Masked Chafer (AKA white grubs) have been problematic for blueberry growers, particularly in the Central Valley of California. The good news is that researchers and entomologists have come up with both organic and conventional methods treatments for these soil pests. Watch this brief interview UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor David Haviland to learn about these options and read more about it in California Fresh Fruit Magazine.
Wawona Packing Company, a leading grower and shipper of organic and conventional tree fruit, today announced the start of its 2019 stone fruit season. Beginning with proprietary varieties of organic and conventional peaches and nectarines, the program will expand to include additional commodities and varieties as the season progresses with plums, pluots and apricots available by mid-May.
Wawona anticipates a large, promotable volume of stone fruit throughout its full 26-week season. Several of the varieties included in this year’s program are a result of the company’s acquisition of the stone fruit breeding assets of Burchell Nursery last summer.
“Our proprietary breeding program allows us to start earlier and finish later than our competitors, while maintaining exceptional quality throughout the season,” said Mark Berlinger, tree fruit sales manager at Wawona. “We always have had an extensive research and development program, and our partnership with Burchell Nursery has further expanded our ability to provide the most flavorful, high-quality varieties to our customers.”
With more than 9,000 acres of farmland in production in California’s central San Joaquin Valley, Wawona’s stone fruit program is the most diverse of its kind, offering organic and conventional varieties for yellow and white peaches, yellow
and white nectarines, black and red plums and pluots, along with conventional apricots.
For more information about Wawona Stone Fruit programs please call (559) 528-4000 or email sales@wawonapacking.com.
About Wawona Packing Company
Founded in 1945, Wawona Packing Company currently farms more than 9,000 acres in California’s central San Joaquin Valley. Wawona offers organic and conventional tree fruit and citrus and is the largest grower of organic tree fruit in the United States. The company’s brands include Sweet-2-Eat, Sweet-2-Eat organic, Harvest Sweet and Wawona. For more information visit wawonapacking.com.
Navel Orangeworm is widely known as a serious pest in tree nuts; however, it is also becoming quite the nuisance in California’s fig crop as well. Check out this brief interview with Brad Higbee, now Field Research & Development Manager for Trece, Inc. as he talks about the work they are doing to help fig growers, and read more about it in California Fresh Fruit Magazine.
The National Onion Association’s membership works hard to keep their operations sustainable. From use of onion as a raw “onion power” to power up facilities to protecting workers and the land, America’s onion farmers work hard every day to create the most sustainable programs possible. It’s not only right for the country, but their families as they continue to feed America. This Earth Day, remember the onion farmer, and his/her contributions, to keeping the Earth healthy, while they help feed America.
Here are some great examples of sustainable practices in the onion world:
Ten years ago, Gills Onions in California created a system whereby it uses onion remains (tops, skins, stems and tops) to create energy, a system that now has generated more than 25 gigawatt hours of electricity — enough power to supply a year’s worth of power to 460 residential homes. The Advanced Energy Recovery System provides 100 percent of the base electrical load of Gills’ processing plant in Oxnard, Calif. Gills to this day is working to achieve greater efficiency and energy independence.
“It’s hard to do business in California, but also it challenges us to think outside of the box. So, onion juice power was (owner Steve Gill) thinking outside of the box. He created a program that did not exist in the world.”
Source: Gills Onions. Contact: Megan Jacobsen, 805-240-1983.)
Our farmers continue to close in on the idea of zero waste. There are continually new ways of using all of the onions. From the tops and stems in production facilities, to the “culls” left over in the field being used for sheep feed, and shredded for cattle crazing.
• Sakata Farms in Colorado routinely trucks its culls to area sheep farms.
• Fashion designers in New York are using onion skins as natural dyes for their fabrics. A group of students working with the Fragmentario studio in New York City will unveil its onion fabrics during NY Textile Month in September. (Contact: Maria Elena Pombo, Fragementario Studio, https://fragmentario.co/)
• Gumz Farms in Endeavor, Wis., has installed a high-tech, humidity and temperature controlled circulation system, which allows it to store onions longer, reducing waste. Gumz also is a member of the Healthy Grown program in Wisconsin, which ensures their commitment to sustainability.
America’s onion farmers work diligently to keep soils healthy to grow the best products to put on the table. They follow researchers from around the world to implement the best practices.
Says Dylan Dembeck of Minkus Family Farms in New York:
“Many people think commercial agriculture hurts the land, but they don’t realize it is in our best interest to keep the land as fertile as possible to continue to produce high quality produce for generations to come. Not only are sustainable farming techniques good the for environment it is also very good for farmers. We are able to achieve higher yields, better quality product, and decrease our overall chemical applications. These things are all better for the environment and they help farmers increase their bottom line to ensure they can continue to farm for many years to come.”
• At Potandon Produce in Idaho, soil ph and nutrient levels are constantly monitored to reduce fertilizer use.
• Minkus Family Farms in New York has installed solar panels to reduce its footprint; it has built 62 skylights in their warehouse, almost completely eliminating the need for lighting in tis warehouse. Use exclusively LED lights. It also uses 10 large 20-foot fans to reduce building temperature, to avoid as much air conditioning as possible.
(Contact: https://freshonions.com/wholesale-onion-farm/)
• Potandon Produce in Idaho also recycles fresh water in an overall water management plan, uses poly bags printed with water-based inks and uses only recycled materials in its master containers. Corrugated and cardboard containers are sourced from suppliers that are part of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program.
• Grimmway Farms in California has a 4.75 megawatt solar from to help power its facilities, along with a multifaceted sustainability program to reduce its footprint.Water management and soil protection
• Fagerberg Farms in Eaton, Colo., uses subsurface drip irrigation, an innovative watering practice that requires less water, fewer chemicals and more efficient applications. Fagerberg has been recognized in the farming industry for its sustainable farming practices.
(Source: Fagerberg Farms,https://fagerbergproduce.com/)
• In Glennville, Ga., G&R Farms constantly monitors its varieties to get the best yields with the greatest efficiencies. Part of that is water management.“On the field side, we try to be very protective of the water, and make sure we don’t have any washing in the field or erosion. We put in cover corps in the off season to protect the till for the soil. Our goal is to use less and less fertilizer,” said Cliff Riner of G&R Farms. “We have to stay on top of the curve to provide the best product we can.”
The National Onion Association was incorporated in 1913 and represents more than 500 onion growers, shippers, packers and suppliers throughout the United States.
Summer is coming, and temperatures are rising to levels of concern for heat illness for farm employees. “Weather forecasts are looking at highly increased temperatures in the coming weeks,” shared Manuel Cunha, Jr., President of Nisei Farmers League. “In some areas, an increase of more than 20 degrees than what we are used to at this time of the year. Please follow the important rules for being sure your employees are safe.”
Cunha emphasized the need for adequate shade and rest, water, training and an emergency plan. It’s also critical to know and comply with recent changes to regulations regarding heat illness prevention, as follows:
Ø Acclimatization:
o Plan for new hires who will be exposed to heat to which the employee’s and body hasn’t yet adjusted.
o New employees must be closely observed for their first two weeks on the job.
o Allow employees to properly acclimate to high heat temperatures.
o Supervisors must be extra vigilant with new employees and stay alert to the presence of heat related symptoms.
o New employees will be assigned a buddy to closely watch for discomfort or symptoms of heat illness.
Ø Shade:
o Must be made available to 100% of the employees on rest breaks or meal periods when temperatures equal or exceed 80 degrees (NFL recommends to have shade available at the start of the day)
o May be provided by any natural or artificial means (ex: trees or vines that allow for workers to sit under comfortably is sufficient)
o If providing shade tents, shade tents should provide enough shade so that a person can sit in a normal posture fully in shade without being in physical contact with another worker.
Ø Water:
o Must be fresh, pure, and suitably cool.
o Shall be located as close as practicable to the area where employees are working. (NFL recommends you provide a water station at shade area)
o Have a replenishment plan in writing.
Ø High Heat Procedures (triggered at 95 degrees):
o Encourage employees to take rest periods.
o Monitor employees during recovery and develop a buddy system
o Be sure crews are manageable (ex: 20 workers per crew)
o If possible, change work schedule to adjust to the temperature.
o You will be required to take a 10 minute paid break every two hours. You will need to record all breaks.
For more information, visit Cal/OSHA website: http://www.dir.ca.gov/DOSH/dosh_publications/ESPHIP.pdf
Summer is coming, and temperatures are rising to levels of concern for heat illness for farm employees. “Weather forecasts are looking at highly increased temperatures in the coming weeks,” shared Manuel Cunha, Jr., President of Nisei Farmers League. “In some areas, an increase of more than 20 degrees than what we are used to at this time of the year. Please follow the important rules for being sure your employees are safe.”
Cunha emphasized the need for adequate shade and rest, water, training and an emergency plan. It’s also critical to know and comply with recent changes to regulations regarding heat illness prevention, as follows:
Ø Acclimatization:
o Plan for new hires who will be exposed to heat to which the employee’s and body hasn’t yet adjusted.
o New employees must be closely observed for their first two weeks on the job.
o Allow employees to properly acclimate to high heat temperatures.
o Supervisors must be extra vigilant with new employees and stay alert to the presence of heat related symptoms.
o New employees will be assigned a buddy to closely watch for discomfort or symptoms of heat illness.
Ø Shade:
o Must be made available to 100% of the employees on rest breaks or meal periods when temperatures equal or exceed 80 degrees (NFL recommends to have shade available at the start of the day)
o May be provided by any natural or artificial means (ex: trees or vines that allow for workers to sit under comfortably is sufficient)
o If providing shade tents, shade tents should provide enough shade so that a person can sit in a normal posture fully in shade without being in physical contact with another worker.
Ø Water:
o Must be fresh, pure, and suitably cool.
o Shall be located as close as practicable to the area where employees are working. (NFL recommends you provide a water station at shade area)
o Have a replenishment plan in writing.
Ø High Heat Procedures (triggered at 95 degrees):
o Encourage employees to take rest periods.
o Monitor employees during recovery and develop a buddy system
o Be sure crews are manageable (ex: 20 workers per crew)
o If possible, change work schedule to adjust to the temperature.
o You will be required to take a 10 minute paid break every two hours. You will need to record all breaks.
For more information, visit Cal/OSHA website: http://www.dir.ca.gov/DOSH/dosh_publications/ESPHIP.pdf
With the threat of the deadly Huanglongbing citrus greening disease coming to the state, California citrus growers are doing all they can to keep the disease vector asian citrus psyllid out of their orchards; however, these treatments are also taking out natural enemies for red scale, causing a resurgence of the pest in California orchards. Watch this brief video as researcher David Holden explains, and read more about it in California Fresh Fruit Magazine.
Western Growers has officially launched an interactive directory that acts as a marketplace for agricultural technology (agtech) startups. Found at https://www.agtechpages.com, the Western Growers AgTech Innovation Directory allows users to identify, research and connect with start-up companies who are developing technologies and innovations to solve the biggest issues facing the agriculture industry. These startups are specializing in everything from automation and traceability to data management and aerial imagery.
Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. Our members and their workers provide half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including half of America’s fresh organic produce. For generations we have provided variety and healthy choices to consumers. Connect with and learn more about Western Growers on our Twitter and Facebook.
