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State officials tour Modoc County agriculture, sustainable pest management
On July 17 and 18, the Modoc County Department of Agriculture in conjunction with Modoc County Farm Bureau and UC Cooperative Extension hosted an agricultural tour to highlight some of the agricultural issues in Modoc County and how they relate to Sustainable Pest Management, a new strategic plan under construction by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR).
Attendees included north state county agricultural commissioners, representatives fromCDPR, California Department of Food and Agriculture, California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association (CACASA), public land agencies, and elected officials. Over two days, attendees visited Surprise Valley, Goose Lake,Newell and theTulelake Basin. Producers,UCCE farmadvisors,Modoc County supervisors and staff, and theTule Lake National Wildlife Refuge integrated pest management coordinator discussed the noxious weed, grasshopper and water issuesModoc County faces and the tools needed to keep these issues in check.
In Alturas, the group loaded onto the bus and headed for Surprise Valley. County supervisors and staff, and UCCE farm advisors described attributes of the county as the bus traveled to the first stop at Marchy Ranch in Cedarville.
Scotch thistle was the main attraction at the Marchy Ranch. Tom Getts,UCCE weed ecology and cropping systems advisor for Lassen, Modoc, Plumas and Sierra counties, discussed life history and management methods for Scotch thistle. Neighboring parcels harboring acres and acres of noxious weeds are a primary concern for producers in this area. Once established, removing Scotch thistle from the landscape is very difficult.
The group then traveled to theIngraham and Gardener Ranches in Davis Creek. BetsyIngraham shared her experiences with grasshoppers as the insects hopped all around the ground with each step. Grasshoppers covered her house and had stripped her garden.Getts spoke to the source of grasshoppers from public lands and the management options in the area.
Laura Snell, UCCE livestock and natural resource advisor for Modoc County, spoke to the damage endured by small-scale farmers such as farmers market producers and those raising food for their families. The Gardeners described how the grasshoppers have decimated their alfalfa.
The day ended at the Modoc County Courthouse, where attendees were briefed on the importance of agriculture to Modoc's economy. They were given a brief history of the Klamath Project, which converted Tule Lake to a wildlife refuge and agricultural land.
On July 18, the bus headed from Canby across the Devil's Garden to Newell Migrant Center. Discussion ensued regarding invasive plant species as well as wild horses on the landscape. We learned that families at the Newell Migrant Center return from year to year to work in the agricultural industry in the Tulelake Basin.
After a driving tour through Copic Bay and viewing the commodities produced there (alfalfa, potatoes, onions, garlic, horseradish and barley), the group toured Gold Dust Potato Processors and ended at the UC Intermountain Research and Extension Center. Ben DuVal of the Klamath Water Users Association, Geoff Grisdale of the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and Rob Wilson, IREC director and UCCE agronomy and pest management advisor, described the integrated management of wildlife and agricultural lands in the Tulelake Basin and how land use practices benefit both.
Juan Hildago, CACASA president, commented, “Growers shared the issues they are facing in controlling weeds and grasshoppers in agricultural production areas and the lack of tools available to control these pests, and concerns about more tools that may be taken away as the state pushes for SPM (Sustainable Pest Management plan) and regulatory measures that can impact the use of available tools.”
“The message from growers across our state is consistent regardless of the commodity being grown in the efforts being made to use IPM (integrated pest management) and being diligent in using the limited pesticide tools available,” he added. “Current tools must be preserved and cannot be eliminated before effective and efficient alternatives are available.”
Julie Henderson, CDPR director, thanked the Modoc County Agricultural Department and all of the Modoc County and UC folks who made the tour happen. “We so appreciate you taking the time to give us a clear, on-the-ground view of the bounty of Modoc County and the tough pest management and related challenges you're facing,” she said.
