Posts Tagged: organic
Dan Marcum encourages farmers to 'diversify their portfolios'
Since the 1970s, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor for Shasta and Lassen counties, Dan Marcum, has been working alongside farmers - particularly the risk-takers and early adopters - to test new crops and pest controls, according to a feature in the Redding Record-Searchlight.
He won their trust, the story said, with his practical knowledge of farming and work ethic.
"Dan works harder than most of the farmers in his area," the story quoted fourth generation Fall River grower Travis Corder.
Over the years, Marcum has undertaken myriad efforts to help the region's farmers diversify their crops, wrote reporter Tim Holt. For example:
- He took farmers on a field trip to the University of Minnesota to learn how to grow short-season wild rice
- He led a field trip to Central Oregon to look into the possibility of growing peppermint
- He has worked closely with farmers to develop economically viable organic pest control methods
- He is experimenting with cold-weather winegrape varieties that can be planted successfully by smaller growers for personal use and possibly to sell to wineries
"Crop diversity is like diversifying your stock portfolio. It helps growers survive the ups and downs of wholesale prices for any one crop," Marcum was quoted.
Wild rice is a crop Northern California farmers can use to diversify their portfolios.
First-of-its-kind organic farming apprenticeship launched
An organic farming apprenticeship program has been established in Novato, Calif., to teach students progressive, responsible farming practices including landscape ecology, composting and fertility management, according to a news release distributed by the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS).
This is the first organic farming apprentice program in the nation, the release said. The Organic Farming and Gardening Apprenticeship Program includes 1,800 hours of hands-on paid training at Fresh Run Farm in Bolinas and 11 courses of related instruction provided by College of Marin.
According to the release, the organic farming industry is the fastest growing sector in agriculture. Marin County has 23 registered organic producers that farm 810 acres of land.
The College of Marin also maintains a 5.8-acre Indian Valley Organic Farm & Garden, which is a partnership involving the Conservation Corps North Bay, the University of California Cooperative Extension and the College of Marin.
Apprenticeship training dates to ancient times when young boys were indentured to skilled tradesmen to learn a craft, according to DAS website. Today, apprentices are women and men who earn while they learn through planned, supervised work on-the-job combined with related classroom instruction.
"Just like college, apprenticeships aren’t for everyone," the website says. "Apprentices get up early, take direction from journeypersons, follow precise safety standards and attend classes at night. But at the end of their apprenticeship they get a ticket to a career anywhere they care to go."
Students work at the Indian Valley Organic Farm & Garden
Ag is a key part of California communities' identities
News stories from around the state demonstrate the role of UC Cooperative Extension in helping define California's agricultural "sense of place."
Salinas research corridor
Officials are working together to create a "research corridor" in Salinas to work in concert with existing agricultural and construction technology centers, said Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue in his state-of-the-city address. "I want to acknowledge the very real and sustained efforts to make a Research Corridor a reality by Dr. Phoebe Helm at Hartnell, Sonya Varyea Hammond of the UC Extension and Congressman Sam Farr," Donahue said, according to a transcript of his speech on the Fox 35 news website. "The City will continue to stand with and actively support their efforts to help move the public sector's role in the future we envision. The marketplace will ultimately move the agenda forward but the public sector plays a crucial role."
Organic agriculture
California is the No. 1 place for organic agriculture in the nation, according to a survey analyzed by UC Cooperative Extension agricultural economist Karen Klonsky. UC Davis news service issued a news tip about the analysis that was picked up widely in the media. The survey found that California leads the United States in the number of organic farms, the amount of land in organic production and in organic sales. California is home to 19 percent of the nation’s organic farms and accounts for 36 percent of the country’s organic sales.
Rural identity
The U.S. census reports that population in Yolo County has grown, but the place maintains its "rural" designation, reported the Woodland Daily Democrat. Government agencies usually identify counties as rural if the population is under 200,000, the story said. Even though Yolo County, the home of UC Davis, topped that number by 849 individuals, it is still considered rural because of the important role of agriculture in the community, county administrator Patrick Blacklock told the paper.
Should added sulfites be allowed in organic wines?
Some leading environmentalists in the wine industry are asking the federal government to allow sulfites to be added to wines labeled organic, according to a story in the Los Angeles Times.
Currently, for a wine to be labeled "USDA organic," it may not contain added sulfites. The chemical occurs in small amounts naturally in wines but is considered by many vintners to be an indispensable preservative.
Sulfites arrest fermentation at the desired time, and may also be added to prevent spoilage and oxidation at several stages of winemaking.
"It's extremely difficult to make high-quality wine without adding sulfites," the story quoted Andy Waterhouse, chair of the UC Davis department of viticulture and enology. "The smallest amount of mold on the grapes would cause the flavor to be different."
As a result, other eco-friendly wine labels, which may have weak or even no official standards, have filled the void - including biodynamic, sustainable and "natural" wine.
"Wine drinkers looking for a healthful, green product face confusing choices, and wineries can claim they're eco-friendly without anyone really checking," the story said.
Writer W. Blake Gray noted that several winemakers who are marketing USDA organic wines are campaigning to maintain the current standards.
"Most of the 8,000-year history of winemaking appears to be from naturally farmed, organically grown grapes without sulfites added," the story quoted winemaker Paul Frey.
Brian Fitzpatrick sells organic wines and vinegars. (Photo: B. Dawson)
Organic farming gets more research dollars
The 2008 Farm Bill gave organic agriculture a significant boost by increasing funding for organic research from $2 million a year to $20 million, according to an article in the New York Times.
Reporter Jim Robbins outlined some of the research that is underway across the country, opening with work at the UC Davis student farm, where native sunflowers provide a "bed-and-breakfast" for beneficial insects, according to farm director Mark van Horn.
Robbins also described the work of UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Rachael Long, who has studied bats' role in battling codling moth in walnut and apple orchards. According to her research, bats eat their weight in bugs every night.
“They eat a ton of insects,” Long was quoted. “They also eat cucumber beetles and stink bugs, which affect tomatoes.”
Scientists are continuing their research to identify a blend of systems that will grow food and support the natural ecosystem on the farm and beyond.
“That’s the holy grail,” Van Horn told the reporter. “An agricultural system that mimics a natural system.”
Bats help organic farmers by feeding on crop pests.