Farming in the Foothills

The humming sound of busy honeybees filled the fall air, darting back and forth as I followed long-time beekeeper Randy Oliver around his bee yard. I was there to learn about a new issue for local beekeepers.

According to many state fire officials, we no longer have simply a Fire Season' but a Fire Year'. In winter drought conditions, some parts of our region do not receive enough rain to mitigate fire danger.

National Honey Bee Day - Aug.

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the Sheep Industry Innovators Conference organized by lamb processor Superior Farms at UC Davis. The conference brought together sheep producers from throughout the U.S. - both large and small.

Growing mandarins in the foothills often produces a tantalizing crop of fruit that delights even the pickiest of connoisseurs, however, it is not produced without difficulty.