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Here's the Dirt
 If you have a fun story and you would like to share and have published in this spot please email it to info@flowerandplant.org
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Classified ads are FREE to members and run for three months unless otherwise specified. Ad text should be submitted no later than the 25th of the month to the Association office for the upcoming publication.
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Sincerely,
Jan Berry
San Diego County Flower & Plant Association
5600 Avenida Encinas, #108
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Phone: 760 431-2572
Email: info@flowerandplant.org
Website: www.flowerandplant.org
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County of San Diego
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
2009
Crop Statistics & Annual Report
Overview of 2009 Changes
This past year, San Diego County farmers certainly worked smarter to solve struggles of limited resources, competition and unpredictable forces of nature using innovation and determination. Additionally, San Diego County had an unprecedented five Mediterranean fruit fly quarantines. North County farmers were especially hard hit with the Fallbrook and Escondido area quarantines.
Quarantines for Diaprepes root weevil (rescinded) and Asian citrus psyllid (still active) also affected local farmers. Given all these challenges, a decrease of only 0.26% in the value of agriculture is admirable. In fact, since 2000, when the total crop value was $1,253,884,664, San Diego County agriculture has experienced nearly a 24% increase in crop value.
The value of Nursery crops and Cut Flowers/Cut Foliage stayed above the one billion dollar mark, increasing by 1%. Ornamental Trees and Shrubs ($365,203,494) overtook the long standing number one crop (since 1984) Indoor Flowering and Foliage Plants($290,880,000). The reason for this increase was not because of sales, but due to a 20% increase in reported acreage. Changes such
as these underscore the importance of all farmers annually reporting both sales and acreage in the annual crop questionnaire sent out by Agriculture, Weights and Measures.
Fruit and Nut Crops decreased in acreage by 7.09% and value by 8.66%, with most crops showing decreases. Avocados remain the largest fruit crop, although the total value decreased by 9.83%. The shortage of water and subsequent increase in water cost, as well as stumping due to the 2007 fires resulted in significant avocado acreage reduction. Citrus acreage decreased by 7.51% as did value by 6.15%. This decrease may be partially attributed to the increase in the cost of water. Some citrus acreage transitioned to other agricultural products such as container nurseries which produce higher dollar value crops.
Vegetables and Vine Fruits increased by 15.69% in value and by 1.25% in acreage. The most significant increase was mushrooms, which climbed in value to over $18 million from $8 million the previous year.
Livestock and Poultry saw a significant increase in value of 26% as a result of a miscellaneous category that was previously unreported. However, Livestock and Poultry Products decreased by 26% due to decreases in the production and price of milk and eggs.
To view the complete report go to http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/reusable_components/images/awm/Docs/2009_CR_WebFinal.pdf
Courtesy of the DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
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President's Message
September and October's newsletter has been combined. I'm sorry if you missed us last month, but due to vacations, illnesses and some last minute schedule changes we just couldn't publish. One of the reasons was because we were surprised by a free invitation to display a booth at the Labor Day weekend San Diego PIA convention. We questioned weather we could bring it all together within five days, but thanks to flower and plant donations and a lot of that "spur of the moment enthusiasm" from our board members, we turned out a great booth. Our amazing Executive Secretary Jan Berry was there to show off our strengths as a prominent local organization and talk to lots of interesting people in this field. It was a great opportunity to support our affiliated members while being a part of an exciting event that took place right here in our neck of the woods, or better yet, our harbor! Check out the photos on Face Book. We'd like to Thank all the nice people at the PIA organization for having us. We look forward to working together again soon.
Our Association has also been offered a free invitation to display a booth at the "OFA" Ohio Short Course. Unfortunately the cost of sending a representative like Jan that far away can not be justified without sufficient donations. Right now we feel we just can't pull that all together but we will look into budgeting that for a future year. If you have any smart suggestions let us know, we always appreciate your input.
Currently we have been getting ready for the upcoming LPGA Living Plant Growers Association meeting which is so named to pay tribute to those members who graciously combining their assets with ours to form a more united organization. We will be having an early evening reception in their honor so we can hear stories about the "good ole days" and learn about how this horticultural empire all began here in our back yard. How exciting and invigorating to know how we all came about. It's like getting the history channel of our roots live and in person! You can't imagine the things that might come up. The last time we had an open mic at one of these events my favorite line came from Evelyn Weidner when she said, "Thank God for the Hippies in the 70's, they changed our whole industry, they are the reason we all have jobs!" Think about it.....Gotta Love Her!
Twin Oaks Nursery has kindly opened their doors to us and we are looking forward to an exciting event. We expect that this years event will be even bigger than last year do to the popularity of our venue. Once again we are asking our buyers to talk to us and give us some insight into their purchasing philosophy for 2011. Last year I learned a lot about what our buyer has to contend with and what we can do to assist them, therefore increasing our sales. I think it's interesting how in this business we are always thinking 6 to 12 months down the line. They do it too!!! As always we will end the evening with a fun raffle so if you anything that you would like to donate, please let Jan know or bring it with you when you come. Everyone still likes winning something and even amongst our members, plants are especially enjoyed! Mark your Calenders October 14th. I look forward to seeing you there.
Susan MacFarland - Valley View Nursery Inc.
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Pest Advisor
 Invasive Species - like those new Beetles, are everyday problems and concerns for growers throughout the world. (Mom and dad thought a rock group back in the sixties fit the "Invasive Species" category...) Our Federal Government put together a Strategic Plan more than ten years ago, outlining what 'to do' in the event we are invaded by aliens, which we are continuously. Our world is a smaller place, with goods and people moving freely about the planet. What is our glorious state doing about 'Invasive Species'? Californians do a lot about Invasive species. We 'do stuff'. "In California, invasive plants cost the state a least $82 million each year; just one invasive seaweed, Caulerpa taxifolia, cost $8.3 million between 2000 and 2008 -- possibly because one person dumped the contents of a personal aquarium into the ocean." Union of Concerned Scientists, Fact Sheet, 2010 About two years ago the Invasive Species Council of California (ISCC) was formed, under the chairmanship of A.G. Kawamura, CDFA. The 'Council' represents the 'highest level' of leadership and authority regarding invasive species. The goal of this inter-agency council is to coordinate and ensure cost-efficient, complementary, environmentally sound and effective state activities regarding invasive species. So one of the first thing this leadership did was look for advice, and so formed the California Invasive Species Advisory Committee (CISAC). There are 24 of us, all stake holders, meeting every two months up there in Sacramento. First - after agreeing to not put down the use of pesticides, the Advisory Committee asked; what can we do? We came up with two significant tasks - creating a unified list of invasive plants, animals, and diseases, and to prepare a framework to guide our state's strategy in stopping the spread of those invasive species. We made a list first. Always good to know a little about the thing you are responsible for. Hey, its October, this list help put me in that Halloween frame-of-mind. Out list is a living document that is reviewed and updated continuously. There are over 1,700 listed species of all taxonomic types, not only those damaging organisms already in the state but those that could conceivably be introduced. We drew from over 80 existing lists and asked and received advice from more than one hundred experts. You can see this comprehensive list, with score cards indicating potentials at http://ice.ucdavis.edu/invasives/ . Our second task is near complete. The Strategic Plan for Invasive Species is in draft form; we are making small changes as stakeholders review and make recommendations. It is now your turn to have a look and let us know what you think. We request your input before October 22. www.iscc.ca.gov . I love Halloween - all my grandkids looking more like their true selves! Have a safe fun time! David Pattison, PCA,CACCA
Plant Doctor Crop Production Services
760 522-8349 |
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Ask the Advisor
 There are spots on my bookshelves at work that have resources that I know I will constantly be using in my job. Then there is that place on the shelf that has a pile of other resources that I use only once in a while, but they are really great resources. Usually they are fliers or other thin publications that I don't want to take the time to make a big folder for, so it forces me to go through the stack to find things once in a while. However, when I go through the stack I remind myself of the wealth of information that I have amassed on my shelves. I want to tell you about a few new or revised resources from UC Publications that you may be interested in putting in your resource stack. First, the Urban Pesticide Mitigation Outreach and Education Committee of the University of California IPM Program is introducing an educational newsletter that emphasizes ways to reduce pesticide runoff in urban settings. The first issue is already out and it talks about using bait stations to control ants. The bulletin includes an "ask the expert" column to address questions posed by the readers. It can be found around every six weeks or so at the following web site: www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/greenbulletin. Check it out. Second, ANR Publications has recently updated the UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines for Floriculture and Ornamental Nurseries. The book sells for $15.00 through the ANR catalog or can be downloaded free http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PDF/PMG/pmgfloriculture.pdf. Third, ANR Publications has just released a new book I think most people would be interested in called Urban Pest Management of Ants in California by John Klotz, Laurel Hansen, Herb Field, Michael Rust, David Oi, Ken Kupfer. I know most of the authors since they come from UC Riverside. They have put together a great publication worth taking a look at, and it's only $20 (http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/Items/3524.aspx) Ants are among the most prevalent pests in urban areas and make up as much as 1/4 to 1/3 of the biomass on the planet. They invade households, restaurants, hospitals, offices, warehouses, nurseries, etc. Once established, colonies are very difficult to control or remove. I know that many of you have kitchens and lunch areas where you are not going to be using agricultural chemicals, so the authors have written this new guide to aid you in developing more effective, targeted, and greener solutions to ant problems This publication provides you with an identification key, 77 color photographs. In addition, the guide covers the status, identification and biology, and management strategies for the 4 major urban ant species as well as 16 frequently encountered species. It also provides practical information and recommendations for control strategies. Lastly, there is a free publication that you can download from the ANR website at http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/NewAdditions/7444.aspx. Again, this publication is put together by some of the better-known weed scientists at UCANR. It is a Pest Note, so it is written for a lay audience, but it is a great resource that contains great information about creeping woodsorrel, Oxalis corniculata, and a related species, Bermuda buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae). They are weed species that occur in many parts of the world and that I have seen often in my travels around the ornamental industry. I hope you will find a couple of these resources worth your while. I've already added them to the piles on my shelves. James A. Bethke UC Cooperative Extension San Diego jabethke@ucdavis.edu760-752-4715
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Farmers Almanac
 October 27, 2010 -Escondido, CA - Grangetto's will be holding its 7th Annual Horticulture Seminar on October 27th at the Wild Animal Park. This event is open to all Horticultural Professionals and offers a full day of fun and education, breakfast, lunch and beverages while listening to engaging speakers discuss Pest Management & Best Practices. Take the Journey Into Africa Tram Tour, listen to All NEW Speakers, visit Vendor Displays and enter the Opportunity Drawing. Continuing Education units applied for; 5.0 "other" and 2.0 "law" for QAC, QAL, PCAs, PAs. ISA hours requested for Tree Workers & Arborist CEUs. To register or get more information visit www.grangettos.com or email events@grangettos.com October 28, 2010 - Watsonville, CA - California Nursery and Floriculture Insect and Disease Management Symposium
Watsonville Elks Lodge,121 Martinelli Street , Watsonville CA 95076, 7:45 am - 4:00 pm. Contact Linda Dodge for more information at 530-752-8419 (phone/fax) or email: lldodge@ucdavis.eduNovember 9, 2010 - Escondido, CA - 1:30 - 4:00 p.m. San Diego County Farm Bureau, 1670 East Valley Parkway, Escondido, CA 92027. Great training opportunity for nurseries to develop personalized Best Management Practices for P. ramorum that causes Sudden Oak Death and ramorum blight diseases. To register and to obtain more information about the workshops, please contact Kathy Kosta, Primary State Plant Pathologist, California Department of Food and Agriculture at 916-651-2846 or email: kkosta@cdfa.ca.gov.
November 3, 2010 - San Marcos, CA -The University of California Nursery and Floriculture Alliance presents: ABC's of fertilizer and irrigation Management in English and on November 4, 2010 in Spanish at the Center for Applied Horticultural Research, 2280 Tamara Lane, San Marcos, CA 92084 - 7:30 am to 2:30 pm. Contact Contact Linda Dodge for more information at 530-752-8419 (phone/fax) or email: lldodge@ucdavis.edu |
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