johnholland's blog

The state is seeking a new member for its Fertilizer Inspection Advisory Board, according to a news release I got today. Yes, it struck me as funny at first glance (as do many things on the ag beat) but I can see how important this is. Buyers deserve to get what they pay for, whether it's a car or a bag of peaches or the fertilizer that the farmer used to grow the fruit.

The board "works to ensure that consumers receive fertilizing materials that are safe and effective and meet the quality guaranteed by the manufacturer," the release said.

Applicants must be licensed to handle fertilizer materials or represent licensed companies. There's no pay, but the members have the satisfaction of knowing that they are keeping the industry honest.

Spread the word.

Ag people are keeping a close watch today on the House of Representative. It is close to passing a bill that aims to reduce climate-changing emissions via such means as renewable energy and storage of carbon dioxide in plant matter and soil.

The bill “could be the most sweeping conservation legislation enacted in the 21st century,” says Jon Scholl, president of the American Farmland Trust.

Not so fast, says Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., who said it “promises to destroy our standard of living and quality of life with higher energy costs, higher food prices and lost jobs.”

We're thinking of running an AP story out of Vermont on some dairy farmers trying to reduce burping by their cows. They believe that the burps are a major source of methane, which floats into the atmosphere and contributes to global warming. The farmers, who supply the Stonyfield Farms yogurt company, are increasing the amount of alfalfa, grass and flax in the cows' rations with the hope of changing the digestive process that produces burps. This means less corn and soy.

The idea that cow burps do damage has drawn derision from some people in the San Joaquin Valley, where dairy farming is huge. But air regulators have said it seems to be true, and that diet changes could be part of the solution. It could be a hard sell to dairy farmers, who believe that corn is crucial to efficient and low-cost milk production.

Let me know what you think.

I got my start as an ag reporter at the Sonora paper in the mid-80's. That meant writing about cattle ranching and logging, with an occasional story about the few turkey and apple producers. Tuolumne County has nowhere near the diversity of crops as the San Joaquin Valley. Part of it is the soil and slopes. Part of it is that, although vast amounts of water originate in the mountain snowpack, most of it is claimed by valley and Bay Area users.

So I was delighted to hear about what's happening Aug. 1. That's the date of the second annual Tuolumne County Farm and Ranch Tour. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., participants can drive to a winery, a llama ranch, an apple farm, a Christmas tree farm and a place that grows produce and eggs. It's still small-scale, but it does show that the county can have at least some diversity.

Shoppers at a Safeway store in Sacramento are getting a taste this morning of the late-spring bounty of Northern California. The store is taking part in an event aimed at getting people to try local food via free samples. That includes apricots from Blossom Hill near Patterson and vegetables from Ratto Bros. west of Modesto. The event includes representatives of the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the California Grocers Association.

The idea is to provide fresh food while reducing the environmental impact of long-distance shipping. Safeway officials say they already get about 45 percent of their produce for their California stores from within the state. A great idea — and even greater during the time of year when produce is at its best, including cherries from a Stockton-area grower at the event.

The San Joaquin Valley is not soybean-growing country, but the crop from the Midwest is vital to our poultry industry. I thought of this when I got an e-mail today from the Illinois Soybean Association about its new exhibit on the crop at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

You’ve got to give the group credit for making the most of what to most people is a drab product. To quote the press release: “Children can move shapes, press buttons, turn cranks and watch as soybeans are planted, grown and harvested,” David Hartke, chairman of the ISA board, said. “Whether they are pressing buttons to see the stages of growth or turning the crank to make the combine work, they will be entertained and educated.”

Here's why it pays to read the agenda of the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors carefully. That way, you will know that the county has contracted once again to watch for stolen cantaloupes being sold at flea markets and other locations.

It seems some people make off with sacks of melons from fields and try to sell them. Thus the "cantaloupe surveillance" contract, under which the California Cantaloupe Advisory Commission is paying the county agricultural commissioner $16,950 for up to 270 hours of staff time and other expenses. The inspectors can spot bootleg melons by markings that indicate the field and harvest date.

It all sounds kind of funny at first glance - I can envision an action flick, or maybe a TV cartoon - but the theft means real losses to the growers. This is not a big crop in the county, but the per-pound value is high.

So go get 'em, cantaloupe cops!