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Almond, walnut production forecasts down for 2019

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alifornia's 2019 almond production is forecast at 2.20 billion meat pounds, down 12.0 percent from May's subjective forecast and down 3.5 percent from last year's crop.

Walnut production is forecast at 630,000 tons, down 6.8 percent from 2018's production of 676,000 tons, according to a survey conducted by the USDA NASS Pacific Regional Office.

The 2019 almond crop experienced unusual weather. Significant rainfall during the bloom hindered pollination. Strong winds were reported to

have damaged trees and knocked off some nuts.

Instances of rain persisted through April and May, prompting concerns about disease pressure and warranting extra fungal applications. Cooler than average temperatures have continued throughout the growing season and the crop development is about a week behind last year.

The average nut set per tree is 4,667, down 17.8 percent from 2018. The Nonpareil average nut set of 4,429 is down 10.1 percent from last year’s set of 4,924. The average kernel weight for all varieties sampled was 1.54 grams,

unchanged from the 2018 average weight. The Nonpareil average kernel weight was 1.63, down 4.1 percent from last year. A total of 98.7 percent of all nuts sized were sound.

The 2019 walnut season began with record amounts of rain during the winter and spring months. Bloom was seven to ten days later than normal. Late spring rains provided cooler conditions which increased kernel size and helped quality. Localized weather conditions have resulted in variable crop development across the state. No significant pest or disease problems have been reported.

Growers applied sunburn preventative materials during the heat waves over the summer.

Survey data indicated an average nut set per tree of 983, down 16.4 percent from 2018’s average of 1,176. Percent of sound kernels in-shell was 98.9 percent statewide. In-shell weight per nut was 22.7 grams, while the average in shell suture measurement was 32.3 millimeters.

The in-shell cross-width measurement was 33.2 and the average length inshell was 38.8 millimeters.

Nearly all of the sizing measurements were above the previous year’s levels.

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TUSD farm comes full circle W

BY ANGELINA MARTIN

hen the process to create a farm for Turlock Unified School District students first began in 2013, the hope was that it would eventually become a learning hub that connected students to agriculture. Today, the former vacant lot along East Taylor Road has transformed into a vibrant farm teeming with livestock and a variety of crops, providing educational opportunities for kids of all ages.

“We’re really starting to see that whole ‘farm-to-school’ idea come together,” TUSD Coordinator of Applied Horticulture and Environmental Studies Laura Brem said. “It’s hands-on learning, and kids do really well in those types of environments. We’ve grown a lot and we’re still working on things and trying to expand, but I feel like it’s all finally come together.”

At the farm, students at TUSD elementary, junior high and high schools, as well as the District’s On Track Transitions program, plant and harvest crops, tend to animals, participate in live learning labs and even use the products grown at the farm in meal preparation and for different projects. For many students, it’s an up-close look at the wonders of agriculture they may never have seen otherwise.

While the farm serves as a location for Future Farmers of America members to keep their livestock during the summer,

currently, there are a few animals who call the location their permanent farm.

There’s Duke the goat, who Brem described as the farm’s “mascot” and keeps students smiling day-in and day-out, and a calf donated by a local dairy has recently allowed kids to better understand the bottle-feeding process. Students also had the chance to see how artificial insemination works thanks to a demonstration with Lucy the farm pig, who is pregnant and will give birth in January.

“It really does tie in to the hands-on learning. That’s how most major farms and ranches now breed their animals, and the students will also be able to watch when the piglets are born,” Brem said.

The farm is also home to two miniature rescue horses from Texas, and routinely rotates fully-grown horses in and out of the property.

“We have a lot of students that have seen large animals in movies, but have never seen them in real life,” Brem said.

“Having have that full experience is really important.”

Countless crops are grown at the farm as well, and students recently concluded a harvest of summer produce like pluots, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and others. Now, fall crops are being planted, including carrots, beets, radishes, kale, Swiss chard and more. A majority of the produce is harvested by students, then utilized by the Pitman Culinary

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Arts program in the kitchen, and flowers grown at the farm are utilized by floral classes.

“We’re starting to figure out what the Culinary Arts students need and what we can bring to them,” Brem said.

Most recently, the District Farm began a partnership with On Track, which serves young men and women ages 18 through 22 with intellectual challenges. Students from the On Track program now visit the farm two days a week learning tangible life skills like sweeping, taking care of the garden and tending to animals. They also started their own microbusiness out on the farm earlier this month, harvesting and washing pumpkins to create centerpieces with succulent accents to sell to the community.

The center pieces sold out with On Track students selling 90 overall, and more projects are in the works.

“It’s a real positive. The On Track kids love it out here — we see a lot of positive responses, even from those who are nonverbal and get excited over the animals,” Brem said.

The District Farm also received a positive response from state leaders in early October when California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross and California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom paid a visit as part of farm to school month. Newsom gushed about the visit on social media, stating the visit inspired her to learn more about farm-to-school programs and implement them throughout the state.

“They were excited to see the farm-to-school movement go full circle,” Brem said of the visit. “It’s very unique in California to have so many different groups of students supported at a district farm.

Photos contributed

ABOVE: Thanks to a recent partnership with Turlock Unified School District’s On Track Transitions program, 18- to 22-year-old students with intellectual challenges are able to learn life skills and interact with animals on the District Farm; RIGHT: The District Farm is currently transitioning from its summer to fall crops after a plentiful harvest provided plenty of summer fruits and vegetables.

“It was exciting for us, and they understood what we were trying to do.”

While the farm has grown substantially over the past six years, there is more to come. TUSD is working alongside UC Davis to bring an apiary, or bee haven, to the farm, and a recent partnership with Stanislaus State will soon provide college interns on the farm as well as an aquaponic system

where aquatic animals and plants can be raised.

The District Farm also celebrated its second annual Harvest Festival this month, which invites students and their families to the farm to see all the progress that has been made.

“The awareness is really positive for us. We want that community support, but also for people to understand that what their kids are doing out here is special,” Brem said.

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Hands-on learning A

BY DALE BUTLER

Ceres Unified School District bus pulls into the drop-off area just before 8 a.m. near entrance of the Ceres Agriculture Center on Oct. 3.

Joseph Wimberley, Erick Zarco, Alan Avalos, Trey Anderson, Selene Ramirez and Camila Rodriguez are among the 120 students from Central Valley High School that enhance their learning through practice outside the classroom on Thursday and Friday mornings at CUSD’s student farm.

Wimberley, Zarco and Avalos picked pumpkins from a patch located near the Ag Center’s new greenhouse.

“The benefits from this are you work with other people and get hands-on experience,” said Wimberley, a junior enrolled in Ag teacher Ken Moncrief’s ROP landscaping course. “When you read from a book, you don’t get the full perspective.”

“I like it because you experience new things,” said Avalos, a fellow third-year Ag student.

“It’s taught me about responsibility. You have to take care of your animal or else it will die.”

A short walk away, Rodriguez, Ramirez, Anderson and other Introduction to Horticulture students installed drip irrigation systems in 60 garden boxes for soon-to-be planted fall vegetables under the watchful eyes of Ag instructor Kiah Featherstone.

Clarissa Farinelli’s Advanced Science students spent time at the swine barn as part of their class project feeding 16 pigs that will be sold to CUSD employees in the near future.

“It’s a dual-enrollment class,” she said.

“They earn up to six units of college credits.

Some of the students have never had any animal experience besides their pets at home.

They’re a little hesitant at first but ask questions. It’s a cool opportunity for the kids. Not everyone gets that.”

Located on a 6.5-acre parcel behind Hidahl Elementary School, Ceres’ Ag Center has grown exponentially since 2013.

Ceres Unified provided land, which has a value of $100,000, for the farm and assistance in financing for a tractor that cost $25,000.

“In the last three years, mostly from grants,

the district has invested $1.5 million in the facilities out there,” Moncrief said. “The district is 100 percent behind everything we want to do.”

A new 7,000-square-foot livestock barn for dairy and beef animals was completed in February.

The 2,500-square-foot swine production facility opened in 2017. It can accommodate 50 pigs.

Ceres’ student farm has 200 fruit trees, an acre of table grapes, berry vines, kiwi, pumpkins and melons.

“It’s a state-of-the-art facility that has transformed how we teach a lot of our classes,” Moncrief said. “Our students get hands-on experience with animal science and horticulture pathways. It’s very rewarding to see the kids learn by discovery. That’s what it is.”

An estimated $14,000 worth of fruits and vegetables from the farm will be sold to the CUSD Children Nutrition school lunch program during the 2019-20 school year.

Those monies fund the operation fees of the Ag Center.

“There’s no cost to the district to have the farm,” Moncrief said.

Central Valley High School offers career pathways in ag mechanics, animal sciences, horticulture and agrisciences. At Ceres High, there are pathways for animal sciences and ag mechanics.

“I don’t know of any other schools in the area that have these types of opportunities for their students,” Moncrief said. “We have facilities that are unique. We develop relationships with local employees, like Gallo, that seek out our students when they graduate.”

Added Farinelli: “We’ve been very fortunate to have a supportive school district.”

CUSD will stage its Third Annual Fall Harvest Festival at the student farm on Oct. 17 and 18.

Transitional kindergarteners, kindergarteners and first-graders will tour the facility.

“The first group arrives at 8:30 a.m. and the last group leaves at 2:15 p.m.,” Moncrief said.

“They’ll go through stations where they learn about animals and plants. There’s a bunch of difference activities.”

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TOP: Camila Rodriguez tests a drip irrigation system for a garden box at the Ceres Unified School District student farm; LEFT: Approximately 120 students from Central Valley High School, including Joseph Wimberley, enhance their learning through hands-on experience twice a week at the Ceres Agriculture Center.

Wimberley helped pick pumpkins on Oct. 3; BOTTOM: Alan Avalos feeds pigs at the Ceres Ag Center’s 2,500-squarefoot swine production facility.

Photos by Dale Butler

County ag value sees slight decrease in 2018 Almonds remain on top as walnuts suffer

A

BY ANGELINA MARTIN

lmonds have consistently ranked number one on Stanislaus County’s list of top-valued commodities since 2013, and the 2018 Agricultural Report released this week shows no sign of the industry slowing down. While highlighting the county’s booming crops is one goal of the report, however, this year’s analysis of the area’s agriculture also takes a look at the small pollinators that make its economic impact possible: bees.

“At $1.1 billion, almonds are a driving force in the county economy. We owe much of this prosperity to a modest but industrious insect, the honeybee,” said Amy Lomeli of the agricultural commissioner’s office, who pointed out to the Board of Supervisors during their meeting on Tuesday that bee deaths have dramatically increased over the last 20 years.

Honeybees contributed to an agriculture economy that produced $3,569,999,000 in 2018 — a decrease of $78 million, or about two percent, from the 2017 value of $3,648,192,000. While some commodities, like almonds and poultry, retained or increased their value, those gains were offset by decreases in walnut values, fewer nursery products sold, continuing decreases in national milk prices and the county’s own fluctuation of turkey production.

California produces two-thirds of the United States’ fruits and nuts and a third of the country’s vegetables. While not all these commodities rely exclusively upon

bees for pollination, Lomeli pointed out that a significant proportion — such as almonds — experience essential increases in production with the presence of bees, and the report states we would be “remiss to deny their vital role in bringing food to our tables.”

“Although over 230 different commodities are produced in Stanislaus County, the top 10 commodities alone represent 80 percent of the county’s total production value,” Lomeli said. “When combined with all other commodities produced in our county, Stan County’s agricultural value ranks higher than 20 different states’ agricultural values and is the fifth-largest agricultural county in the nation based on commodity values.”

Coming in at number one on the report’s list of top 10 commodities, almonds accounted for 30 percent of the county’s total commodity value at $1,107,328,000 in 2018, with the commodity’s value increasing by $51 million since 2017. This was largely due to an additional 8,500 harvested acres in 2018.

Poultry also remained a strong industry in Stanislaus County, valued at $276,879,000 in 2018 and ranking third on the top commodity list. This was an increase of over $20 million from 2017, resulting from an increase of about two million chicks countywide and price increases for both chicks and chickens.

Despite an increase of 850 walnut orchard acres in 2018, the commodity ranked seventh on the county’s list with

a value of $103 million. This represents a decrease of $61 million from 2017.

“Walnuts had an increase of 850 acres, but it was the decrease in price of $913 per ton which caused this category to have a large value drop,” said Richard Homer of the agricultural commissioner’s office.

The turkey market in Stanislaus County also saw a significant drop, coming in at ninth on the list after losing $20 million in value since 2017.

To view the Stanislaus County Agricultural Report of 2018 in its entirety, visit www.stanag.org.

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A farm to table Thanksgiving T

BY KRISTINA HACKER

he Central Valley is literally the country’s cornucopia. When families in Ohio, Florida and Rhode Island sit down for dinner on Thanksgiving there’s a good chance they are eating almonds from Blue Diamond, turkey from Foster Farms, cheese from Hilmar Cheese Company — or any number of the over 200 agricultural products grown right here. This holiday make an effort to have all your dinner ingredients locally sourced. You will not only support local farmers, but the food will actually taste better!

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BALSAMIC ALMOND GREEN BEANS Local Feel. Global Expertise.

Ingredients: 1 lb. green beans, cleaned and edges trimmed ½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 1 tbsp. olive oil 4 tbsp. balsamic glaze 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard ½ tsp. salt ¼ cup dried cranberries ¼ cup Stewart & Jasper Natural Sliced Almonds 4-6 oz. crumbled goat cheese

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Directions: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook the green beans until crisp-tender, which takes about 5 minutes. When the beans are cooked, drain immediately and rinse under cold water until they are no longer hot.

Combine the balsamic glaze and Dijon mustard in a small bowl and whisk together.

In a large wok or pan, sauté the yellow onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes, or until onions have softened. Add salt and stir.

Add the balsamic glaze mixture and dried cranberries and let them cook for about a minute. Add the green beans and gently toss them in the wok to coat with the balsamic glaze. Once combined, remove from heat.

Serve on a platter and top with sliced almonds and crumbled goat cheese.

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