Ventura County UCCE Coastal Community Development Advisor Monique Myers is currently working with others in the community to create a vision for the long-term future of Ventura County. They will be addressing issues such as: housing costs, traffic congestion, economic vitality, and a county response to climate change.

Your insight is important! Please take some time to learn additional information about this important project. More information and the opportunity to complete a questionnaire can be found at, www.VenturaCountyCompact.org. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. Answers will be used to determine which issues are most pressing for residents, and all responses remain anonymous.

On a late day in August, Ventura County UCCE Master Gardeners and 20 hard- working youth in the Oxnard City Corps program began installation of a rain garden at the Camarillo Ranch House. Channels were dug, and rocks and boulders moved. An estimated 100 wheelbarrows of dirt was moved on one of the hottest days of the year all by volunteers to create the rain garden.

So what you may ask is a rain garden? Ventura County UCCE’s Monique Myers provides the following answer:

Rain gardens collect rain water and beautify a yard. They provide a simple form of rain water harvesting, allowing homeowners to save valuable rain water. Although more commonly found in wetter climates, rain gardens are certainly beneficial in water-thirsty California where local rainfall often does not meet water demand and imported water is necessary to support the majority of the population. As water prices climb and the threat of droughts loom-large homeowners and municipalities are looking toward conserving and utilizing water that falls on-site. Rain gardens offer a simple, attractive and inexpensive option.

Basically, rain gardens receive rain that falls on a roof or other collection surface.  The water is channeled, via rain gutters, pipes, swails or curb openings, into a depression in the yard where it soaks into the ground and waters vegetation. Contrary to what many people think, a rain garden is not a pond feature. A properly functioning rain garden holds water for only a short period of time. The purpose is to retain water just long enough for it to percolate into the soil. Most of the time, the bed of the rain garden is dry.

More work days will be scheduled soon, including one on Monday October the 5th. This will be a planting day. Work will start at about 9:00 am near the barn. Bring gloves, hat, shovel and smile! If you are unable to make that day, but are interested in helping, please contact our office.

Oxnard City Corps youth working on rain garden project

Oxnard City Corps youth working on rain garden project

Ventura County UCCE Farm Advisor, Ben Faber shares his knowledge of avocados. Today’s topic:

The avocado is an amazing fruit.  It grows on a tree and comes to maturity, reaches certain oil content and a stage at which it will ripen, but does not ripen on the tree.  It needs to be removed from the tree before it will soften.  If the fruit is removed before it has reached maturity it will not soften, and will remain rubbery and inedible.  One of the problems is that the fruit will hang on the tree for an extended period of time and it is hard to know when they are mature.  Avocados are not like apricots where you have about 2 weeks to get the fruit off before it falls off. As the fruit stays on the tree in gradually develops more and more oil content and has a richer flavor.

If the fruit stays on the tree too long, the oil can develop an almost rancid flavor, however.  So it is good to know when the best, acceptable flavor is achieved.  Avocado varieties fall into general seasonal periods when they are mature –‘Fuerte’ in winter, ‘Hass’ in spring/summer, ‘Lamb-Hass’ in summer/fall.  Or you can pick a fruit and put it on the counter and watch to see if it softens evenly.  If it does in a two week period, the rest on the tree are good to go.

Not much, if anything, is more important for survival than water. In the south-western region of the United States water issues carry far reaching social, environmental and political implications. Water availability is a challenge for many reasons, most importantly because at this time the state of California produces half of our nation’s domestic fruits, nuts and vegetables.

Researchers within the University of California system have been working find solutions to our water problems and to implement change.  The recent addition of the UC Newsroom newsletter features a collection of articles that can be found at http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/21800 and include information related to growing more with less water, UC water research centers, climate change stresses water supply, ecosystems and more.