George Washington, the father of our country, said it well when he proclaimed he grew crops to eat and sell and crops to replenish the soil. Generations of farmers follow his footsteps.
In the late 1800s, when automobiles started replacing horses in the United States, farmers were likely pondering how the new technology could be adapted for agricultural production. Before long, tractors revolutionized the industry.
One-third of the world's food is spoiled or tossed rather than eaten, a fact that is tragic when nearly one billion people go hungry. The injustice of food waste is worsened by the fact that food decomposing in landfills emits greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.
June 18-24 is National Pollinator Week. Do you know where your pollinators are? Think bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles. And think flies. Especially syrphid flies, also known as "flower flies" and "hover flies.
A new UC Cooperative Extension podcast that focuses on growing orchard crops in the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys is now available free at http://growingthevalleypodcast.com, Apple iTunes and Google Play Music.
