Davis to put fresh, healthful fruits and vegetables in school cafeterias. On the program, UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program food systems analyst Gail Feenstra answered the questions of guest host David Watts Barton.
Feenstra said that the ability to offer local produce in Davis schools is linked to last year's passage of Measure Q, a parcel tax which allocates $70,000 per year to improve children's nutrition by providing farm fresh food for school lunches, according to a summary on davisfarmtoschool.org.
The fresh food lunches are part of an effort to help Davis children connect their food with its agricultural origin, rather than perpetuate a misconception that "food comes from the grocery store."
"We feel that by providing the students food from local sources, talking to them, school gardens and farm tours, they will make that connection," Feenstra said on the radio program.
Feenstra also said that, with additional grant funding, the project enlisted a consultant to provide monthly cooking lessons to school food service staff. The consultant is teaching the staff how to combine local, fresh ingredients with the commodity foods provided by the USDA to create meals kids will enjoy.
"They have gotten so excited by the program," Feenstra said. "They're making Mexican and Indian and Asian and Mediterranean items using the resources of their ethnic heritage. It's been a wonderful development."
More information on bringing healthful food to school cafeterias can be found on the UC Farm-to-School Program Web site.
A healthful school lunch.