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California Tour 2010
- 1. North Carolina Agricultural Leadership Development Program 2008 - 2010 California Study Tour
- 2. Agricultural Leadership Development Program Made possible by grants from
- 3. Agricultural Leadership Development Program and contributions from North Carolina Farm Bureau North Carolina Grange Mutual Insurance North Carolina Soybean Producers Association North Carolina State Grange Philip Morris International Bayer CropScience Cape Fear Farm Credit Carolina Farm Credit Corn Growers Association of North Carolina Golden Leaf Seed Company North Carolina Cotton Producers Association North Carolina Pork Council North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission YARA North America AgCarolina Financial North Carolina Small Grain Growers Association Program Participants
- 7. February 9, 2010
- 40. February 10, 2010
- 66. February 11, 2010
- 94. February 12, 2010
- 136. February 13, 2010
- 146. February 13, 2010
- 168. February 14, 2010
- 187. North Carolina Agricultural Leadership Development Program 2008 - 2010 California Study Tour
Notes de l'éditeur
- Historic Bear Flag was raised at Sonoma on June 14, 1846, by a group of American settlers in revolt against Mexican rule. The flag was designed by William Todd on a piece of new unbleached cotton. The star imitated the lone star of Texas. A grizzly bear represented the many bears seen in the state. The word, "California Republic" was placed beneath the star and bear. It was adopted by the 1911 State Legislature as the State Flag .
- The NC Agricultural Leadership Program is a two year program with ten sessions. The first set of classes started in October of 2008 and ended in February of 2009. We started again in October of 2009 and finished in February 0f 2010. The last two sessions involved our trip to Brazil and California. I will share with you our sights and insights from California.
- Here are some basic facts about Caifornia.
- The trip to California provided us an opportunity to see how the agricultural community and other sectors addressed issues they had as well as provided us insight into one of the top agricultural states in the United States. It has been said that California, Texas and Florida are like the caged canary in the mine shaft. Just as the canary is the early warning system for the miners so is the agriculture of these states to the rest of the country. This presentation will allow me to give you a day by day account of our journey. Go with me as I share with you the sights, insights from California.
- Our flight from North Carolina took us to San Franciscl on Monday, February 8 th . We checked in to our motels to prepare for our tour on Tuesday morning. .
- As we walked along the street bordering the water front in San Francisco, we saw many beautiful and wonderful sights such as the sea lions at Pier 39.
- Here is a view of San Francisco from the water front.
- These are some of the buildings that stand along the water front.
- The trolley cars that San Francisco is known for could be seen frequently speeding along the streets.
- Our first stop was in the shadows of the Bay Bridge. The San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge (known locally as the Bay Bridge) is a series of bridges in the San Francisco Bay Area of California,. Forming part of Interstate 80 and of the direct road route between San Francisco and Oakland, it carries approximately 270,000 vehicles per day on its two decks. It has one of the longest spans in the world.
- Finally we arrived at the Ferry Market Place on the waterfront.
- Lanny gives us instruction before entering the market plaza for a presentation.
- At the Ferry Plaza we met with David Stockdale who is the Executive director of CUESA the “Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture. The mission is cultivating a sustainable food system by supporting small farmers and educating the public (consumer).
- The Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture is dedicated to promoting a sustainable food system through the operation of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and its educational programs. They are a tax-exempt 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation organized in 1994 to educate urban consumers about sustainable agriculture and to create links between urban dwellers and local farmers. They have managed the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market since 1999. A food system is the inter-relationship of agricultural systems, their economic, social, cultural, and technological support systems, and systems of food distribution and consumption. A sustainable food system uses practices that are environmentally sound, humane, economically viable, and socially just.
- Here is the timeline of CUESA’s history.
- This is a list of the activities that CUESA conducts.
- David Stockdale on the right introduces Dexter Carmichael on the left and Lulu Meyer in the middle who are directors of market operations for the ferry market. The snapshot or profile of a farmer that sells at the Ferry Market is: (i) distance to market (105 miles), (ii) owned by families, (iii) size varies by producer, (iv) 2/3 of the farmers are certified organic growers, (v) sales outlet – direct marketing
- In the winter time they have about 25 people selling at the market and in the summer as many as 85 farmers selling. A variety of citrus fruits we available the day we were there.
- Other items included such things as nuts, fruits, and honey.
- This farmer had a very attractive display of Irish potatoes.
- Here is a display of various cool season crops. All products sold at certified state farmers markets must be grown in California.
- Here is a certified organic farmer.
- In front of the ferry market were all types of information displays such as the fliers promoting various activities at the market.
- Also there were educational displays such as this one talking about labor rights.
- The displays of produce were very attractive.
- There were vendors in side the ferry plaza that sold such things as cheese, wines, etc. This is Cowgirl Creamery, which buys milk from various dairies for producing many types of cheeses.
- Later in the afternoon, we went to Alcatraz. It was here that we learned about the history of this famous island and to see it in person.
- The ferry ride over to Alcatraz was windy and cool as you can tell by our attire. In the background is a view of San Francisco from the bay.
- Here is a view of the island as we approached it. Alcatraz Island is an island located in the San Francisco Bay, 1.5 miles offshore from San Francisco California. Often referred to as The Rock, the small island early-on served as a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a Federal Bureau of Prisons federal prison until 1963. Later, in 1972, Alcatraz became a national recreation area and received landmarking designations in 1976 and 1986. Today, the island is a historic site operated by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is open to tours. Visitors can reach the island by ferry ride from Pier 33, near Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.
- Here is a sign recognizing Alcatraz island as part of the Golden Gate National Park.
- These are just some of the prison cell inside Alcatraz.
- Dr. Lanny Hass. one of our leadership instructors, had us to gather in the recreational yard of Alcatraz. It was here that he had us to do and exercise that demonstrated various principles of teamwork and leadership.
- The grojup was divided into teams including one person designated as the leader and one as a safety office. The rules were that the leader nor safety officer could not speak to the group, but had to lead the team who was wearing blindfolds. Objective of the exercise was for the team leader and safety officer to guide the team around the yard and then set us up in a straight line.
- Here is a closeup of one of the team members with a blindfold. After the teams completed their task, the teams discussed various aspects of leadership and teamwork.
- Later on that evening, the group went to have dinner at the Delancey Street Restaurant. Delancey Street is a self-help organization for former substance abusers, ex-convicts, homeless and others who have hit bottom. Started in 1971 with 4 people in a San Francisco apartment, Delancey Street has served many thousands of residents, in 5 locations throughout the United States. Residents at Delancey Street range from teenagers to senior citizens, and include men and women and all races and ethnicities. The average resident has been a hard-core drug and alcohol abuser, has been in prison, is unskilled, functionally illiterate, and has a personal history of violence and generations of poverty. The minimum stay at Delancey Street is 2 years while the average resident remains for almost 4 years – drug, alcohol and crime-free. During their time at Delancey Street, residents receive a high school equivalency degree (GED) and are trained in 3 different marketable skills. Beyond academic and vocational training, residents learn important values, and the social and interpersonal skills that allow them to live successfully in the mainstream of society. Any act of violence, or threat of violence, is cause for immediate removal from Delancey Street. Interestingly, former gang members, who have sworn to kill each other, live and work together peacefully starting in dorm-rooms and moving up into their own apartments. Residents learn to work together promoting non-violence through a principle called “each-one-teach-one” where each new resident is responsible for helping guide the next arrival.
- That evening we not only enjoyed a wonderful meal, but heard from two people that were part of the Delanncy Place program. They gave their life history and how Delancey Place had allowed them to change the lives for the better.
- The success rate for people participating in the program is 90% meaning that 90% of those entering the program do not return to their former way of life. The restaurant is not their only business that is manned and managed by participants of the program, but they also have a catering service, moving service, manufacturing of custom furniture, and ironworks, as well as landscaping, etc. Upon leaving the restaurant, we headed to Marin County, which is north of San Francisco, to get settled in to our motel for Wednesday’s adventurers.
- On Wednesday, February 10, the tour involved various stops in Marin County. Marin is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2007, the population was 248,096. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government.. Marin County is renowned for its natural beauty, liberal politics, and affluence. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Marin County has the fifth highest income per capita in the United States at $91,483. It is governed by local cities and the Marin County Board of Supervisors.
- We met David Lewis the director for the Marin County Center of the California Extension Service who was one of our tour guides for the day.
- Steve Quirt, Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator, was also one of our tour guides, who took us to several farms he worked.
- As we went out to our first stop, we saw many beautiful sight such as you see behind Steve.
- Our first visit was at the Dolcini Ranch near Petaloma, CA.
- This is Kitty Dolcini. Her grandfather started a dairy at this location in 1918, and the family has had an agricultural operation there ever since. In 1973, the ranch was inherited by seven Dolcini siblings who are the children of Arnold, Jr. and his wife Betty, both deceased. A Jersey dairy until 2000, the ranch now supports a diversified operation. Doug Dolcini raises beef cattle, while his sister Kitty operates a small nursery on the ranch, The Dolcinis worked out a lease agreement with David Retsky such that he has access to 30 acres of and water from their reservoir.
- The hike up to the reservoir was a workout since it was nestled between hills.
- Here is a picture of that reservoir.
- David Retsky is the owner of County Line Harvest and he started farming in 2000 as a conventional vegetable producer, but became a certified organic grower in 2007. He rents 32 acres from the Dolcini Ranch at the rate of $1000 per acre. Seen here is one of David’s worker Zoe, who gave us a tour.
- County Line Harvest raises 75 different types of vegetables and sells them at farmers markets as well as to restaurants.
- Here are some of the vegetables that were growing while we were there.
- Here is Steve taking with Eleanor and Lanny, while surrounded by the beautiful scenery of Marin County.
- From the Docini Ranch we went to our next stop, but not without seeing some beautiful scenery along the way such as the pasture you see here.
- As seen here, Marin has a landscape of hills and flatlands.
- Here is a olive grove,
- Our next stop in Marin County was at the Tomales town hall.
- Here is the inside of the Tomales town hall where we heard presentations.
- Bob Berner, the Executive Director of the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) shared information on Marin County as well as about MALT. The average size of ag property is 600 acres with most of it for grazing of livestock. Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) was the first land trust in the United States to focus on farmland preservation. Founded in 1980 by a coalition of ranchers and environmentalists to preserve farmland in Marin County, California, MALT acquires agricultural conservation easements on farmland in voluntary transactions with landowners. MALT also encourages public policies that support and enhance agriculture. It is a model for agricultural land preservation efforts across the nation. MALT has so far permanently protected more than 41,500 acres of land on 64 family farms and ranches. Soucre of funding is from state and federal agency grants (50%) with the remainder from funds that MALT raises.
- Next a discussion panel shared their views on the topic “Solving The Permitting Puzzle/Challenges. On the left is Rck Lafranchi, a dairyman seeking a permit to make cheese, Lisa Bush, Range Management Specialist & Liason between farms and county government, and Curtis Havel, Marin County Community Development Agency (i.e Building, Planning, and Inspection Department). The panel discussed how implementing agricultural diversification projects invariably requires differing levels of review and permitting. This ranges from a simple building permit to more complex projects that likely require approval and licenses from numerous county departments and state and federal agencies. The panel shared the experience and efforts to streamline these processes through the Marin Agricultural Support Plan.
- From Tomales town hall, we went to Stemple Creek Ranch owned by Al Poncia. He has a 140 cow/calf operation of Angus cattle. He does an outstanding job with his forage program to provide top quality forages. In his right hand is a forage of the crucifer family that he has added to his pasture mix. He has a son, who is not currently on the farm, but has some involvement in the operation. His son is interested in going to organic beef and they are already raising organic lamb. His son’s philosophy is to produce the maximum amount of meat with the least cost.
- Our next stop was to a goat dairy called Toluma Farms. The farm is a 160 cow dairy, which the new owners restored.
- They have a security system as indicated by the sign.
- Tamara Hicks on the right and her husband are the owners of Toluma Farms. They are currently milking 40 goats but want to eventually be milking 150 to 200 goats.
- In their barn we heard from Tamara, on the right, further discuss about her operation and from Hanna on the left, who is a worker of the Hickses. They milk their goats twice a day and they can milk twelve at a time. A single goat will produce a gallon of milk per day which will produce one pound of butter. They sell milk to Redwood Hill, a cheese factory, as well as they have started making their own cheese. Hanna is their cheese maker..
- We were taken out onto the farm to see their goat herd.
- Dr. Caldwell, one of the coordinators of the Ag Leadership Development program was proud to have his picture taken with one of the Toluma Farms’ goats.
- On the morning of Thursday, February 11 th , we loaded up the bus and headed out of Marin County to Monterey County.
- We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge seen here and took Highway 1, also called the Pacific Coast Highway.
- Seen here is a section of Highway 1 that is known as Devil’s Slide. This area of Highway 1 is vulnerable to landslides.
- In the Devil Slide area are old abandoned military facilities. Prior to the advent of radar, military personnel would use binoculars and compasses to search for ships at sea. The pill-boxes as seen in this picture were used for that purpose.
- Here is another picturesque scene of the California Pacific coastline as we traveled down Highway 1.
- As we got closer to Monterey County, we started seeing farm land that went all the way to the ocean to the west of Highway 1 as well to the east of Highway 1. Off in the distance you can see the mountains.
- At one point we took a break and stopped to enjoy the scenery at Poponia State Beach. but not without taking a moment to learn something about leadership
- Dr. Hass seen here with his hand raised had the group to think about what they had experienced so far and how that information could be used when we returned to North Carolina.
- We were split into groups and then given the opportunity to share our thoughts.
- We are almost most to Monterey.
- Our first stop in Monterey County was in Moss Landing at Phil’s Fish Market and Eatery for lunch. It was here that we met our tour guide for Monterey County.
- Sonya Hammond, Extension director for Monterey County took us to several locations.
- A representative of Ocean Mist shared information with us about their operation .Since 1924, Ocean Mist Farms has pioneered the commercial planting and shipping of artichokes in Castroville, and today it is recognized as the largest Artichoke operation in the United States. Ocean Mist raises 6,000 acres of artichokes and 2,500 acres of other vegetables.
- The Globe Artichok e is a perennial thistle originating in southern Europe around the Mediterranean Sea, although they do have some varieties now that are annuals. It grows to 4.5 to 5 feet tall, with arching, deeply lobed, silvery green leaves. The flowers develop in a large head from an edible bud about 3 to 6 inches in diameter with numerous triangular scales; the individual florets are purple
- . The edible portion of the buds consists primarily of the fleshy lower portions of the bracts and the base, known as the "heart"; the mass of immature florets in the center of the bud is called the "choke". These are inedible in older larger flowers.
- The artichoke are grown on wide beds.
- A small community in Monterey County claims to be the artichoke capital of the world.
- Next we visited Golden Field Greenhouse which is north of Castroville. It has been in operation for 30 years.
- Harold Kinnaman is the owner and operator. They raise transplants of artichokes, celery, cauliflower, poinsettias, and bell peppers. His operation consists of 20 acres or 350,000 square feet of greenhouses.
- Here is a view of the automatic seeding machinery.
- The greenhouse is full of the “Mighty Mini Mater”, a sweet tasting cherry tomato.
- Seen here are celery transplants.
- This is a greenhouse full of colorful cyclamens that are ready for the market.
- Our last stop for the day was the Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency.( MRWPCA) . MRWPCA operates the regional wastewater treatment plant located two miles north of Marina. It also maintains 25 pump stations connected to the treatment plant. Secondary treatment discharge is 2 miles into Monterey Bay. MRWPCA member communities are Pacific Grove, Monterey, Del Rey Oaks, Seaside, Sand City, Fort Ord, Marina, Castroville, Moss Landing, Boronda, Salinas and some unincorporated areas in northern Monterey County. Additionally, MRWPCA operates the water recycling facility at the Regional Treatment Plant and manages the distribution system under contract from the Monterey County Water Resources Agency. Sixty percent of incoming wastewater is recycled. The treatment and distribution of recycled water is paid for by Salinas Valley agricultural growers and property owners. The recycling operations provide irrigation water to 12,000 acres of Castroville farmland.
- Here we are at the tertiary portion of the treatment plant that allows for the use of water on vegetable crops. The use of highly treated wastewater to irrigate landscaping has been practiced for years, yet for food crops, it is relatively new. The recycled water facility is capable of producing an average of 29.6 million gallons of recycled water per day. This is the equivalent of one foot of water over 91 acres of land .In the future, MRWPCA plans to additionally supply recycled water to city parks, roadway landscape and golf courses.
- The purple hydrant seen here is for farmers to connect to for using the recycled water. Because of the water that has been drawn from the underground aquafers in the Salinas Valley, salt water has been moving into the aquafer from the ocean (called salt water intrusion). The recycled waste water from the Monterey facility is being used for growing the vegetable crops and to recharge the ground water so as to prevent further salt water intrusion.
- That evening before dinner, we had a presentation by Gregory Encina Billikopf from the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Agriculture Issues Center. Mr Billikopf said, “When it comes to profitability, there are many factors that farmers have little control over, such as cost of feed, crop prices and the weather,. “Much of what growers can do to enhance their bottom line, however, is associated with their employees.” Through questions and answers with the group he covered such things as the use of practical tests in hiring, the fine-tuning of incentive pay (including piece rates), the advantages and disadvantages of different pay structures, and performance evaluations.
- On Friday morning we left Monterey and headed to Salinas. Here we are on Cannery Row in Monterey. Cannery Row is the waterfront street in Monterey. . It is the site of a number of now-defunct sardine canning factories. The street name, formerly a nickname for Ocean View Avenue, became official in January 1958 to honor John Steinbeck and his famous novel Cannery Row .
- From Monterey we go to Salinas. This city is located at the mouth of the Salinas Valley roughly eight miles from the Pacific Ocean and enjoys a mild climate.
- First we went to Jefferson Farms, which is a family owned operation. The man on the right in the cap is Benny Jefferson, the owner and operator. To the left of Benny is April, his niece, and his son, Ryan.. As for their farming operation, they talked about such things as food safety and what they do to address those issues. The outbreak of E. coli that took place in 2006 in California took place in a neighboring county to the Jefferson Farms. Also, it was mentioned that out of this incident had come the formation of the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement. The Jefferson Farms used the water from the Monterey facility we had visited. Land lease rates in the area ranged from $3,000 to $10,000/acre and the land is usually leased for three years.
- April is in charge of the legal, food safety, and policy issues for the farming operation. She showed us their machine that is used for cleaning, grading and packing of globe artichokes.
- They not only farm, but have a land leveling business. Cost for land leveling could range in price from $100/acre to $10,000/acre depending on how much work they have to do
- We were then taken to where globe artichokes were being harvested. The laborers carry a container on their back that can hold 50 to 70 pounds of artichokes. With a knife in hand, they cut the artichoke and throw it over their shoulder into the container.
- Here is a closeup of a harvester.
- Some of our group got a closer look at the bins that the harvesters dumped their artichokes into.,
- Here are bins full of artichokes.
- Lanny is discussing with the group their experiences at the Jefferson Farms.
- From Jefferson Farms we went to the town of Salinas, the home of John Steinbeck who was a famous writer and a Pulitzer Prize winner.
- At Salinas we visited the National Steinbeck Center which housed an agricultural museum and a museum for Steinbeck.
- The Rabobank Agriculture Museum shares the stories of the Salinas Valley agriculture.
- Our guide at the ag museum shared the history of agriculture in Salinas.
- This is a display of sugar beets, which was a major crop in Salinas and is credited with being the start of vegetable farming in Salinas.
- This interactive display allows children to vote for their favorite vegetable.
- In this same faclity was the John Steinbeck Exhibition Hall. The John Steinbeck Exhibition Hall presents the life of John Steinbeck, his writings and characters through interactive exhibits for all ages.
- Here are just some of the exhibits in the exhibition hall.
- Sangs Café claims to be where John Steinbeck ate.
- From Salinas, we went to the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA).
- Along the way we saw some beautiful scenery.
- Here is a large field where land is being prepared for planting
- These fields have been planted and are being irrigated.
- The Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) provides educational and business opportunities for farm workers and aspiring farmers to grow and sell crops grown on two organic farms in Monterey County, California.
- On the right is Brett Malone, the Executive Director for ALBA.
- Here is a painting located on a cinderblock wall on their farm. The overall goal of ALBA is to create greater economic opportunities for small farms while promoting ecological land management and healthy local foods. Objectives accomplished in pursuit of this goal include training in organic farm production, marketing, record-keeping, labor law, pest management and numerous other topics related to operating a small farm business.
- People that signup for the program have access to farmland. After some training, they are rented land to farm and are allowed to use equipment on the farm. Here are crops being grown by some of the participants
- Next, we visited Paraiso vineyards.
- Rich shown here and his wife Claudia Smith arrived in Monterey County in 1973, their children and belongings in the car. Fresh out of college, the young couple was searching for the perfect locale to try out their newly-minted U.C. Davis training. Today Rich and his son Jason oversee 3,000 acres of grapes throughout Monterey County, providing fruit to many famous producers. In 1988, the Smiths began producing wines under the Paraiso banner.
- Here is a view of the Smith’s vineyard high above the valley where hundreds of acres of vegetables are growing.
- Here are some of their wines they make.
- This was one last look at Monterey County before we head to Harris Ranch in Fresno County.
- Scenes on our way to Harris ranch.
- Scenes on our way to Harris ranch
- Scenes on our way to Harris ranch
- Scenes on our way to Harris ranch. An oil well.
- Scenes on our way to Harris ranch. Here are the storage tanks for the oil well seen in the previous slide.
- On Friday evening, we get to Harris Ranch Inn and Restaurant where we met Jim Sullin, the Extension Director for Tulare County. Two other speakers shared information about water issues of California and Harris Ranch .
- Here is a map showing the water system that serves California citizens. There are two major water delivery systems in California. They are the Central Valley Project (CVP) and the State Water Project (SWP). CVP water irrigates more than 3 million acres of farmland and provides drinking water to nearly 2 million consumers. SWP deliveries are 70 percent urban and 30 percent agriculture, meeting the needs of 20 million Californians and more than 600,000 irrigated acres, respectively.
- On Saturday, February 13 th , we first went to the Harris Ranch feedlot.
- Jim Sullin provided us information on the way to the Harris Ranch feeding lot.
- The gerntleman in the middle is John Tarr, manager at the Harris ranch feedlot. He gave us a tour of the operation.
- The feedlot was originally set up to market the barley that Harris farm grew. The original feedlot was built to hold 10,000 head, but has been expanded to hold 120,000 head. Theyhave seven pens that are designated as hospitals for sick and injured animals.
- The feedlot covers 800 acres. To manage the cattle, they have 100 horses used by 51 cowboys/cowgirls. Eight hundred fifty (850) cattle are harvested each day 6 days a week. The shade cloths are for helping with heat since temperatures can get to 120 degree Fahrenheit.
- One ton of manure is produced per an animal. A box scraper is run in the feedlot pens to gather it up in one area of the pens until it is removed. Most of the manure goes to farmland in the area.
- Alfalfa hay seen here in the large bales is used in the feed mix
- Here is the blended feeds that they produce at the feedlot. In addition to the other ingredients in their feed mix, they use 6000 tons of corn per week.
- The building shown here is for washing the trucks that haul the cattle so that the trucks are disinfected between loads.
- Here is the group at the feedlot
- From Harris Farms feedlot, we went to Tulare County and were guided by Steve Wright, the Farm Advisor for Tulare and King Counties. His responsibilities are field crops.
- Steve showed us the cropland of Tulare County. A large part of it was a lake called Tulare Lake that was drained and converted to farmland as you see here. Much of the farmland is furrow irrigated.
- Here is an aqauduct that carries water through Tulare county from which farmers get their water for irrigation,
- In this field of wheat is a berm running perpendicular to the fields edge, which divided the fields into sections to aid in the furrowing irrigating of the fields
- The pump show here is used to pump the water from the canals into the field.
- Steve shows us the shop of a farming operation as well as the equipment yard that was several acres in size.
- Off to the left of where we were standing in the previous picture is a line of about 20 cotton pickers.
- Here is bales of cotton stored outside that are grouped according to grades.
- This is an orchard of either almonds or English Walnuts.
- After touring the farmland we went to the Tulare County Center of the University of California Cooperative Extension. It was here that we heard presentations on farmland preservation and issues that are impacting agriculture in California.
- Across from the Tulare County Extension Center is the International Agri-Center and is home to the World Ag Expo, which was held during the time that we were in California.
- At the International Agri-Center is the heritage complex. In here is a room where videos can be viewed as well as a agricultural museum with interactive exhibits.
- Some of the exhibits in the museum.
- Some of the exhibits in the museum
- From the International Agri-Center we went to Hilarides Dairy.
- This dairy milks 8,000 head. The barns that house the cows are 750 feet long with 400 cows on each side. They get all their electricity from generators that are powered with methane captured from their lagoons holding the manure.
- Items utilized in the feed for cows include such things as pima cottonseed, and oranges as shown here.
- Here is an above ground bunker of silage.
- The milking parlor consist of two carousels that can hold 80 each.
- Here is a closeup of the carousel. The cows walk on and once the cow comes around to the starting point the cow is finished and she backs out of the stall while the carousels continues.
- We also had the opportunity to see where they made cheese at Hilarides dairy.
- On Sunday, February 14 th , we headed to the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park to experience a great wonder of the world. While there we reflected on our two year journey with the Agricultural Leadership Development Program.
- Within an hour of seeing the Sequoias, we saw orange orchards and the water supplies for irrigating them.
- Here is a view of an orange orchard. Also, in this orchard were wind turbines used for frost protection.
- As we continued up the road to our destination, the landscape became more steep and rocky.
- As we got to higher elevations, snow was present on the landscape.
- At the highest elevation the snow was several feet deep.
- We finally reached out first destination and behind our tour bus you can see the Sequoias.
- We first went to see the Grant tree which is the second largest tree in the world.
- Here is Jeremy Rhodes standing between two Sequoias.
- The trail to the Grant tree was mostly clear, but off of the trail the snow was several feet deep.
- Here is the Grant tree.
- We left the Grant tree and then went to see the largest tree in the world, the General Sherman tree.
- On the trail to the General Sherman tree, we walked through a redwood that had fallen and a tunnel was made though its trunk.
- The size of these trees can not be truly appreciated until you stand at the base of the tree and look toward the top of it.
- While looking up at these magnificent trees that have been growing for centuries that only a few people get to stand among, Dr. Hass reminded us that we too have had a rare opportunity that only a few get to experience and that we need to continue to grow and use the Ag Leadership Program experiences to enrich and enlighten the lives of others.
- We gathered in a circle and Lanny and Eleanor led us through an exercise demonstrating the power of leadership, networking and teamwork. We passed a spool of colorful yarn among ourselves while we each described how we would take our leadership training as well as experiences back to our homes, communities and groups to make a difference. Lanny went on to explain the dynamics of the network/community we have cultivated.
- After the ceremony, we gathered in front of the General Sherman Sequoia for a group picture. Being the largest tree in the world, it stands 275 feet tall, the trunk is almost 40 feet in diameter and 103 feet in circumference, and is 2,200 years old.
- I thank your for the opportunity to share my experiences and insights as a part of the NC Agricultural Leadership Development Program.