UC Blog
New ways for using a camera
Back in the day, photography was largely relegated to portraits and vacation memories. But with the advent of digital cameras and camera phones, documenting everyday experiences is commonplace.
UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener MaryBeth Kampman wrote about modern photography conventions for a column that appeared in the Marin Independent Journal over the weekend.
"People are unabashedly taking pictures everywhere — from restaurants to museums, street corners to elevators. Their pictures are of food, shadows, interesting patterns or juxtaposition of unusual objects. They document items they want to purchase in stores or take pictures of their cars in parking lots so they can find them again," Kampman wrote.
She suggests photography can also be a tool for the ardent gardener.
"Don't restrict yourself to beauty shots," Kampman suggested. "Use your pictures to document your garden experiences. I take at least two photos when taking a picture of a plant that has an identifying label — a beauty shot and a photo of the label. It's easy to forget the exact name of the photographed plant."
Also among her digital gardening ideas:
- Take pictures of watering systems, garden designs, hardscape or color combinations you admire
- Go to the garden supply store and take pictures of plants before you buy them
- Take pictures of plant afflictions and pests to send to a Master Gardener who can help diagnose and remedy the problem
Garden photography is not just for artistry anymore. (Photo: K. Garvey)
2010 was an excellent year for almonds
California almonds harvested in 2010 are expected to amount to 1.65 billion pounds or more, according to an article by Associated Press reporter Jeff Nachtigal. The story was picked up by many national publications, including the New York Times and the CBS News website.
The sizable almond crop is being met with strong worldwide demand and relatively high prices.
"The nut crops in general are looking good in California," UC farm advisor emeritus John Edstrom was quoted in the story.
UC Davis Cooperative Extension almond specialist Bruce Lampinen told the reporter that improved agricultural techniques used by California's 6,000 almond growers - such as planting trees closer together, cutting back on pruning and knocking off "mummies" during the winter to control navel orangeworm - have helped boost production.
But, the almond industry is not without its challenges.
- UC Davis entomologist Eric Mussen told the reporter that farmers are still concerned about major honeybee die-offs, which have doubled the cost of renting bees for pollination in the past five years.
- Water shortages are also a concern for some producers, according to Almond Board chair Mike Mason.
California almond growers produce 100 percent of the U.S. crop, supplying 100 percent of the domestic market, and 80 percent of the world market, said an Western Farm Press article about the bumper almond crop.
Improved almond production techniques have helped grow the industry.
Bee hives targeted by thieves
A Chowchilla beekeeper lost more than 400 hives to thieves this month, but with networking and investigation, was able to find the hide-out and get his bees back.
UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Shannon Mueller spoke to KMPH Channel 26 News about the heist.
"They (farmers) are paying about $180 a hive, so those hives are worth a lot of money and because of that, we’ve seen a real increase in the theft of colonies," Mueller said.
In all, the stolen bee colonies were worth about $120,000, according to an article in AgAlert.
"The good news is after some tips from other local beekeepers and some searching, we found the missing bees and called the local sheriff's department," beekeeper Brian Long was quoted in the AgAlert article. "We just got lucky and got enough tips that led us to the bees."
Still, Long estimates he lost between $12,000 and $15,000 after hundreds of bees died in the commotion.
Beekeepers and farmers cannot afford the loss of any bees. Between February and March, California's 750,000 acres of almonds require an estimated 1.2 million bee colonies for pollination. UC Davis entomologist Eric Mussen told AgAlert reporter Christine Souza that strong colonies of bees may be scarce this season.
"Despite these problems, it seems that every year the lure of almond pollination fees entices enough beekeepers to bring their bees to California to meet the needs of the almond growers," Mussen said.
Shannon Mueller appeared on an evening news story about the bee heist.
Local food and farming conference a sell-out
Nevada County's first Sustainable Local Food and Farm Conference, slated for this Saturday, is already a sell out, testifying to the growing interest in local food production in this Sierra Nevada foothill community.
Strong grassroots efforts to link consumers with farmers are making Nevada County a force in the foothills, according to an article about the conference in The Union.
“It's one of the more advanced areas. There's kind of that mindset already here,” the article quotes Roger Ingram, county director and farm advisor for UC Cooperative Extension in Nevada, Sierra and Placer counties.
Keynote speaker at the event is Joel Salatin, a self-described "Christian-libertarian-environmentalist-capitalist-lunatic farmer." Salatin's Virginia farm is featured prominently in Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma and the documentaries Food Inc. and Fresh.
Salatin’s philosophy of farming emphasizes healthy grass on which animals can thrive in a symbiotic cycle of chemical-free feeding, according to Wikipedia. Cows are moved from one pasture to another rather than being centrally corn fed. Then chickens in portable coops are moved in behind them, where they dig through the cow dung to eat protein-rich fly larvae while further fertilizing the field with their droppings.
According to the Union article, the Nevada local food movement gained steam in 2005 when a small band of farmers, advocates and citizens - including UC Cooperative Extension in Nevada County - started the Local Food Coalition, and from that Nevada County Grown.
“There just seems to be this great burgeoning interest in this,” said Jeri Ohmart, Food Systems and Organic Outreach Program Assistant for the University of California's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, based at UC Davis.
Nationally known farmer Joel Salatin is a keynote speaker at the local food conference.
Fresno Bee's food writer departing for Hawaii
The Fresno Bee's ag-savvy food writer Joan Obra has decided to put aside her word processor and return to her parents' Hawaiian coffee farm. It is an enormous loss for the Valley and its agriculture industry. Obra is a rarity among food writers, publishing as much about farming as restaurants and recipes.
"I'm going home," Obra wrote in her weekly column published today. "In a way, it's a testament to my time in the Valley: Local food producers have inspired me to become one of them."
In today's piece, which she said isn't her last, Obra wrote about local treats that she believes capture the history, culture, climate and flavor of the central San Joaquin Valley.
Fresno Bee reporter Joan Obra.