Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/114320
4A Daily News – Saturday, March 9, 2013 Agriculture farm & ranch Pre-convention sightseeing in Florida CSA Conference When I attended the Cattle Industry Convention in Tampa Bay, our California CattleWomen president Tammie McElroy and I arrived two days early so we could go sightseeing on the west side of Florida. The first lesson I learned was that what looked close by on the map was much farther than it looked. More like hours instead of minutes. My plane seatmate on the segment from Las Vegas to Tampa gave me suggestions of where things were and we used them for a guide. Tammi had rented a car and we left early in the morning to see the manatees. Her smart phone had a Courtesy photo gps which we called "Lola." She typed in Homosassa Jean Barton was at the Chihuly Collection in St Petersburg, Fla. Springs and my hotel as before the 2013 Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show. starting location. activities were "Lola" helped us get out atees, as well as red tide, lit- sat at the wharf, 3:45 a cou- er's of Tampa and I have never ter and debris, or calving ple more people joined us explained to the audience. In St Petersburg I seen so many curves in the difficulties. They are vege- and finally at 3:50 we pulled roads as going from the tarians eating grasses, and it away. Our boat was the last enjoyed visiting the Chihuly convention center to the air- takes 7 days to digest their one to land at the island for Collection of blown, colthat day, and all sea shells ored glass. The first time I port. Then she put us on toll food. We enjoyed the wild ani- were carefully picked over, saw his work was at the Belroad # 589, and every so often we paid another $1.25 mals at this state park as we just broken bits were left. lagio in Las Vegas, when I until we reached Hwy. 19 walked on the wooden walk We marveled at how soft looked at the ceiling in the ways. There were and white the sand was, not registration lobby. It was a and Homosassa alligators, black coarse and brown like we beautiful collection of colSprings State ors. bears, deer, a are used to in California. Park. There was the Persian When we returned sevhippo, red It is the source wolves, and birds eral of us told the cruise Sunset Wall with large of the Homosasof many kinds people how disappointed orange ruffled shapes like sa River with a and colors, as we were, and they replied flowers. The Float Boat was constant temperwell as a collec- that they needed a full load a row boat filled with colature of 72'F. It tion of live snakes of passengers because ored balls of many different flowed two milgasoline is so expensive. sizes, three feet to six inchbehind glass. lion gallons of We visited Otherwise they would have es. fresh water every Loved the Ruby Red IciTarpon Springs had to cancel the cruise. hour, and the and that was a Several men and I replied cle Chandelier as well as a Gulf of Mexico disappointment. that "you should have can- blue chandelier called Blue was nine miles Jean Neon Tumbleweed. It is strictly a celled." away. The weather was sunny The next day was better. tourist spot. The manatees We viewed a We drove out to the beach and warm, and we ate lunch can not survive if video about west of St. Petersburg early outdoors overlooking a the water is coldsponge diving, in the morning, and Malorie waterfront park in St. er than 68'F. They come up the river and learned yellow sponges Bankhead found tiny sea Petersburg. I was surprised to see a from November to March are common, the flower pot shells for the jewelry she because of the warm water. or vase shape, the leaf makes in her free time. It small white poodle inside a The park ranger told us they sponge is used in aquariums was white sand, and very baby stroller, pushed by a middle aged couple. I was swim 3 to 5 miles per hour, and flower arrangements, soft. Our next stop was at told there are dog strollers and have no natural preda- and the wool sponge is soft and used to apply cosmet- Clearwater Marine Aquari- available for people who tors. um , a rescue and research have dogs that don't like to The gestation period is ics. The Spongeorama's facility specializing in dol- walk. We saw many differ13 months, and they are three feet long at birth. They Cruise saw us coming, and phins, otters and sea turtles. ent breeds of dogs being breathe air but they can hold persuaded us to be there at The facility is home to Win- walked by their owners that their breath for 18 minutes 3:15 for a cruise out to an ter, a tailless dolphin that a day. and if a boat doesn't kill island to go seeking sea movie was made about. We Jean Barton can be them they can live for 50 to shells, and view the wild didn't see Winter, but we at watched a dolphin in a train- reached birds and dolphins. 70 years. 3:30 came and we still ing session, while the train- jbarton2013@gmail.com. Cold stress will kill man- Barton in review By Amanda Miller On Jan. 22 and 23 the 2013 International Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) conference was held at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove. The conference was a great success as it addressed a wide range of issues, allowed state-wide small farmer networking opportunities, and offered a bus tour of three farms with successful CSA programs in the area. This conference was a joint effort between Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) and URGENCI, The International Network for Community Supported Agriculture based in France. Together, these groups hoped to empower a California CSA coalition, as well as facilitate exchanges among CSA programs from around the world. The conference had been previously held in Europe and Japan and was focused this year on reaching out to North and South American CSA farmers to increase global cooperation among CSAs. Conference attendees came from six continents. The bus tour allowed participants to question successful CSA farmers about a range of practical issues as well as visit the fields and packing lines. The conference agenda included substantial time to cover many of the challenges faced by farmers running CSA programs, such as problems with finances, infrastructure, and member commitment. The conference also held workshops to discuss policy issues, such as food safety and the proposed state regulation of CSAs in California. The conference wrapped up with an emphasis on building a network of CSAs in California and tying together CSA networks nationally and internationally. The final workshop of the day brought together networks from around the world to exchange experiences and brainstorm ways to start a California CSA coalition. In this way the conference achieved its biggest goal: a nationwide CSA coalition has been started and a strong basis for a California CSA network has also been built. Those who attended reported that the conference was informative, enlightening, and valuable. Overall, it was made clear that California CSA farmers desire the kind of networking opportunities that the conference promoted. One attendee even suggested holding yearly local meetings among CSA farmers put on by organizations such as CAFF. Attendees also appreciated the emphasis on building relationships between the farms and members supporting CSAs. One attendee loved the idea of events that "build a relationship between the farm and the people who eat the food." Audio files from the conference will be available in March through CAFF's website, http://caff.org/programs/csas/conference/, where the many generous sponsors of the conference are also listed. Wild bees outperform rented counterparts as pollinators (MCT) — Farmers who watched helplessly as a mysterious disease wiped out millions of domesticated bees they needed to pollinate their crops may have an easy solution: make their crops more accessible to wild insects that do the job free. Not only are they cheaper, they fertilize blossoms with much greater efficiency, new research shows. After observing bees in hundreds of fields around the world, scientists calculated that free-living bees were twice as effective as domesticated honeybees at prompting flowers to produce fruit. In addition, the proportion of flowers that matured to fruit improved in every field visited by wild insects, compared with only 14 percent of fields visited by rented honeybees, according to a report published online Thursday by the journal Science. LAST CHANCE FOR BARE ROOT FRUIT TREES Take one home with you today! CLASS TWO March 9, 10am & 1pm PLANTING: Layout, Methods & Spacing CLASS THREE March 16, 10am & 1pm GARDEN CARE: Watering, Fertilizing, Composting, Pest & Insects Please call or email to reserve your seat. *Note: All classes are free, class size is limited. WYNTOUR GARDENS 365-2256 The findings have important implications for agricultural and land-use policies worldwide, said study leader Lucas A. Garibaldi, an agricultural scientist at the National University of Rio Negro in Argentina. Unless habitats for wild insects are protected and nurtured, farmers around the world could suffer drastically lower crop yields. Scientists have long warned that plowing landscapes into vast, single-crop fields and orchards eliminates the range of soil, wildflowers and other vegetation that is crucial to support multiple species of wild pollinators, including bees, flies, beetles and butterflies. As these insect populations have dwindled, farmers have resorted to using rented interlopers, generally Apis mellifera, during flowering season. "Honeybees cannot replace Agricultural Water educational meeting scheduled An educational program with information related to registering stock ponds, reporting diverted water to the CA State Water Resources Control Board and an update on the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board's Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program is scheduled for Monday, March 18. This meeting will provide an opportunity to learn the process for registering stock ponds and comply with the The son and includes lunch. Please may checks payable to UC Regents. Please mail payment to UCCE, 1851 Hartnell Avenue, Rsdding, CA 96002. Please call Larry Forsro or Elizabeth Wilson at 530-224-4900 for more information. Register online at http://ceshasta.ucanr.ed u/WORKSHOP_and_C ONFERENCES/. STOVE JUNCTION BBQ PELLETS The North State's premier supplier of stoves Now in Stock! I-5 North, Exit #673, Rt on Knighton, Rt on Airport Popular customer request Open Mon-Sat 8-5 & Sunday's 10-4 wyntourgardens.com Facebook inform@wyntourgardens.com diversion reporting requirement. The meeting is from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Cattlemen's Restaurant, 2184 Hilltop Drive, in Redding. This meeting is sponsored by Shaste County Farm Bureau, Shasta County Cattlemen's Association and Shasta Comity U.C. Cooperative Extension. Cost to attend the meeting is $25 per per- Over 25 years of experience 8026 Airport Road, Redding Located 1 mile south of the Airport (Next to Kents Mkt) the service wild bees provide," Garibaldi said. "Biodiversity in agricultural landscapes matters and can help increase production." Even in fields dominated by domesticated bees, farmers often get more effective pollination services from native insects, said study co-author Rachael Winfree, a pollination ecologist at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. 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