Agricultureranch farm Scientists wrestle with weed
the fastest growing segments of organic agriculture in the United States, according to a USDA Economic Research Service publication Characteristics, Costs, and Issues for Organic Dairy Farming. In 2008, about 3 percent of the nation's cows were managed organically. Among the conditions necessary for a cow to produce
control in organic alfalfa During the 2000s, organic milk production was one of
organic milk, she must eat only organic feed or browse on organic pasture for at least the previous 36 months. Howev- er, dairy producers have found that producing or sourcing organic feed – which must be grown without synthetic fer- tilizers, insecticides or herbicides – is challenging. Recently organic alfalfa made up nearly 1.4 percent of U.S. alfalfa hay production, up from 0.5 percent in the early 2000s. Dan Putnam , UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis, an alfalfa expert, said one key obstacle for organic alfalfa producers is weed management. Putnam put together a team of alfalfa hay experts to conduct an alfalfa weed management trial at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Cen- ter , where 10 acres are set aside to research organic production.
Cattle in Humboldt County &
Our luncheon was host- ed by Humboldt County Cattlemen and Cattle- Women, on the lawn of Fern Cottage, the historic home of pioneers Joseph and Zipporah Russ, out- side of Ferndale the sec- ond day of the California Beef Cattle Improvement Association tour.
In 2011, Putnam; Carol Frate, UCCE advisor in Tulare County; and Shannon Mueller, UCCE advisor in Fresno County, experimented with timing seeding and early clip- ping to manage organic alfalfa in a weedy field. "Alfalfa can be planted from early September all the way through the fall and winter to early spring, depending on weather patterns," Putnam said. "Many farmers plant in late November and wait for rain to bring the crop up. Other options are irrigating the crop up in early fall or waiting till early or late spring to plant the crop. All of these strategies have implications for weed management." The late November planting is quite common since, compared to a September planting, it saves farmers the trou- ble of putting out sprinklers. However, late fall plantings failed in this experiment. "We had a lot of weed intrusion at that point as well as cold conditions for alfalfa growth, so the stands were poor," Putnam said.
The earlier planting also had weed intrusion, but the researchers clipped the field when the alfalfa was 10 to 12 inches high in early spring. The clipping cut back weeds that were overtopping the alfalfa, giving an advantage to the vigorous young alfalfa seedlings.
An early spring planting after tillage to destroy weeds also resulted in a good stand, but some production was lost in the first year compared with early fall plantings. "Many growers are starting to realize that early fall (Sep-
tember-October) is a better time to start their alfalfa crops," Putnam said. "With organic growers, it is even more impor- tant to pay attention to time of seeding because they have so few weed control options."
While this research is conducted on organic alfalfa, Put- nam said the results are also applicable to conventional alfalfa production, which represents more than 98 percent of California's total alfalfa crop. "Timing has a profound effect on the first-year yield and health of the crop and its ability to compete with weeds," he said.
seek air quality in Farm Bill Having succeeded in the Senate, a coalition of agri- cultural organizations led by the California Farm Bureau Federation is urging the House of Representatives to include funding for an air quality improvement program in its draft of the 2012 Farm Bill. The Air Quality Initiative in the 2008 Farm Bill
Farm Bureau says: Farmers
Joe Russ told us the story of his great-grand father who was born in 1825 in Maine, came west in 1850. In fall of 1852 he purchased 100 cattle in Placerville, and with two hired cowboys, drove them over the Coast Range to Humboldt County, selling them in Eureka to the Army which was buying beef for its troops on the north coast where there were Indian wars. Next spring he filed a claim and built a log cabin near Fern Cottage. He and a partner, Barry Adams, went to the Sacramento area to purchase a large herd of cattle. He met his future wife there and per- suaded her family to move to the Ferndale area. Russ and Adams opened a meat market in Eureka. Joseph and Zipporah were married Dec. 17, 1854. She was 16 and he was 29. In the mid-1850s they began to buy ranch land, ultimately owning some 50,000 acres. Most of the ranches are still owned and operated by their descen- dants.
The Russes had 13 children in all. Over time Russ enterprises included timber and lumber, an abattoir, several meat markets, a bank, ships, a dry goods emporium. We were
Courtesy photo
Members of the California Beef Cattle Improvement Association toured and enjoyed dinner in the historic Carson Mansion, in Eureka.
All the furniture and furnishings are original to the house and the family, but not of the same peri- od. Many of Zipporah's dresses are on display in her bedroom or sitting room.
view Humboldt Grass Fed Beef, where they have 500 acres of land in 5 acre paddocks, or 100 pas- tures. This area has 300 growing days a year since it was just north of the sand dunes by the ocean. It is delta soil, good for growing grass.
Our next stop was to Jean Barton
allows farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to partic- ipate in a cost-share program to help them upgrade equipment, decrease emissions and address federal air quality regulations. So far, the U.S. Department of Agri- culture has partnered with more than 1,100 of the state's farmers and ranchers to reduce emissions an estimated five tons per day—the equivalent of taking 408,000 cars off of California highways.
privileged to tour Fern Cottage, built in 1866. The house is as Aunt Bertha left it. Bertha Russ Lytel, the youngest of Joseph and Zipporah's children, who died in her 90s in 1972, still cooked on the large wood burning stove. She was the last direct descendant to live there.
The program is not included in the current House ver- sion of the new farm bill. The House Agriculture Com- mittee will begin markup on the bill tomorrow, where Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, is expected to introduce an amendment to continue the Air Quality Initiative. "This program has been important in helping farmers enhance air quality and address new regulations," Cali- fornia Farm Bureau Federation President Paul Wenger said. "The Air Quality Initiative directs money to farm- ers in regions with the greatest air quality concerns, which adds to the value of the program." In California, the Air Quality Initiative received between 1,500 and 2,000 applications from farmers each year, but was only able to fund 300 to 350 per year. The farm coalition said continuing the program would bene- fit air quality in California and throughout the country. "We still have important work to do in complying with federal regulations," the coalition said in a letter addressed to leaders of the House committee. "By including this air quality language in the Conservation Title, farmers will be better able to meet federal, state and local air quality regulations." In addition to the California Farm Bureau, other members of the coalition include the Agricultural Coun- cil of California, American Pistachio Growers, Arizona Cattle Growers Association, Arizona Farm Bureau, Associated California Loggers, Association of California Water Agencies, California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, California Cattlemen's Associa- tion, California Citrus Mutual, California Cotton Ginners and Growers Associations, California Forestry Associa- tion, California Grape & Tree Fruit League, California Poultry Association, California Strawberry Commission, California Women for Agriculture, Far West Equipment Dealers Association, Fresno County Farm Bureau, Impe- rial Valley Vegetable Growers, Kings County Farm Bureau, Nisei Farmers League, Raisin Bargaining Asso- ciation, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control Dis- trict, Texas Farm Bureau, Tulare County Farm Bureau, Utah Farm Bureau, Ventura County Agricultural Associ- ation, Western Agricultural Processors Association, Western Growers, Western Plant Health Association and Western United Dairymen.
like a simple two story house, but from the side there are duplicate wings being added as the family grew.
From the front it looks
24 hours, and then moved to the next paddock. A hot wire (electric fence) is used for fencing.
business activities from here; the children went to school, and the home was the center of a dairy farm. Across the street were barns, stables and living quarters for ranch hands.
Joseph conducted his
and they fertilize with fish emulsion. Each paddock shares a water trough with adjoining pasture. The cattle go to Redwood Meat for harvesting, three or four head a week. That night we toured the Historic Carson Man- sion before enjoying cocktails and a grass fed prime rib with locally caught salmon dinner in the Ingomar Club over- looking Humboldt Bay. The dessert at each of the 17 tables was berry cob- bler in a 9x13 baking dish, and a bowl of vanil- la ice cream to be individ- ually served. Unique and
60 cow dairy farm, and now they have 200 head of cattle. They came in at 700 lbs and will leave at 900 lbs in July. Getting 750 lbs of gain per acre. The 200 head will be in a paddock for
It used to be a delicious!
group was Carolyn Hunt, a cattlewoman and friend from past Western Live- stock Journal tours. Car- olyn took us through all the rooms. Beautiful woods, and stained glass windows. We climbed the steep stairs to the 4th floor cupola.
The guide for my
Wm. Carson situated his home in the heart of the city next to his lumber mill and the bay.
his cupola he could view commerce on the bay and monitor the happenings at his lumber mill to the north.
From
berland, kept pace with the latest equipment, and they continued to prosper as logging methods and transportation improved. By the 1890s, they
owned several lumber mills, held an interest in the rail lines and in sailing vessels to insure the trans- port of their lumber. They incorporated the Eel River and Eureka Railroad Co. Helped build the Buck- sport and Elk River Rail- roads and held interests in the Humboldt Northern Railroad.
160 acres is irrigated,
The Carson Mansion, constructed in 1884-85, for over $80,000 is a four story, 18 room structure with a tower and base- ment, and one of the most photographed structures in the world. William Carson came from New Brunswick, Canada during the gold rush and tried mining along the Trinity River. By 1854 he was operating a lumber mill in Hum- boldt County. In 1855 he shipped the first cargo of redwood lumber from Humboldt Bay to San Francisco, where previ- ously only spruce and fir timber had been shipped. On April 17, 1863, Carson signed a partner- ship agreement with John Dolbeer which lasted for 87 years. Dolbeer revolu- tionized the logging busi- ness with his mechanical talent. In 1881, he patent- ed the "Dolbeer Steam Logging Donkey," which modernized logging by replacing manpower with machine power.
The Dolbeer and Car- son Lumber Company prospered. They bought up some of the finest tim-
LAGUNA BEACH (AP) — Agriculture authorities are preparing to deal with the discov- ery of Oriental fruit flies in the Laguna Beach area of Orange County. The Department of
Food and Agriculture said Monday small patches of male fruit fly attractant mixed with pesticide will be applied to street trees in an area around the sites where
The major destination for lumber was San Fran- cisco, but they shipped all over the world. They had diverse holdings as well, including oil fields, the Humboldt Woolen Mills and Humboldt Shoe Fac- tory.
Carson was one of the founders of Humboldt County Bank, Bank of Eureka, and the Savings Bank of Humboldt Co. At his death, his fortune was estimated to be $20 mil- lion. His will contained 116 beneficiaries, many company employees, as well as churches, hospi- tals and other community agencies.
Saturday, July 14, 2012 – Daily News 5A
The mansion was almost demolished when the last Carson heirs to live in the Mansion moved to San Francisco in the late 1940s. Some Eureka businessmen decided to form a men‚s club, and an option to purchase the Carson property was obtained from the owners in October 1949. The pur- chase was formally com- pleted early in 1950 and the new club was named the Ingomar Club.
Jean Barton can be reached at jbarton2013@gmail.com.
Oriental fruit fly treatment two flies were trapped.
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