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Madera CountyFarM Bureau

December 2016 Vol. 6, No. 12agriculture today Share your

holiday spirit, give a toy for the MCFB toy drive

See page 16 for details

Start your gift shopping with us,

buy a gun raffle calendar See page 14 for details

By Ryan Sabalow And Dale Kasler,The Sacramento Bee

More than a year ago, Fresno County farmer Wayne Western Jr. penned a let-ter to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, pleading for help.

Western said the federal government was mismanaging California’s water supply with unjustified environmental restrictions, and that San Joaquin Val-ley farms such as his might dry up and go out of business without assistance from Washington.

Trump replied with a handwritten

note of his own, a pledge: “Got it – cra-zy. If I win, it will be corrected quickly.”

So how easy would it be for now Pres-ident-elect Trump to upend water poli-cy in California, sending more water to farms and less to the environment?

Battles over California’s water sup-ply have been waged for decades. Le-gal experts say Trump’s vow to redraw the state’s water map won’t be fulfilled quickly or easily, even with Republicans controlling both the White House and Congress. Any efforts to direct more water to San Joaquin Valley agriculture would run up against a wall of Califor-nia laws and regulations aimed at pro-tecting water rights, the environment and endangered fish species.

State agencies have broad authority over the allocation of California’s water, including the massive federal Central Valley Project, which ships irrigation water to farms such as Western’s in the San Joaquin Valley. The state’s author-

ity is especially strong when it comes to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the environmentally stressed estuary that serves as the hub of California’s compli-cated water-delivery network.

The huge Delta pumps that deliver water from Northern California to the arid fields of the San Joaquin Valley frequently are throttled back to protect endangered fish, leaving less water for farms. California’s historic five-year drought has further stressed the system.

Legal experts say that Delta bottle-neck isn’t likely to change dramatically any time soon, even if Congress guts federal protections for endangered fish.

“The state has sufficient authority to protect the Delta or any other waterway in California,” said Jennifer Harder, a water law expert at the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento.

The bluntest objects in Trump’s tool

Trump promised California farmers more water. Can he deliver?

American Farm Bureau leaders taking aim at the next farm billBy Forrest Laws, Delta Farm PressNovember 9, 2016

American Farm Bureau Federation leaders are working to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership during a lame-duck session of Congress. But they’re also taking aim at the 2018 or 2019 farm bill as another vehicle for helping farmers through tough economic times.

American Farm Bureau President

Zippy Duvall says the AFBF has estab-lished a farm bill task force or working group that is looking at white papers and weighing options for what might be included in the legislation Congress is scheduled to write in 2018.

“We’ve had a number of people in to discuss the shortcomings of the 2014 farm bill and what we can do to ad-dress those,” said Duvall, the keynote speaker for the Southern Crop Produc-tion Association’s annual meeting in

Amelia Island, Fla., on Nov. 7-9. More than 200 members attended the SCPA’s 62nd annual meeting.

Duvall says financing for 2017 will be another issue that will have to be addressed soon because of the “poten-tial disaster” producers are facing in the wake of significant price declines and the failure of input prices to follow suit..

For more information, visit www.fb.org.

CaleNDarDecember7 & 14 State labor law and Payroll Tax Seminar, 9:30a-3:30p, at Fresno State SBDC, info call: 886 873-60838 CHSra Open House Community Meeting, 5pm, Chowchilla Fairgrounds Little Theater13 Chowchilla Sub-basin SGMa Meeting, 2pm, Chowchilla City Hall20 Madera County Board of Supervisors Meeting 23-1/2 MCFB Office Closed, return 1/3Tues & Thurs: eSJWQC Workshop at MCFB 8a-12p

January2 Office Closed, return 1/312- MCFB Board of Directors Meeting, 1pm -MCFB 16 Martin luther King Day, Office Closed17 Tues & Thurs: eSJWQC Workshop at MCFB 1p-5p *NEW HOURS*27 CPr/First aid at MCFB 8a-1p -Spanish

February17 CPr/First aid at MCFB 8a-1p – English24 TeNTaTIVe: CPr/First aid at MCFB 8a-1p – Eng/Span Combo

See Trump Promise; Page 7

2 | December 2016 Madera County Farm Bureau

Madera County Farm Bureau

news Happy holidays to everyone! This is the time of year that we all get to take a break from our work and the fields. We’ll spend some time with our loved ones, as they often are the ones that we do not get to see, except in pass-ing, during the har-vest season as we are

wrapped up in the fields working long hours, but they understand and appreci-ate the sacrifices.

The year came to an end quickly but, as I look back and weigh what we ac-complished against the few things left unresolved, I believe we were successful. This year we awarded over $40,000.00, making our scholarship programs a suc-cess; it was enough money to award 9 students with multi-year scholarships. I look as this as a key investment for our future, perhaps someday these kids will come back to the community and give back. I am very appreciative that we can invest in the future of Ag.

Additionally, MCFB sponsored 3 teachers to attend the annual Ag In the Classroom conference in September. At the conference, they learned how to incorporate agriculture in their cur-riculum, and show young kids what Ag is and how it works. We also provided

grants to new Ag programs in a couple of our local schools, enabling them to get the things they need to start their own on-school farms.

Those of you that know me, know how strongly I believe in supporting youth in Ag. I believe that if we can help educate, and show the youth what Ag does and how it operates, we can draw them to a great career in the agricultural field. We are in great need of youth to step up and take over for the retiring ag workforce.

Our membership grew this year, and as you all know growth is always a work in progress. Organizations are only as strong as their membership base is. I encourage you all to have your friends, family and neighbors join MCFB. The application process is simple and the benefits are huge. A new benefit rolled out by CFBF is that Nationwide In-surance is the new carrier for worker’s comp, available to Ag members. Please call our office or visit our website for more information on this great new op-portunity.

As 2016 comes to an end and 2017 begins, we at MCFB look to do even more. I encourage everyone to engage with us; come to our safety meetings, seminars, and events as they happen throughout the upcoming months.

May we all have a successful 2017. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to everyone.

What a year it has been! Lots of ups and downs, but in the end we will get it all figured out. With a new President com-ing on soon, I hope that everyone remains hopeful that positive change will occur, and keep in mind that it will take time…Let’s face it, Rome wasn’t built in a day. I would like to begin by

thanking everyone for their continued support. Madera County Farm Bureau is here because of its members, and we will continue to promote ag, educate about ag, and fight the battles the ag industry faces as long as we all stand to-gether united.

As many of you know by now, we are also selling gun raffle calendars. We will be raffling of one gun a week ev-ery week in 2017. The proceeds from this raffle will help us continue the work that we do. Unfortunately, there have been changes made at CFBF that are impacting the local farm bureaus, so we are trying to get creative with our fundraising. So for $100, you have a 1 in 10 chance of winning a gun, as well as supporting our local farm bureau. These calendars make great Christmas gifts too! So hurry down and buy your calendar today before we run out.

As we enter the new year, MCFB is putting together their calendar of events, including safety trainings and workshops. We will have our first training at the end of January, which will be CPR and First Aid. If anyone

President’s Message

Executive Director’s Address

Jay Mahil,President

Christina Beckstead,Executive Director

2015 - 2016 executive CommitteePresident: Jay Mahil

1st Vice President: Nick Davis2nd Vice President/Treasurer: Michael Naito

Secretary: Laura GutileAppointed by President: Steve MassaroAppointed by President: Dennis Meisner

Appointed by President: Tom RogersAppointed by President: Chris Wylie

Directors at largeRobert Cadenazzi

Ryan CosynsClay Daulton

Stephen ElgorriagaJason Erickson

Michele Lasgoity

Jennifer MarkarianScott Maxwell

Neil Mc DougaldJeff Mc KinneyPat Ricchiuti

California Farm Bureau - District 9 Director Tom Rogers

California Farm Bureau CommitteeEnergy, Air, and Climate- Clay Daulton

State Budget, Taxation, and Land Use- Nick DavisAgriculture Labor- Jay Mahil

Forestry, Fish & Wildlife, and Public Lands- Neil McDougald

Office StaffExecutive Director: Christina Beckstead

Executive Assistant: Kristen Sargent

Madera County Farm Bureau1102 South Pine Street

Madera, CA 93637(559) 674-8871; www.maderafb.com

advertising/PublishingMid-Valley Publishing

1130 G Street, Reedley, CA 93654

advertising SalesDebra Leak (559) 638-2244

editorKristen Sargent

Periodical PostagePaid at Fresno, California 93706

POSTMaSTerSend address changes to:

Madera County Farm Bureau1102 South Pine Street, Madera, CA 93637

The Madera County Farm Bureau does not assume responsibility for statements by advertisers or for

products advertised in Madera County Farm Bureau.

See ED’s Address; Page 15

Farm Bureau Membership BenefitsInsurance

Allied Insurance, Nationwide Agribusiness, VPI Pet Insurance

News and entertainmentAgAlert, California Country Mag & T.V.

VehiclesGMC Trucks, Vans and SUV’s, Vehicle Rentals,

Avis, Budget, Budget Trucks, Hertz

Do-It-YourselfGrainger, Kelly-Moore Paints,

Dunn Edwards Paints

TravelChoice Hotels, Wyndham Hotels

Business ServicesAnderson Marketing, Farm Bureau Bank,

Farm Employers Laborers Service, Land’s End Business Outfitters

Health ServicesClear Value Hearing, Farm Bureau Prescription

discount program, LensCrafters, Preferred Alliance

Contact the MCFB Office at (559) 674-8871or www.maderafb.com for details.

TO BECOME A DONOR CALL

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MCFB would like to thank all of our members who help support our work through their voluntary contributions for the month of

November:

new MCFB donors

TO BECOME A MEMBER CALL

674-8871

NAME CITY P/C/B

new MCFB MembersMCFB welcomes the following new

agricultural (producer), associate (consumer) Collegiate, and

Business Support members who joined in October:

Stephen L. Erickson, G, Madera

Madera County Farm Bureau MembersDiscounts for Business memBers• Earnthelowestadvertisingrate• Freespotcolorinyouradvertising• Nochargeforaddesign• Firstadatdiscountedprice• Businesscardlistinginour“AtYourServiceDirectory”whileadappearsinnewspaper

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CallDebraLeakformoreinformation.LetMidValleyPublishingassistyouinprofilingyourbusinessandservicestoitsgreatestpotential.

559-638-2244

Madera County Farm Bureau December 2016 | 3

By Harry Cline, Farm Press Editor EmeritusNovember 11, 2016

• RayPool,91, tookhisfirstair-plane ride at age 12 and relinquished the controls of his last official air-plane hop at age 72. His aerial skill got him into farming.

• Bill Hoffrage, 75, who flew onpollen and beneficial insects for sev-eralyearsinasmallplane,nowfliesa vintage 1943 Stearman as a hobby.

The Federal Aviation Administra-tionflightinspectoraskedRayPool“how many cows are there in that in that little herd down there?”

Pool was feeling pretty confident. After all, he had just impressed the examiner with a 360 turn that was so tight he caught up with his prop wash.

Pool quickly said, “12.” The in-spector replied, “I count 13.”

“You said cows. You must have counted the bull.” Pool retorted. Sarcasm aside, he received medical clearancetoflyagain.

This was no small accomplish-ment since Pool had spent a year in a Utah hospital recovering from crashing his small plane into a Ne-vada mountain while rounding up

mustangs. He was caught in a down draft.

Pool readily admits it was a “mis-take in judgment” that cost him a foot and an eye and shattered his arm.

Pool, a still-active 91-year-old Madera County, Calif. farmer, sniggers about the conversation that took place more than six de-cades ago, early in Pool’s colorful flyingcareerthatincludedastintasa WWII Army Air Corp bomber pilot, a night-flying fish hunter farinto the Pacific off San Diego, a he-licopter and fixed wing pilot for the government in Montana and, even-

tually, to crop dusting in the San Joaquin Valley.

He trained to be a B17 pilot in the last stages of WWII, but never saw action. While waiting for an over-seas assignment, he earned his com-mercial license in Tennessee. When the war ended, he came back to Cal-ifornia.

Fish spotting was his spookiest flying.Itwasatnightoffthecoast,looking for florescence in water,a telltale sign of catchable fish for commercial fishermen.

“After a while, I was afraid that instead of looking for fish for food, I was going to become fish food,”

he recalls. “There is nothing around 200 miles off the coast.”

Montana flying also made himuneasy, so he opted for a safer aerial career - crop dusting.

Pool took his first airplane ride at age 12 and relinquished the controls of his last official airplane hop at age 72.

His aerial skill got him into farm-ing. Just likeflying,hehad successat raising crops and was recognized a couple of years ago as Madera County senior farmer of the year.

TREE NUT UPDATESDon’t miss the most up-to-date

industry news for tree nut farming: Almond, Pistachio, Walnut, Pecan, Macadamia, Pecan, and other tree nuts in the Western United States.

In a Congressional resolution, U.S. Rep. Jim Costa said “Ray’s many accomplishments can be at-tributed to his determination and willingness to never give up.

“Flying and farming will always have a special place in Ray’s heart, but his achievements would never have been possible if not for the support of his devoted wife, Audrey. Ray and Audrey have given back to

Flying, farming builds life-long friendships for storied California rural aviators

See Aviators; Page 15

See Raisin Industry; Page 14

Raisin industry targets fruit quality, competition at home and abroadBy Dennis Pollock, Contributing WriterNovember 9, 2016

Raisin industry targets fruit qual-ity, competition at home and abroad - Western Farm Press

Nov 9, 2016 Dennis Pollock, Con-tributing Writer

• Representatives of the Califor-nia raisin industry are helping re-searchers wean out cultivars to focus on those which are most prized.

• “We are hoping to get indus-try/grower comments on accessions (cultivars) we should move forward with and pursue and which should be rouged from the field,” says Craig Ledbetter of USDA’s San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center at Parlier, Calif.

Robert Sahatjian, left, farm man-

ager and grower relations represen-tative with Victor Packing in Made-ra, and Matthew McMillan, sales representative with Vintage Nurs-eries and Mercier California, taste fruit at a raisin event.

Representatives of a challenged California raisin industry are among those who are helping researchers wean out some cultivars to focus on those which are most prized.

“We are hoping to get indus-try/grower comment on accessions (cultivars) we should move forward with and pursue and which should be rouged from the field,” said Craig Ledbetter, resident geneticist with the U.S. Department of Agricul-ture’s San Joaquin Valley Agricul-tural Sciences Center in Parlier.

The “raisin showing” was the first such event involving industry mem-

bers in some 30 years, Ledbetter said. By contrast, he said as many as three table grape showings are held each growing season to help decide what should be released and what should be removed from research programs.

Raisin showing participants, who included college students and some members of the center’s adminis-trative staff, rated more than 45unnamed cultivars on appearance, flavor, and mouthfeel. They alsosampled some industry staples, in-cluding Thompson seedless, Fiesta, DOVine, and Selma Pete.

“This is a good way to brainstorm with farmers and packers alike,” said Robert Sahatjian, farm manager and grower relations representative with Victor Packing in Madera.

Sahatjian said fruit quality is a key

criterion in choosing what to plant or pack.

He said no price has yet been set for this year’s crop and that grow-ers and packers have entered into a conciliation process. While a field price is commonly set by the end of October, Sahatjian said he does not expect to see that happen “until af-ter the new year.”

“We’re in major over-supply due to the uncertainty,” he said, adding the industry faces stiff competition from raisin-growing regions includ-ing Turkey, Iran, Chile, and South Africa.

Steve Spate, grower representa-tive for the Raisin Bargaining As-sociation, said the industry has been greatly affected by a decline in the

Aubrey and Ray Pool and Gloria and Bill Hoffrage, left to right, with the Hoffrages’ 1943 Stearman in the background.Photo Contributed


ShreddingBurseyAlmonds • Walnuts • Pistachios • Citrus

Madera, CA(559) 352-0926

By

8944 9282

By Business Journal StaffNovember 4, 2016

California Custom Processing will host a groundbreaking next week in Madera for a $10 million almond pro-cessing facility.

The facility, being built by company owners Grant Willits and Sonya Tre-vino, is located at 2725 Falcon Drivein Madera next to the Madera County Sheriff headquarters.

Span Construction is the general con-tractor of the 83,000 square-opt struc-ture,locatedonabout8.5acres.Com-pletion is expected in March 2017.

California Custom Processing has 40

employees currently, and with the new facility in full operation, anticipates doubling its staff.

California Custom Processing was founded in 2012 to blanch, roast, dry and slice almonds, among other func-tions. A certified organic processor, California Custom Processing com-pleted installation of a new $1 million cool-steam pasteurization line at their current 2121 W. Almond Ave. facility.

The equipment allows the processor to pasteurize 10,000 pounds of almonds and other nuts an hour.

The public is invited to the ground-breaking ceremony Nov. 10 at 11 a.m.

Company to break ground on $10 million almond processing facility in Madera

Photo Contributed

9 ways to avoid damaging almonds in storageBy Dennis Pollock, Contributing WriterOctober 20, 2016

“With the increase in almond plant-ings over the past few years, process-ing delays will become more common. While waiting to be processed, almonds are usually stockpiled.”

Kevin Costner, in the role of cross country coach Jim White, assembles his runners beside white-tarped mounds of almondhullsinKernCounty’sflatlandin the movie “McFarland USA.”

“We don’t have hills,” he tells them. “These are our hills. What happened to

us in Palo Alto is never going to happen again.”

The runners proceed to run up and down mound after mound. It’s visu-ally striking and helps the plot move forward. But it’s probably something the owner of those hulls might not be thrilled about, and it’s something that likely wouldn’t please owners of other tarp-covered mounds – of stockpiled almonds.

Given projections of a California al-mond crop of more than two billion pounds for 2016, it’s a good bet there will be a number of those almond mounds across the San Joaquin Valley

and elsewhere.“With the increase in almond plant-

ings over the past few years, process-ing delays will become more common,” wrote David Doll, a University of Cali-fornia Cooperative Extension (UCCE) farm advisor in Merced County, in a blog posting. “While waiting to be pro-cessed, almonds are usually stockpiled.”

Doll points to the advantages of stockpiling, including getting the al-monds out of the orchard sooner to al-low for post-harvest practices, to reduce in-field insect infestations, and to allow greater flexibility in scheduling trans-port to processors.

He also advises on steps that should be taken to avoid damaging the al-monds in storage. And much the same advice was given by the Almond Board of California (ABC) in a separate post-ing in which it said “more crop than ever may be subject to stockpiling.”

Both sources issued links to additional information. The ABC directed readers to this website - http://www.almonds.com/sites/default/files/content/attach-ments/grower_stockpile_management_best_practices_from_abc_2014.pdf.

Doll published a link to work by UC researchers Bruce Lampinen, Themis

See 9 Ways; Page 13


New innovations to reduce dust in almond orchardsBy Dennis Pollock, Contributing WriterNovember 17, 2016

“Controlling dust – not simply reduc-ing it – can be a challenge. Playing in the dirt makes it more challenging.”

Like death and taxes, one thing is certain with almond harvest. It kicks up a lot of dust.

Growers and equipment manufactur-ers are making inroads as they seek to reduce the amount of dust they gener-ate. But it’s not easy, nor is it cheap.

“Controlling dust – not simply reduc-ing it – can be a challenge,” said Stuart Layman, a Flory sales representative. “Playing in the dirt makes it more chal-lenging.”

And the price tag is not low. Flory’s current harvester sells for $189,000. But, Layman says it can reduce dust up to 60 percent. Its features include the ability to lower fan speeds and reduce other dust-causing processes from the cab of the machine as it moves through the orchard.

Layman said the diameter of the fan on the machine was increased and the RPM’s slowed by 30 percent. It also has a longer pre-cleaning chain, and the belt is made of chain instead of solid rubber.

Jim Percy, 74, who has been farm-ing almonds inFresno for 25 years, isamong those willing to pay an added

price to keep dust down. He paid about $60,000 for a harvester from Exact Corp. of Modesto. He said features on the machine which target dust reduc-tion cost an added $10,000.

The machine has a patented wafer brush system that drops dust to the ground. Percy said it also has nozzles that spray the dust.

Percy is in his fourth year of using the low-dust equipment in his 140 acres of almonds.

“When you can eliminate 40 to 70 percent of the dust, it’s less in the at-mosphere,” he said. “I know if I can do my part in making less dust (then) that’s what I want to do.”

In addition to being a good neighbor, something urged by the Almond Board of California in workshops around the state, Percy sees an added advantage in not stirring up dust that could drift into his vineyard and provide a haven for mites.

“Miticides are expensive,” he said.Some growers may hang on to their

equipment – whether efficient or not – for a long time. Others do not. Percy re-places his harvester every 8 to 10 years. His son-in-law, who does custom har-vesting, buys one every two years.

Exact works closely with farmers to develop innovative strategies. In 2004, the company reduced dust by introduc-ing the industry’s first “berm brush” on sweepers, which follows the contours of varied orchard layouts.

In 2009, the company produced it first low-dust harvester with the Eco-Clean system.

“The patented Eco-Clean system uses a little moisture and wafer brushes to scrub dust out of the air,” said Doug Flora, vice president of Exact Corp. “Farmers can go in and pick up the crop, and neighbors don’t even know they’re there.”

The Almond Board’s attention to the issue has grown, along with the in-dustry’s footprint and the presence of orchards near highways and neighbor-hoods.

Photo Contributed

8798

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See Innovation; Page 8


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TRUMP PROMISEContinued from Page 1shed would be revisions to the federal Endangered Species and Clean Water acts, which mandate broad environ-mental protections for a variety of fish and wildlife that also depend on Cali-fornia’s rivers and streams. But Califor-nia has its own laws wielding similar protections.

The new political dynamics in Wash-ingtonmakeconflictoverwaterpolicyinevitable.

“I think there’s stormy weather ahead,” said Richard Frank, director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center at UC Davis.

The prospect of having the adminis-tration in their corner on water marks a pleasant change for farmers in the San Joaquin Valley after eight years of Barack Obama, who they say put the needs of fish over farmers. While some worry about Trump’s stances on im-migration and trade, they see him as a sympathetic figure in their battle to claim a greater share of the state’s irri-gation supplies.

Signs declaring “Another Farmer for Trump” popped up throughout the San Joaquin Valley during the presidential campaign. Trump borrowed a refrain from farmers who say their water short-age was caused by a “political drought” – not an environmental one. During a rally last May in Fresno, Trump in-sisted “there is no drought” and railed against water allocation rules that take

into account the needs of “a certain kind of 3-inch fish,” a dismissive reference to the nearly extinct Delta smelt.

And some of the farmers’ staunch-est allies continue to have Trump’s ear. A prominent San Joaquin Valley con-gressman, Republican Devin Nunes of Tulare, is on Trump’s transition team. A lobbyist for the powerful Westlands Water District, which serves farmers on the west side of the valley, is advising Trump on how to staff the Interior De-partment, which oversees federal dam and pumping operations in California.

“People in the water community, not just in Westlands, but all over, are hopeful there will be a change in how the (water) projects are operated,” said Johnny Amaral, deputy general man-ager at Westlands and Nunes’ former chief of staff.

San Joaquin Valley farmers and some of their Republican representatives for years have argued unsuccessfully for an overhaul of the Endangered Spe-ciesActtoallowmorewatertoflowforhuman needs. Aside from that, Ama-ral and others believe there’s plenty the Trump administration can do on its own, regardless of what Congress says or whether California officials object.

The easiest way that Trump could deliver more water to the valley doesn’t require changing one word of existing law. He simply could order top federal fisheries managers to take a fresh look attheinfluentialassessmentsknownas“biologicalopinions”thatreflectfederalscientists’ analyses of how much water

is needed in the rivers to sustain im-periled fish populations. Farmers argue an overly broad interpretation of the biological opinions has resulted in vast amountsofwaterflowingouttoseathatcould have been diverted to farmland.

The Obama administration recently began reviewing the biological opinions with an eye toward directing more wa-ter toward fish. Farmers hope Trump will take the science in the other direc-tion.

“There will be people placed in vari-ous administration places that will re-evaluate the science that’s been put in place,” said Joel Nelsen, president of California Citrus Mutual, the organi-zation representing citrus growers in the valley.

In practical terms, Trump’s biggest obstacle in making any major shift in California water policy is a state agency known as the State Water Resources Control Board.

The five-person board oversees the state’s system of water rights. The board members – four appointed by Gov. Jer-ry Brown, one by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger – exercise considerable authority over how California’s water is shared.

While the U.S. Bureau of Reclama-tion and California Department of Water Resources operate critical Cen-tral Valley dams, pumps and reservoirs, they do so under water rights adminis-trated by the state board. The board also is charged with leaving enough water in the river systems for the environment.

In other words, the water board has strong sway over how much water is pumped out of the Delta.

The water board is in the process of a substantial rewrite of California’s water allocation. Though decisions are months away, the board has signaled it’s likely to order more water be left in California’s major rivers to protect Del-ta water quality and endangered fish. That almost certainly would mean less water available for pumping to custom-ers south of the Delta.

Legal experts say the board’s author-ity on these issues is rooted in both state and federal laws, so it’s unlikely that decisions in Washington could single-handedly strip state officials of their power. Water board Chair Felicia Mar-cus declined to comment.

So are environmentalists breathing easy? Not necessarily.

Kate Poole, a water lawyer with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the state water board has frequent-ly bent the rules at the expense of fish. Last spring, the NRDC joined two other environmental groups in a law-suit complaining that the state board relaxed water quality standards nearly two dozen times in the past two years to allow extra water to be pumped south from the Delta.

With Trump in office, the board is going “to need to step up and do more,” Poole said.

“They’re going to need to say, ‘No, we’re not going to let you do that.’ ”

Farmers and Sustainable Conservation Collaborate on Economic ImprovementsBy Laurie Greene, Editor- California Ag Today

Sustainable Conservation helps Cali-fornia thrive by uniting people to solve some of the toughest issues facing our land, air and waters. Everyday the or-ganization brings together business, government, landowners and others to steward the resources that Californians depend on in ways that make economic sense.

“We partner extensively with farm-ers in California on a variety of issues which focus on how to find, solutions that will solve the environmental issue, but also work economically,” said Ash-ley Boren, executive director, Sustain-able Conservation, which has a home office in San Francisco as well as an of-

fice in Modesto. Ashly Boren, Ex-

ecutive Director of the Sustainable Conserva-tion

“We work with the dairies in California to find manure man-agement practices that work for the farm but also reduce nitrate leeching to ground water, to better protect groundwater quality.

“We help simplify the permeating pro-cess for landowners who want to do res-toration work, maybe stream bank sta-bilization or erosion control projects,”

Boren said. “We make it much easier to get good projects done.”

“We have a partner-ship with the nursery industry. This volun-tary collaboration aims to stop the sale of in-vasive plants because fifty percent of the plants that are invasive in California were in-troduced through gar-dening, and the nurs-ery industry has really

stepped up to be part of the solution on that issue,” she said.

Sustainable Conservation is also do-ing a lot of work with groundwater.

“We think there’s a real opportunity for farmers to help be part of the solution in sustainable ground water management. We are particularly focused on how to capturefloodwatersinbigstormevents,and how to spread the water onto active farmland as a way of getting it back into the ground,” Boren said.

Boren noted that she has partnered with the Almond Board of California and other grower associations regarding floodwater management. We actuallyhave a pilot program with Madera Ir-rigation District and Tulare Irrigation District on helping them with some tools, as well as developing some tools together with them, that will help them figure out how to optimize groundwater management in their basins.

Ashly Boren, Executive Director of the Sustainable Conservation


Sierra trees may be dead, but they’re bringing new life to local businesses

By Marc Benjamin The Fresno Bee

FISH CAMP The Sierra hills are alive with the

sound of chainsaws attacking dead trees.

Contractors are rushing to finish chopping dead trees before weather stops them. That leaves chainsaws buzzing in a 10-county stretch of hilly terrain from the Kern-Tulare county line northward into the mountains east of Sacramento as trees are felled along roadsides, near homes and in the path of electrical lines.

Local counties, the U.S. Forest Ser-vice, Caltrans, Cal Fire, Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edi-son are spending millions of dollars to ensure that dead and dying trees don’t lead to traffic obstructions, fires, dam-aged homes or injuries.

And, while removing dying trees is costing tens of millions of dollars, some see a silver lining in more jobs, increased revenue in the mountain communities and forests with a healthier future.

Caltrans is spending more than $19 million along highways leading from the Central Valley to local mountains. Contractors are chopping down far more dead and dying trees than was expected earlier this year. An estimate of 60 million dead trees has climbed to 102 million, according to the Forest Service.

In the 10-county, high-hazard area, 423,134 dead or dying trees had been removed as of last week, said Scott McLean, Cal Fire spokesman in Sac-ramento.

Overall, 51,607 miles of roads andpower lines have been inspected and cleared of dead trees where necessary, he said.

The western pine beetle has spread through the Sierra during the drought and is killing California pine species at historic rates. The drought has allowed the beetle to bore into trees that nor-mally could have repelled it with their sap.

“Our initial estimates were done in

March, and even after we started our projects we’ve had more trees dying behind us as we move through,” said Darold Heikens, Caltrans chief of the Office of Roadside Management in Sacramento. “We’re seeing mortality probably two to three times more than we originally estimated.”

Caltrans contractors are moving from higher elevations to lower elevations to beat the late fall snow, which already has slowed some of the work.

The agency is supplementing emer-gency funding for tree-cutting projects as more dead and dying trees are dis-covered by crews.

“When we did a tour along Highway 168 we were amazed at the amount of (dead and dying) vegetation that is still standing even though we removed way over the amount we originally estimat-ed,” Heikens said. “We are working be-hind the infestation.”

And, the work promises to be long-term.

“We’re about three years into it,” Heikens said. “If it follows the Colo-rado example (a previous beetle infesta-tion), it will be about 10 to 12 years.”

On Highway 41, Caltrans waited to put contractors in the forest until after the summer.

“We’re kind of just starting to hit our stride because we waited (until) after Labor Day at the request of the com-munity,” he said.

Stop and chopWork along Highway 41 covers an

area from the Yosemite National Park entrance to Coarsegold.

As drivers enter Mariposa County along Highway 41 en route to Yosemite or Oakhurst, they are stopped periodi-cally as contractors chew through trees destined to fall into the roadway.

Within 15 minutes, a few trees arefelled and drivers are moving on to their destinations. But while motorists waited, they didn’t see the hive of activ-ity taking place beyond the curve where theflagmanstoppedthem.

The scene is repeated often during the day: A chainsaw whirs until a large tree falls to the highway, then another

and another; seconds later, a skidder vehicle lifts the largest pieces from the road; then a skid steer vehicle enters and removes smaller pieces; finally, a group of workers equipped with blowers and rakes sweep away remaining debris.

Fifteen minutes is a minor delay com-pared with what could happen if a dy-ing 100-foot tree falls across the high-way unexpectedly, said Cory Burkarth, a Caltrans spokesman in Fresno.

“If we get some adverse weather and a tree comes down and our crews are on the opposite end of the work zone (miles away), that tree could be down for hours,” he said. “It would delay school buses, commuters, injure some-one and hurt business … One tree could shut down the entire area.”

On an average day, more than 100 trees are cut down along Highway 41, said Jeff Harris of SCMI, a Sonora-based contractor.

As of Wednesday, he said, the Oakhurst-based contractors had cut down 1,976 marked trees but found another 473 that were unmarked and died since the initial estimate was done, Harris said.

Overall, just over 6,000 are marked to come down, a number that will likely go far higher as the project progresses, he said.

Money grows on dead treesEven as the forest dies, the logging

business is reviving some areas.In the mountains along Highway 168,

the fall usually brings a lull between the busy summer lake recreation season and the winter ski season.

That began to change last year when loggers began to descend on foothill and mountain communities looking for long-term places to live, food, gas and other everyday necessities.

“There are certainly businesses that are seeing a better return with the in-crease in traffic because of the tree crews,” said Dana Smith, president of Shaver Lake Vacation Rentals.

Overall, business in Shaver Lake was up 30 percent in 2015 from 2014 andthis year is keeping pace with last year, he said.

“Normally, this time of year it’s so dead that you could take a nap on the highway,” Smith said. “But the busi-nesses providing day-to-day services are thriving now and (the workers) have made the off-season dip far shallower than it normally would be.”

Another business benefiting from Si-erra tree-cutting operations is Rio Bra-vo biomass plant in Malaga.

The plant’s director of operations, Rick Spurlock, said it was supposed to close earlier this year. But emergency state legislation has funneled money into cutting down dead trees, and he expects the company to have enough funding to remain in business five more years. The trees are chipped in the mountains and delivered to the plant to generate electricity.

The plant also collects debris from agriculture and green waste from local cities,but“ justunder50percentisfromtree mortality areas,” Spurlock said.

Environmentalists are critical of bio-mass because it pollutes, but industry officials say it generates far less pollu-tion than open burning on farms or in the mountains because the plants elimi-nateabout95percentofpollutants.

“The reality is there is no alternative,” said Julee Malinowski-Ball, execu-tive director of the California Biomass Energy Alliance. “The state has to use every tool in the toolbox because there isn’t a significant infrastructure to deal with dead trees and you’re not going to build it overnight.”

Several companies operating biomass plants that had expiring contracts to provide electricity to utilities will now stay open, saving hundreds of jobs, she said. Plants in Mendota and Delano, among others, closed in recent years and may not be coming back, she said.

“The good thing is that we secured fa-cilities that were going to go down,” she said, “but we didn’t save anyone who is not operating right now.”

The future forestA retired Southern California Edison

forester from the Shaver Lake area said the forest has a good future once dead

See Sierra Trees; Page 9


9314

INNOVATIONContinued from Page 4

The Board points out that almond harvest is a three-step process involving a machine that shakes the nuts from the tree to the ground, where they dry for several days; plus sweeping the almonds into rows with a sweeper machine; and then picking them up off the ground for transport to a local processing facility.

Growers have long had a voice in the building and tweaking of harvesters, said Jarred Hettinger, a territory man-ager for Jackrabbit.

“They are constantly coming up with innovative ideas to help reduce dust without reducing the efficiency of the harvest,” he said.

He cited an example of their sug-gestions for tweaking a machine that puts nuts in a windrow. They origi-nally came up with the idea of adding brushes. Then they suggested extending “crowders” to push nuts into rows. They also suggested adding a fan that blows leaves away.

Hettinger said the added fan has proven particularly helpful in harvest-ing of walnuts.

“If leaves mat together product is lost,” he said.

Hettinger added that the evolution of equipment is far from over.

“We will continue to develop new and innovative equipment as the market evolves,” he said.

Part of the Almond Board’s push – along with efforts by growers and har-vesters – is an emphasis on training.

“At my family’s operation, employees are trained on how to set the sweeper to move as little dust as possible,” said Randy Bloemhof, a partner at Bloemhof

Custom Harvesting in Kern County.“With our sweepers, we are doing

fewer passes, thus reducing the percent-age of dust created during the process but also doing the same job with a third less of the work.”

In addition to discussing the lat-est harvesting equipment, harvesters and manufacturers also talk about best equipment and orchard practices, re-gardless of equipment age.

“We promote the proper adjustment of all harvesting equipment to lessen the pickup of external debris to help eliminate dust emissions,” said Larry Demmer, general manager of Weiss McNair.

“In terms of manufacturing low-dust equipment, Weiss McNair’s Posi-float suspension system,which is builtinto the sweeper machine, allows the sweeper head and brush assembly to better follow the contour of the orchard floor,ensuringminimumdisruptiontosurface soils.

The Almond Board has developed a series of harvest dust resources to pro-vide guidance on how to best adapt har-vest practices and equipment to local or-chard conditions. The resources include a ‘Managing Dust at Harvest’ technical guide, tool kit, and educational videos in English and Spanish.

The Board, manufacturers, the Al-mond Alliance of California, and oth-ers have also worked to make funds available from the Natural Resources Conservation Service through its En-vironmental Quality Incentive Program for almond growers who use harvest equipment proven to significantly re-duce dust.

SIERRA TREESContinued from Page 8trees and overgrowth are removed. The bad news is that it could take 100 years to come back to where it was before the massive die-off.

And the new forest will require dif-ferent strategies to improve its health, said John Mount, a Meadow Lakes resi-dent and author of the book “Torching Conventional Forestry.”

“There are millions of small pines underneath the dead trees,” he said. “A hundred years from now we can have a very nice forest.”

He said overgrown forests need a fu-ture that allows natural burning to keep it healthy.

When he started in the Shaver Lake area in the late 1970s, the forest was healthy, Mount said. In his time as the utility’s forester, he said, it was burned repeatedly and more than 200 million board feet was taken off Southern Cali-fornia Edison lands.

But allowing overgrowth on near-by federal lands led to crowding that forced trees to vie for nutrients and water. When the drought occurred, trees could no longer get enough wa-

ter, which allowed the beetle to infil-trate less healthy trees and then spread. When the infestation occurred, he said, the forest had seven to eight times more trees per acre than a normal healthy for-est, and dense undergrowth.

The forest also was less healthy for animals because insects were hidden and sunlight didn’t get through to allow certain plants to grow that are eaten by deer and birds.

“Our surveys showed twice as many species of birds on thin forests than on cluttered ones,” Mount said. “The wild-life component was severely damaged

by these overgrown forests.”Mount is convinced that issues lead-

ing to overgrown forests and the bark beetle infestation will result in produc-tive discussions about future forestry practices. In the meantime, most of the dead and dying trees will fall in the forest and rot, leaving nutrients in the ground for future generations of pines.

“When we get past (this) … we will have a break and there will be a lot of thought, and I’m sure we’ll come up with good answers,” Mount said. “The forest wasn’t built in a year and it won’t be wiped out in a year.”

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Honey bee health depends on almond grower, beekeeper communication

November 11, 2016

Bees carrying pollen with pesticide residues back to the hive can risk the health of the next generation of forag-ers.Before the first almond tree bursts into bloom in late January or early Feb-ruary, almond growers and beekeepers have already been in communication re-garding the expectations of each during the upcoming pollination season.

Communication is the first, and most vital, step to setting the stage for a suc-cessful season, which includes a strong pollination of the almond crop and careful consideration of the health of visiting honey bee hives.

Establishing a clear chain of commu-nication in advance of each season can help ensure responsibilities are met and information is reported accurately. That chain starts with the direct link between grower and beekeeper/bee broker, as well as with others in the chain: farm managers, PCAs and pesticide applica-tors. Agricultural commissioners also own a vital link in the communication chain, since they retain information on hive locations within their respective

counties. All of these stakeholders have responsibilities in terms of maintaining honey bee health.

Pesticide PlanA key to successful pollination is that

agreements are made ahead of bloom,

and should include a pesticide plan that outlines which pest control materials may be used. Aspects of this include:

• Avoid applying insecticides, withthe exception of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), during bloom until more is known about the impact on immature develop-ing bee brood; and

• Anyfungicideapplicationsdeemednecessary during bloom should occur in the late afternoon or evening, when bees and pollen are not present.

The Almond Board has directed sig-nificant resources toward understand-ing the issues surrounding honey bee health and communicating to growers the steps they can take to avoid con-tributing to hives losses. It has pub-lished “Honey Bee Best Management Practices for California Almonds” and related quick guides that outline bee best management practices for grow-ers. To access these vital documents, go to Almonds.com/BeeBMPs. Over the last few years, Almond Board staff, in collaboration with the University of California, California Department of

Pesticide Regulation, county ag com-missioners, beekeepers and other part-ners, have given well over 70 presen-tations on Bee BMPs to stakeholders along the bee communication chain.

Pesticide ProtectionProactive communication through-

out the communication chain, from applicators to growers to beekeepers, is especially essential for reducing risk to honey bees from unintended exposure to pesticides. If treatment is deemed necessary, growers/PCAs/applicators should contact their beekeepers as well as county ag commissioners so that beekeepers with nearby managed hives are notified 48 hours in advance. Bee-keepers should register their hives with county agricultural commissioner offic-es and request notifications for pesticide applications.

Communication should also include details about hive removal timing, as well as reporting to county ag commis-sioners should a suspected pesticide-related incident occur.

Hive Losses on the DeclineRecent downward trends in hive loss-

es indicate that this outreach, increased communication and resulting voluntary steps by growers, PCAs and applicators to implement best management prac-tices that go beyond label requirements for safeguarding against accidental pes-ticide exposure are working.

In fact, hive losses in 2015 droppedprecipitously from the 2014 season. While early data shows that hive loss-es were sustained in 2016 with similar symptoms to 2014 losses, the numbers are still significantly less than the 2014 season.

The Almond Board will continue to work to get the word out on honey bee health and related best management practices through workshops, commu-nication vehicles and presentations at the annual Almond Conference, Dec. 6–8, in Sacramento.

Photo ContributedBees carrying pollen with pesticide residues back to the hive can risk the health of the next generation of foragers


013507

Could California transportation bill pave farm exodus?By Todd Fitchette, Farm Press BlogNovember 10, 2016

Multi-billion transportation measure in California could make it even more difficult for farmers to remain in busi-ness through increased fuel costs.

Billions of dollars in new taxes could hit California farmers particularly hard if the state legislature gets its way.

The Fresno-based Western Agricul-tural Processors Association (WAPA) reports that the governor and legislature are getting ready to promote a $7.4 bil-lion transportation bill said to address deferred maintenance from local roads to state highways.

WAPA President Roger Isom says

the measure has been on the legisla-ture’s wish-list, but the politics of things in Sacramento kept it from becoming reality last year. All that may change post-election if one or both houses see a supermajority of Democrats seated, in which case Isom sees little chance of stopping the measure.

You’ll get no argument that Califor-nia’s roads are in dire need of repair. In some counties it would be an improve-ment to remove the asphalt and return county roads to dirt paths. We’ll just wash our cars more with all the water California saved last summer by letting the capital lawn die.

WAPA is reporting the following proposed increases from the transporta-tion bill:

• 17centspergalloninnewfueltax-es; (already 38 cents for gas and diesel);

• 30 cents per gallon in new dieselexcise taxes; (already 13 cents);

• Aboostinthesalesandusetaxondieselfrom1.75percentto5.25percent;

• $38 in additional vehicle registra-tion fees; and,

• Anewannualfeeof$165onzero-emission vehicles.

Here’s the kicker: all of this gets tied to the Consumer Price Index. In other words,inflationwillautomaticallymakeit more expensive to live, drive and own businesses in California.

Wait, there’s more.WAPA says the bill as currently pro-

posed creates the “Independent Office of the Transportation General,” a new

government agency to oversee those state agencies that expend transpor-tation funds. This includes such fun agencies as the Department of Motor Vehicles, California Highway Patrol, Department of Transportation and the High-Speed Rail (HSR) Authority.

Will the job of “transportation gen-eral” be advertised and what are the minimum requirements for the posi-tion? What will it pay?

California already pays some of the highest tax rates in the nation. Given the latest round of laws enacted by Sac-ramento the California farmer will soon be eligible for inclusion on the endan-gered species list.

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9 WAYSContinued from Page 4Michailides, and others on the sub-ject at http://www.almondboard.com/PR/U.2009.09-AFLA2-Lampinen.Lampinen.Almond%20Stockpile%20Monitoring%20for%20Af latoxin%20Potential.pdf.

Here are 10 ABC-UCCE suggested ways to avoid almond damage during storage.

1: When stockpiling, Doll says make sure the total moisture content for the in-hull almonds is less than 9 percent. He says hulls should snap when bent.

2: “Choose a location that is suitable for drainage in rainy weather and that is not near equipment or fuel storage,” Doll says. “Stockpiles should be ori-ented in a north-south direction to aid in drying, and covered with white-on-black tarps.”

3: Placing thewhite side up reflectsheat and solar radiation and reduces the heat in the pile, he says. The tarps help reduce humidity and day-to-night heat fluctuations, leading to a reduction incondensation.

It’s best to monitor humidity and open the tarp when appropriate to re-duce condensation and mold formation. Also, monitor and treat for insect, bird, and rodent pests. If rain threatens, en-sure piles are covered.

The stockpiles are a potential fire haz-ard, Doll adds.

4: The stockpile should be fumigated to reduce insect damage, he explains.

“The navel orange worm is an ex-cellent storage pest and can survive in stockpile conditions,” Doll says. “Fur-thermore, this pest can continue to feed and reproduce within stockpiles, increasing damage as well as alfatoxin risk. Although time consuming, fumi-gation is critical in killing larvae and eggs, reducing damage.”

A commonly used fumigant is alumi-num phosphide.

5:Hullmoistureabove14percentanda holding temperature greater than 120 degrees can increase the risk for con-

cealed damage, mold, and alfatoxin, Doll notes. With an earlier harvest, stockpiles can be exposed to higher temperatures.

“If needed, delay harvest until nuts can dry,” he says. “This will be increas-ingly necessary as orchard canopy cov-erage increases as cooler temperatures and more shade increases dry times.

Avoid windrowing until nuts are close to the desired moisture levels.”

6: It’s best, if harvesting the later va-rieties in rainy conditions, to keep the nuts in the tree if possible to aid in dry-ing, says Doll. If the nuts are already on the ground, try to encourage drying by removing leaves, twigs, and other mate-rial. This may take several passes with

the pick-up machine or conditioner.7: The Almond Board says the tops

of tarps should be smoothed so they are flat.

8: The almond group also states the importance of controlling alfatoxins, which pose a health threat, and it rec-ommends sampling nuts for moisture levels before sweeping.

“Take samples of the ‘worst case’ al-monds – those on the north side of the canopy next to the tree trunk - when moisture tends to range about 2 percent higher than other areas of the orchard,” the board says. “Within the windrow, moisture tends to accumulate on the bottom layers of almonds, so be sure to choose those to sample.”

9: Another consequence of moisture at harvest is concealed damage, which can significantly impact quality and re-duce grower returns in years with late harvests and-or early rains. The board’s guidelines note that “concealed dam-age” is apparent only after roasting, when the kernel interiors turn darker thanundamagednuts,andflavorcanbebitter.

In extreme cases, kernel internal color and flavor are altered before roasting.Prolonged moisture at elevated tem-peratures (above field temperatures) and even at ambient temperatures can create this condition.

Johnny Walker61 / Thinkstock


RAISIN INDUSTRYContinued from Page 3demand for green grapes for con-centrate. It has dropped to some 80,000 tons per year, compared to past years when it was as much as 400,000 tons.

Raisin grape acreage has been de-clining in recent years, dropping to 184,000 in 2015. Spate said manygrowers are turning to other crops including tree nuts and citrus. He said some growers had bulldozers at work in their vineyards soon after harvesting this year’s crop.

Industry leaders also note that newlaborlaws–includinga$15perhour minimum wage and overtime based on an eight–hour day and 40-hour week – are helping drive tra-ditional raisin grape acreage out of production. Less than half of grapes for raisins are harvested mechani-cally.

While this year’s crop is expected to be smaller than last year’s, Spate said fruit quality may be higher. The Raisin Administrative Commit-tee has estimated a crop of 270,000 tons,“plusorminus15,000,”Spatesaid.

Rachel Naegele, research horticul-turist at the Parlier center, explained that all varieties being considered are natural dried-on-the-vine culti-vars. She said the center is no lon-ger focusing on vines which require

cane cutting.The cultivars out for tasting and

viewing included some with a red flesh, some resistant to powderymildew, some resistant to Pierce’s Disease, and some resistant to both.

Some of the raisins set out for tasting were quite small, a trait that Ledbetter said is not generally fa-vored. He said attention is being focused on achieving a raisin mass between7and15grams,“mid-sizedraisins.”

As he tasted raisins chosen for their resistance to disease and mil-dew infestation, Sun-Maid field representative Mike Moriyama said they could be a boon to organic growers. While the percentage of raisins organically grown remains small, he said they command a pre-mium, and disease and insect pres-sures continue to challenge organic growers.

A new dried-on-the-vine variety called Sunpreme was also available for sampling. Among participants in the raisin showing was Matthew McMillan, a sales representative with Vintage Nurseries and Mercier California, two of only five licensed nurseries where Sunpreme is being propagated.

McMillan does not expect the first commercial plantings of Sun-preme to occur before 2018.

The USDA has been involved in grape breeding for nearly a century. For raisin grapes, one goal has been to move harvest times earlier to hedge against a threat of rain.

GRAPE UPDATESTrusted farming industry news for

z : commodity information, growing analysis, news, and grape produc-tion trends.

Ledbetter explained that research-ers in the field evaluate raisin qual-ity characteristics that include crop load and cluster size, spur versus cane fruitfulness, berry attachment and raisin drop, and dates of wilting and complete raisining.

In the lab, they look at other objec-tive data including raisin color and mass. And they also look at subjec-tive criteria that include wrinkling, flavor,skin,seedtracedetectability,meatiness, uniformity, attractive-ness, and stem attachment.

Ledbetter said consumers consis-tently prefer a mouth feel of raisins with a fine wrinkle texture to ones that are coarse.

Before tasting began, Ledbetter told participants he and others were interested in comments “whether good or bad.”

Photo ContributedRobert Sahatjian, left, farm manager and grower relations representative with Victor Packing in Madera, and Matthew McMillan, sales representative with Vintage Nurseries and Mercier California, taste fruit at a raisin event.


AVIATORSContinued from Page 3their community in so many ways, and they must be commended for all of their great efforts,” Costa wrote.

Poolstillfarmsabout150acresofalmonds and grapes and checks on the farm several times a week. He lives in Madera. He leases out an-other 225 that are part of a familycorporation.

Pool and longtime friend, pilot andraisinfarmerBillHoffrage,75,sat down with Western Farm Press recentlyandsharedtheirloveoffly-ing and farming.

Hoffrage,whoflewonpollenandbeneficial insects for several years inasmallplane,nowfliesavintage1943 Stearman for a hobby. He do-nates rides for fund-raising chari-ties. He’s also known to spot veter-answhile about townor at afly-inand offers to take them up.

Hoffrage recently handed off the Stearman’s stick to Pool on a short hoptoafly-inatanoldWWIIairbase, Eagle Field near Firebaugh, Calif.AlthoughPoolquitflying20years ago, Hoffrage called his friend a “ballerina” for the way he handled the Stearman in the air.

Hoffrage admitted, though, his friend didn’t like his Stearman, even though it was a similar model that got Pool started in 1971 with his own aerial application business. Pool spent a winter modifying a Stearman to make it more powerful and agile in the air. This was after he worked for two other valley crop dusting companies.

“I didn’t say I did not like Bill ’s plane, but it was uncomfortable compared to what I modified. Bill ’s plane is too heavy, and it is hard to see out of,” said Pool.

“The plane I modified was so easy to fly. You did not have to force itto do anything. It did what I was thinking. I flew that plane for 20years and still regret getting rid of it.”

Hoffrage, who once was Pool’s country neighbor, said Pool could apply sulfur to grapes for powdery mildew control like no other. He cited a small vineyard on Avenue 23 in Madera County with a row of Eucalyptus trees along one side.

“He would come off those Euca-lyptus trees with his wheels literally on the grapes, the prop wash forcing the sulfur into the grapes. When he would pull up, the sulfur would stop

and never go across the road,” Hof-frage said. “Ray was the best sulfur guy I have ever seen.

“Ray’s Stearman was not a Stea-rman. It was a Ray Pool plane,” Hoffrage said.

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Like many farmers who oper-ate commercial trucks or custom farm or harvest to supplement their farms, Pool’s crop dusting business financed his farming.

“Flying is what got me into farm-ing. People loaned me a lot of mon-ey over the years, and the airplanes paid interest until crops came in,” Pool recalled.

He started farming cotton and al-falfa on hard pan and almost went broke. He soon learned that there is more profit in permanent crops.

Arthur Bright of Bright’s Nursery in Merced County initially helped him make the switch from row crops to almonds.

“IwasflyingforBright’searlieronwhen getting started. I told Arthur his orchards sure looked good and wished I had something like that,” Pool recalled. “He asked me if I was serious and I said yes, so we traded out my work for him planting 40 acres of almonds for me.”

He then still had 40 acres of open ground. His neighbor planted a new vineyard, and Pool asked him how much he was making. His neighbor said $1,000 per acre.

Gallo was signing new contracts for wine grapes.

“I did not know a damn thing about growing grapes - all I did was dust them, and I hated that. Gallo gave me a $1 million contract for growing Barbera and French Co-lombard…..took me 20 years to col-lect that $1 million. Gallo made it made it tough some years to deliver good grapes, but they paid enough so you could stay in farming.”

Pool said many growers without contracts lost everything during the grape oversupply years. He still de-livers to Gallo.

Hoffrage and Pool obviously love flying, but their flying has pur-pose…farming.

“We enjoy farming and the prom-ise of the next harvest after training vines and seeing your efforts bear fruit. It is a nice cycle to be part of,”

Hoffrage said.Western Farm Press Daily – free

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Pool, whose family moved to Madera in 1933, and Hoffrage, a farmer there for more than 40 years, have seen many changes in agricul-ture.

Financing, they both agree, is one of the biggest. Wide swings in crop economics have made it difficult to maintain financing. Many like Hof-frage, now self-financed says ”you have got to do your homework be-fore making cropping decisions and not rely totally on financing institu-tions.”

They cited the grape boom and bust cycle of the 1980s when banks encouraged grape plantings only to result in a disastrous oversupply of wine grapes.

Pool recalls visiting with a large Madera County farmer who said the banks were telling growers several years ago not to plant pistachios, which have become one of the major and rapidly growing nut crops in the valley.

“Whatever the banks say; do the opposite,” laughs Pool.

There has been no greater chal-lenge than water today for farming.

“Availability - if it is wet - is the No. 1 priority with quality and cost secondary,” Hoffrage said. “There may be a lot of water 3,500 feetdown, but what is the quality?”

Salts and other undesirable ele-ments can have a major impact on crops, particularly salts on almonds. Hoffrage said that is becoming a major issue in the Chowchilla area as in many other parts of the Cen-tral Valley.

Water has had a surprising, direct impact on crop dusting.

“Drip irrigation just about killed crop dusting,” Pool said, explaining the obvious: with flood or furrowirrigation, growers cannot get into fields with ground spray rigs and must call aerial applicators to apply fertilizers and pesticides. Now with drip, farmers can get into fields vir-tually year round.

Nevertheless, Pool just installed a new drip system on almonds.

“Ray told me it would pay off in 10 years” when Ray is 102,” Hoffrage laughed.

“It has already paid off,” Pool cor-rected. “It is more efficient and saves water.”

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NOW hIRINg

has any requests for a specific train-ing or workshop please contact our office, and we will look into it.

The holidays are upon us, so take some time to spend it with those that matter most in your lives. All year we work hard to see the fruits of our labor, and often forget to say thanks or just acknowledge those that have helped along the way. So, take some time from the hustle and bustle, and just enjoy those fruits with those that matter most.

I would also like to take a minute to thank everyone who has helped me this past year. I started this job just over a year ago, hitting the ground running on day one, and haven’t stopped. I am so thank-ful for the phenomenal wealth of knowledge, support and enthusiasm I have received. I look forward to continuing my efforts as your execu-tive director, and ask that if anyone has anything specific they would like us to address or look into, please feel free to call me. I’m always just a phone call away.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Cheers!

ED’S ADDRESSContinued from Page 2

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