Posts Tagged: Scott Stoddard
Drought rekindles farmers' interest in drip irrigation
The use of plastic emitters in drip irrigation began in 1956 on a Kibbutz in Israel, where, like California, water demand is perennially greater than supply. Drip was introduced into the United States in the early 1960s.
Sun-Star reporter Marina Gaytan spoke to Scott Stoddard, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Merced County, to get his thoughts about the trend toward drip.
“You can get water savings by using drip, but often times what you're really getting is improved water use efficiency,” Stoddard said. “You've improved your yield for the same amount of water.”
According to a farmer quoted in the story, installing a one-year surface drip system costs about $400 per acre. Some farmers are installing buried drip irrigation, which runs about $1,500 per acre but will last for many years.
Farmers welcome recent rainfall
Ventura County Star
Even though springtime rainfall can cause molds to grow in strawberries, and splashing raindrops can spread fungal and bacterial pathogens, farmers are delighted with the wet weather.
"We're going to lose some fruit, but that's a small price to pay," said Oleg Daugovish, UCCE advisor in Ventura County.
Before the rain began to fall, Daugovish advised growers to apply protective fungicides and open up plant canopies to expose the inside of the plants.
Enjoy California sweet potatoes around the clock and calendar
California is a significant producer of sweet potatoes. About 90 percent of the California crop – 18,000 acres – is grown in Merced County, on farms ranging from 5 acres up to several thousand acres. In 2011, the crop’s value statewide was $125 million.
However, you probably won’t find sweet potato farmers at your local farmers market.
“Even smaller growers tend to work with a packing shed and have their crops combined with others and marketed,” said Scott Stoddard, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Merced County.
A few years ago, when sweet potato fries began showing up at high-end restaurants and fast food chains across the country, the U.S. and the California sweet potato industries overestimated the future growth in sweet potato consumption, Stoddard said. In addition, improvements in growing practices boosted yield per acre, leaving the country with something of a sweet potato glut. Currently, acreage is inching down again as growers balance supply with demand.
Most sweet potato breeding programs are conducted in the South, such as Louisiana and North Carolina, but the characteristics sought in that part of the country are different than California. Stoddard is conducting specialized variety trials in California to select varieties with red, purple or garnet skin.
“In California, we are going for a red-skinned sweet potato,” Stoddard said. “Especially, a red-skinned variety that stores well.”
Some people incorrectly believe that sweet potatoes with moist orange flesh are yams. True yams can be found elsewhere in the world, but in the U.S., a sweet potato is a sweet potato, whether the flesh is orange, yellow or white and whether the skin is tan, dusty pink or garnet red.
Sweet potatoes are a featured California crop in Dirt Fresh News, a monthly newsletter produced by UC Cooperative Extension in Stanislaus County that introduces school children to fresh, locally grown food. The newsletter says sweet potatoes are a good source of potassium, fiber, beta-carotene and vitamins B-6, E and C.
To eat them raw, simply peel, cut into sticks and serve with low-fat ranch dressing or apple sauce for dipping. Grate fresh, uncooked sweet potatoes and add to burritos or tacos or sprinkle on salads for a sweet, nutritious crunch.
Baked sweet potatoes can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner, skin and all, plain or with a small pat of butter.
“Microwaving is a great way to save energy if you are just baking 1 or 2 potatoes,” the newsletter says. “Wash your potatoes and pat dry. Prick skin with a knife in 2 to 3 places. Cook on high for 5 minutes. Turn over. Then cook for another 5 minutes, more or less.”
Following are recipes from the Sweet Potato Council of California:
Warm sweet potato and green bean salad
3 medium sweet potatoes, cooked, pared and cut into ¼-inch slices (about 2 lbs.)
½ pound fresh whole green beans
1 small red onion, halved and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cut watercress springs (optional)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
In large skillet over medium-high heat, brown sweet potatoes and cook green beans with onion and garlic in oil until crisp-tender. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Service warm. If esired, top with Parmesan cheese shavings.
Sweet potato Leek Soup
1 bunch leeks, white and light green portion
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 fresh sweet potatoes
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 pinch cayenne or ground red pepper
Slice leeks and saute in butter until soft. Thinly slice sweet potates; add to leeks; saute 3 minutes. Add water, salt and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 20 - 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft. Puree and strain. Add cream, lemon juice, white and red pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. For garnish, julienne additional leek and sweetpotato into 3/4" strips; saute in 2 tablespoons butter until crisp-tender. Just before serving, stir into soup. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Northern San Joaquin Valley is basking in the cold
The consensus for this part of the state: cold weather is good news. The Stockton Record checked in with Joe Grant, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in San Joaquin County.
"We'll take any and all cold that we can at this time of year to fulfill the chilling requirements of the trees," Grant said.
Paul Verdegaal, UCCE advisor in San Joaquin County, a viticulture expert, agreed.
"The good side of the story is we're catching up on the chilling hours, which will produce a good strong bud bread and bloom for all the perennial crops," Verdegaal said. "(Subfreezing temperatures, however,) may be hurting some younger trees and vines, but generally, things are in dormancy, so it's not too much of a problem."
Maxwell Norton, UCCE advisor in Merced County, spoke to the Merced Sun-Star.
"For us out here, the cold nights are good," Norton said. "We fare quite well because we don't grow subtropical crops like citrus and avocados."
Scott Stoddard, UCCE advisor in Merced County, said crop storage facilities need to pay attention to temperature control when the weather gets very cold.
"We have a lot of sweet potatoes in storage," he said. "They guys need to make sure their storage rooms are working properly and don't get too cold."
Roger Duncan, UCCE advisor in Stanislaus County, told the Modesto Bee that warm winters are more harmful than cold snaps such as the one we're experiencing.
"Actually, this is beautiful," Duncan said. "Tree crops need cold in order to break their rest."
More sweet potatoes growing in California
A hungry pest is devouring San Diego County oak trees
Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times
The goldspotted oak borer is devouring enormous numbers of oak trees in San Diego County and its devastation could spread to trees throughout California, according to researchers at UC Riverside. "This may be the biggest oak mortality event since the Pleistocene [epoch] 12,000 years ago," UC Riverside natural resource specialist Tom Scott said in a report issued last week. The Times story was prompted by a UC Riverside news release.