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Saturday, November 27, 2010 – Daily News – 5A Agriculture & farm Award finalists do great work for ag, conservation Sand County Foundation, the California Farm Bureau Federation and Sustainable Conservation are proud to announce the finalists for the 2010 Leopold Conservation Award in California. “The health of California’s landscape is dependent on hard-working farmers and ranchers who are dedicated to ensuring that California’s land, water and wildlife are in bet- ter shape than when they found them,” said Dr. Brent Haglund, Sand County Foundation president. “Year after year, the high quality of nominees for the Leopold Conser- vation Award makes the selection process difficult but proves that California’s natural resources are being cared for by innovative landowners who want to see them flourish for future generations.” The 2010 finalists are: Bill and Kay Burrows of Red Bluff, Tim Koopmann of Sunol and Alfred G. Montna, Montna Farms of Yuba City. Bill and Kay Burrows of Red Bluff employ Holistic Management techniques in the operation of their ranch. Their family works to improve the biodiversity on their land, increasing the productivity of the soil, plants and ani- mals. The Burrows run cattle, as well as meat goats and sheep for brush control. The family diversifies its operation through agri-tourism, including hosting hunting and fishing tours. Bill and Kay also engage in community outreach, hosting an annual “Stewardship Day” at the ranch where local residents, agencies and organizations are invited to their ranch to learn about sustainable resource management. After a distinguished panel of judges makes its selection this month, the fifth annual Leopold Conservation Award for California will be presented Dec. 6 at the California Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting in Monterey. The $10,000 award is named in honor of world- renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold. The Leopold Conservation Award is presented annually in eight states to private landowners who practice exemplary land steward- ship and management. In 2010, Sand County Foundation will present Leopold Conservation Awards in California, Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming and Utah. The awards recognize extra- ordinary achievement in voluntary conservation on the land of exemplary private landowners; inspire countless other landowners in their own communities through these exam- ples; and showcase conservation leaders in the agricultural community to people outside of agriculture. For more information visit www.leopoldconservation- award.org. Who knew how much Groups: Reject pesticide LOS ANGELES (AP) — A coalition of environ- mental and farmworker groups is urging Jerry Brown to stop California from approving a controver- sial agricultural pesticide after he becomes governor. Californians for Pesti- cide reform is asking for the governor-elect to reject methyl iodide’s approval as part of a broader set of agri- cultural pesticide recom- mendations it plans to issue next week. California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation ten- tatively approved methyl iodide’s use in April, despite concerns by a scientific SUNDAY SPECIAL!! 30% OFF Excluding basic Wranglers Boot or Clothing item! Expires 11/30/10 any one Crossroads Feed & Ranch Supply 595 Antelope Blvd. Red Bluff, CA 95080 530-529-6400 Shopcrossroads.net advisory panel that it could poison the air and water. Department spokes- woman Lea Brooks says the agency plans to make a final decision on the pesticide by the end of this year — before Brown’s swearing-in as governor. A Brown spokesman did not return a message. $231.96 in Discount Coupons were published last week in the D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY … And that does not Count all the ads offering percentage discounts, two-for-ones and Free-with-Purchase offers! Don’t miss a Day of it! Subscribe Today 527-2151 It pays for itself. I would miss using a computer? Ten years ago I used an IBM Selectric 2 typewriter and delayed learning and using a computer. This last week I was without a comput- er; no word processing; no storing, printing, sending pictures; no communication by email to friends and family across the nation; no Drudge Report or latest agricultural information and I really missed the machine. We were preparing for a hard freeze Tuesday night the 23rd, and it was 26 degrees on Wednes- day morning at our place. Water faucets were left trickling, and hoses rolled up because we expected it to be like 1972 or 1990. I have written an annual letter at Christ- mastime for over 50 years, and the following was noted in 1972. “On the 6th of December it snowed again in Red Bluff. Imagine two snows in one year here. 6 days later we still had snow on the foothills and shady places. It was cold!!! In fact it has bro- ken 40-year-old records the past couple of days. Our Christmas tree is in water on the front porch and the ice is over two inch- es thick. The 8th we had a low of 16 and a high of 32. The next day was 17 and 34, and we had a newborn calf in by the fireplace to thaw out. In about 2 1/2 hours she bawled and in three, she was standing up look- ing for momma. People were having frozen water pipes. Here it is the 12th and snowing again. Maybe we will have a very White Christmas.” In November I had noted: "Dr. Joe (Giambroni) vaccinated the heifers for Bruccelo- sis and we number branded them with the help of Leland (Davis) and Uncle Paul (Moore). Went to Farm-City Week dinner. Shasta Auction Yard sold over a million dollars worth of cattle in one day." Another cold freeze was December 1990. “We had to chop the ice on Salt Creek so the cows could drink water. It was 1-2 inches thick on the 22nd. On the 19th it was 40 and cold north wind. Seattle had snow ranch Chilly times in years past Courtesy photo Linda Barton was warming and drying a calf with a hair dryer in 1977. Jean Barton after floods last month and weatherman said Artic air was coming south. For once, he was right, on 20th we had strong winds of 30 mph and woke up to 19. Red Bluff had a low of 22. The chill factor was about 18 below. Kevin was worried about his new alfalfa that was 3 inches high. I called our Susanville neighbor and she said it was 30 degrees below that morning on Willard Creek. Sister Marilyn had 23 or so in Sonoma. That was a heat wave com- pared to Fri- day 21st when we had an all time low of 14 (12here) and shattered all records. Pre- vious low was 17 degrees on Jan. 9, 1937. The high for the day was 29 and 25 here, while Susanville neigh- bor said her high was 5 below. We had a strong cold northwind all day, so the chill factor was -2‚ at 2:30 in afternoon. We just aren’t used to tem- peratures like that. The water troughs have to have ice chopped, so stock can drink. Didn’t think about the back bathroom and the toilet pipe burst when it got to 33‚ on Saturday. Hope the irrigation pipes are OK, and those in the yard. John and Candace Owens and sons have the best idea, when they left for Hawaii before this cold wave hit.” “Kevin’s farming this year (1990) was sugar beets, alfalfa hay, corn silage, cucumbers for OPENS FRI., NOV. 26 A day after Thanksgiving George’s Mountain Choose & Cut CHRISTMAS TREE FARM $ 500 OFF WITH THIS COUPON On a paved road, 3200 ft. elev. (below the snow level) SCOTCH PINE any size disabled vets FREE TREE for $3511 WITH BRING YOUR CAMERA AND HAVE YOUR PICTURE TAKEN WITH SANTA WEEKEND OF DEC. 4 & 5 (530) 713-8350 Hrs: 9am-4pm COUPON • SILVER TIP • WHITE FIR • DOUGLAS FIR (Up To 8 ft.) From Red Bluff take Hwy 36 East 20 min. to Payness Creek. Turn on Plum Creek paved road 8 miles to the farm. 30 min. from Red Bluff to Farm seed and a good crop of almonds, but poor price. Mike is farm foreman in Dixon. They grow toma- toes and at peak harvest they were picking 21 truck and trailer loads a day. This fall they put in 500 acres of wheat and have 300 acres of sugar beets and 200 acres in alfalfa. In 1991, they plan on 500 acres of tomatoes, starting middle of February when they plant seeds.” 1990 continued, “I mentioned all the times we went to Eagle Lake (at least most all of them) so you all realize that grazing on Federal Lands is not cheap feed. We tried to spend two days a week moving the cattle off the lakeshore, plus the wear and tear on pickup and trailer, and fuel. Then the man-hours spent looking for miss- ing cattle this fall. Not to mention the number of calves we lost to Foothill abortion. Out Twenty years later we are getting close to hav- ing a vaccine. When we changed to fall calving starting in September instead of spring calving in January, we had a bet- ter calving percentage. We learned that the abor- tions were caused by a Pajaroello (pa-ha-WAY- lo) tick bite, when the fetus was younger than six months. Dr John Maas wrote “Foothill abortion in cat- tle, also known as Epi- zootic Bovine Abortion (EBA), is a condition well known to beef pro- ducers who have experi- enced losses due to this disease problem. It is a major source of econom- ic loss for California cow/calf producers and estimates are that 5 per- cent to 10 percent of the California beef calf crop may be lost each year (45,000 to 90,000 calves per year). While the infectious agent that causes the abortion has yet to be isolated and identified, the most important vector is well known. “That vector is the pajaroello tick (pa-ha- WAY-lo). The Pajaroello tick (Ornithodorus cori- aceus) is a soft shelled tick, similar in appear- ance to the common ear tick of cattle. Pajaroello ticks are found in the soil around trees, in dry brush areas, and around rock outcroppings. These are also areas that cattle and deer prefer as bed- ding sites. In fact, it is believed that deer may be the primary host and source of food for these ticks. “EBA abortions seem to occur about 90 to 120 days after susceptible cattle that are less than six months pregnate are exposed to ticks for the first time.” Congratulations to Sunbright Angus, Gary and Patsy Ford, Red Bluff for their Angus bull winning the Cham- pion Angus and Cham- pion over all breeds awards at the Shasta Bull Sale. Jean Barton can be reached at jbarton@theskybeam.co m. Holiday Wreath making class with fresh greens DEC. 2 @ 10 AM DEC. 4 @ 1PM Supply fee $10 Please call to reserve a seat, hope to see you!!! Garden Center Red Bluff 766 Antelope Blvd. (Next to the Fairground) 527-0886 Open Daily thru Dec. 20