Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/52188
4A Daily News – Saturday, January 7, 2012 Agriculture & farm Winter Dinner is here ranch Walnut Day approaching The 18th annual Tehama County Walnut Day is set for 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 20, at the Red Bluff Elks Lodge, 355 Gilmore Rd. Walnut Day is a University of California Coopera- tive Extension Program designed to provide orchard information to growers and related agri-business peo- ple. Topics include walnut marketing board update, wal- nut blight population and husk fly management. Other topics are phytophthora root and crown rot disease, crown gall disease control and walnut replant problem. Anyone interested in walnut production is encour- aged to attend. Cost is $15, which includes lunch and meeting costs on a break-even basis. Registration should be done by Jan. 13. For more information or to register call 527-3101 or visit cetehema.ucdavis.edu. Save the date for Tehama Prune Day, which will be Feb. 3. Courtesy photo Sharing a smile at the 2011 Winter Dinner were Kevin Borror of Tehama Angus Ranch donors of pre- mium beef, Mike Growney of Growney Motors donor of Wrangler National Finals Rodeo tickets for Dec. 8 and 9 and John Growney of Growney Brothers Rodeo Co. whose Bareback horse Wild & Blue was selected in the top five by the ProRodeo stock contractors at the 2011 WNFR. Tonight at 6 is the Prime Rib Winter Dinner at the fairgrounds with wine tasting from Cline Cellars and Tehama Oaks Vineyard and Winery plus olive oil tasting from Lucero and Corning Olive Oil Company with the pur- chase of a sou- venir wine glass. We hope to see you at the dinner since the public is invited to attend. T ehama County Cattle- man president Chris Marenco will receive the outgoing presi- dent buckle, and Steve Zane of Paynes Creek will become president. The 2012 Board of Directors will include Steve McCarthy vice president, Cathy Tobin, secretary, Cindy Brown treasurer. State Directors will be Zane and McCarthy; local directors will be Andy Cox, Martin Mattila, Wally Roney, Chad Amen, Bryce Bor- ror, B J Macfarlane, Nathan Owens, Dave Stroing, Jeff White. The TCCA and Tehama Co. Cattle- Women scholarship recip- ients will receive recogni- tion, as will Stacy Stroing senior and Bailey Brown- field, junior Beef Ambas- sadors. More exciting items have been donated for the Scholarship Auction. Crystal Rose Cowdog College, Merle and Sandy Newton, have donated a Border Collie puppy named Bandit. Nickie Humphrey, DVM was a scholarship recipient from TCCA and TCCW during her years of education, and she has offered to vac- cinate 25 head of heifers at your Tehama County ranch for Bruccelo- sis. Jean Barton Hamilton and Rocking WE Ranches have donated a one night stay at the Meritage Resort & Spa plus the Napa Valley Wine Train. To triple your enjoyment Rutherford Ranch Winery donated a Magnum 2009 Napa Val- ley Cabernet Sauvignon. Five hours labor from 6 FFA officers was donated by Red Bluff FFA. Thir- teen bales of alfalfa hay donated by Don & Denae Brown, and with no rain in sight, that will be a good buy. Dinner for two at the Green Barn. The Green Barn was a top winner in the recent California Beef Council recognition of top beef restaurants in California. Congratula- tions Paulette. Ag-Land Investment Brokers gave a basket of Tehama Co. commodities. Les Schwab gave a road- side emergency kit. Durango RV Resort, winner of Beef Œn Brew peoples choice beef appe- tizers for last two years has given a 5-night stay in a river site in their resort. Carmona's Appliance Center & Mattress donat- ed a 15-piece Ginsu knife set. Gumm's Optical Shoppe donated Dior sun- glasses. The Loft donated an American West purse, and The North State's premier supplier of stoves STOVE JUNCTION The Over 25 years of experience EPA approved stoves are EXEMPT from no burn days! Did you know... Tues-Sat 9am-5pm Closed Sunday & Monday 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff www.thestovejunction.com 530-528-2221 Fax 530-528-2229 Reynold‚s Ranch & Farm Supply has given Canidae dog food and treats. Shoot for Purpose 2012 Women's clay shooting entry plus hat and jacket from Shoot for Purpose. Red Bluff Round-Up has four main grandstand box seats for Friday night, April 20. A $50 gift certificate from Prairie Rose Bou- tique. A $20 off dog grooming service donated by Rub A Dub Dog Grooming. Red Bluff Yamaha donated an ATV gun rack. Rabobank gave a gift bas- ket. A five pack woodset and four pack cardboard set of olive oils donated by Corning Olive Oil. A floral arrangement from the House of Design. Jeans or a top from the Miss Me cloth- ing line at Crossroads Feed & Ranch Supply. Welcome sign from Steve and Peggy Zane. Wink Fashion & Salon donated a Wink gift bag. The Human Bean gave a basket with coffee items, and we will enjoy their coffee tonight at the din- ner. Lagwole chopping knives and block donated by Tehama County Farm Bureau. Cline Cellars will have a private wine tast- ing and tour for two at their winery. Gift basket with a mas- sage gift certificate donat- ed by Cowgirl Carma Products, Natalie Peter- son. Red Bluff Garden Center has given a gift basket. Andy and Sally Cox of CX Ranch have given a handmade cleaner — brushes and scraper on disc blade with design. An 11x14 framed print of wagon seat was donat- ed by photographer Nico- lette Honore. The Tehama County Cattlemen have J. E. C. JIM ENGLAND CONCRETE & CONSTRUCTION Residential & Commercial 530-529-4495 945-8295 LIC. #682190 Your tax experts COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2595 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. 32 Years Plus Experience • Tax Preparation & Representation • Business & Personal Returns • Filling for Delinquent & Non-Filers • Non-profits • Get out of trouble with both IRS and FTB • Payroll & Bookkeeping Service www.lassentax.com Open Year-Round New Clients Welcome Enrolled Agents: Rose Hablitzel, EA Rex Cerro, EA "Enrolled To Practice Before The IRS" (530) 527-8225 208 Elm St., Red Bluff on three guns. Proceeds help the cattlemen spon- sor the $5,000 reward for arrest and conviction of cattle rustlers, preserva- tion of private property rights and donations to California Cattlemen's Association POSSEE plus local support for youth at the fair. *** Last year in December 2010 I measured 9.05 inches of rain, while in December 2011 we had a total of two tenths from the two storms. Things are serious for cattle ranchers that depend up the seasonal creeks for water for their animals. I heard that here on the east side they are hauling water for the cat- tle. Others are feeding hay since the dry feed is gone, but they have a source of water for their cattle. *** Grand-daughter Rochelle is in New Zealand on a school study trip and will write a blog http://nzoz2012.blogspot. com/. She wrote "I will have Internet, about once a week. -Enjoy!" Rochelle bought a phone card and phoned her parents they had arrived in Auckland after a 12-hour plane trip from Los Angeles on Jan. 2-3. Sixty years ago (1951- 52) I was an International Farm Youth Exchange to New Zealand from August to March. I boarded the train in Gerber for a 24- hour trip to Vancouver BC. There we boarded the ship for a 21-day cruise to Auck- land, with stops in the ports of Honolulu and Suva. When I arrived the daf- fodils were in bloom, while Rochelle mentioned that it is summer and the days are long. a fundraiser selling tickets Jean Barton can be reached at jbarton@theskybeam.co m. Parasitic fly could explain bee die-off FRESNO (AP) — Northern California scien- tists say they have found a possible explanation for a honey bee die-off that has decimated hives around the world: A parasitic fly that hijacks the bees' bodies and causes them to abandon hives. Scientists say the fly deposits its eggs into the bee's abdomen, causing the infected bee to exhibit zom- bie-like behavior by walk- ing around in circles with no apparent sense of direction. The bee leaves the hive at night and dies shortly there- after. The symptoms mirror colony collapse disorder, in which all the adult honey bees in a colony suddenly disappear. The disease is of great concern, because bees polli- nate about a third of the United States' food supply. Its presence is especially alarming in California, the nation's top producer of fruits and vegetables, where bees play an essential role in the $2 billion almond indus- try and other crops. The latest study, pub- lished Tuesday in the sci- ence journal PLoS ONE, points to the parasitic fly as the new threat to honey bees. It's another step in ongoing research to find the cause of the disease. Researchers haven't been able to pin down an exact cause of colony col- lapse or find a way to pre- vent it. Research so far points to a combination of factors including pesticide contamination, a lack of blooms — and hence nutri- tion — and mites, fungi, viruses and parasites. Interaction among the parasite and multiple pathogens could be one pos- sible factor in colony col- lapse, according to the latest study by researchers at San Francisco State University. It says the phorid fly, or apocephalus borealis, was found in bees from three- quarters of the 31 hives sur- veyed in the San Francisco Bay area. The combination of a parasite, pathogens and other stressors could cause die-off, lead investigator John Hafernik said. The parasitic fly serves as a reservoir that harbors pathogens — honey bees from parasite-infected hives tested positive for deformed wing virus and other pathogens, the study found. ''We don't fully under- stand the web of interac- tions,'' Hafernik said. ''The parasite could be another stressor, enough to push the bee over tipping point. Or it could play a primary role in causing the disease.'' Hafernik stumbled onto the parasitic fly by accident. Three years ago, the biology professor looked for some- thing to feed a praying man- tis. He found some bees out- side his classroom, placed them in a vial and forgot about them. When he looked at the vial a week later, he found dead bees surrounded by small fly pupae. A parasitic fly was feeding on the bees and had killed them, he said. The fly is a known para- site in bumble bees. Scien- tists used DNA barcoding to confirm the parasite in the honey bees and bumble bees was the same species.