San Diego County Farm Bureau
NEWS
Serving San Diego Agriculture and Horticulture Since 1913
Volume 24, Issue 11
www.sdfarmbureau.org
November 2011
Bob Crouch
2011 Farmer of the Year
I
by Casey Anderson
f farm performance were a graded
assignment, Bob Crouch, Farm
Bureau’s 2011 Farmer of the Year,
would be at the top of his class. Though
he sold the farm to his son, Gary Crouch,
and head grower, Roberto Ramirez, three
years ago, it was his efforts that grew
Mountain Meadow Mushroom from a
farm in bankruptcy to a business that
now employs over 100 people.
Born in Cook County, Illinois, Bob grew
up on his grandfather’s dairy farm in
Wisconsin apart from his mother and
father who didn’t have enough money
to keep him with them in the city of
Chicago. Bob later moved to Attica,
Indiana when his father got a job with
a local radio station. He attended
high school there. After high school
graduation, Bob says he stuck around
and chose a local university. “Attica was
30 miles from Lafayette where Purdue
University is. So, it was close and it
was cheap and I was able to afford it.
At that time tuition was $65 dollars a
semester. I worked in the summer and
was able to make that much money
and go to school.” Bob graduated from
Purdue University and a few months
later entered the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology. He took a degree in
Aeronautical Engineering and started his
career in science.
After graduating from MIT Bob worked
for the Allison division of General Motors
designing gas turbines for airplanes and
became the Corporate Chief Scientist Propulsion. In 1961 through 1962 Bob
(Continued on page 5)
Bob Crouch will be honored as the 2011 Farmer of the Year on November 17 at the
Farm Bureau’s annual Awards Dinner.
In This Issue
1
2
3
6
8
7
9
10
12
14
16
17
19
Farmer of the Year - Bob Crouch
President’s Message
2011 Farm Tour Day
FFA Ag-tivities - Escondido High School
President’s Club
From the Ag Commissioner - Pests Spread by Firewood
Crop of the Month: Apples
Oil Spill Plan
Feeding America San Diego
Meet your Board Member: Vic Pankey
Employer/Employee Issues: Terminations Done Right
Business Supporting Member Focus - Whole Foods Market
Classified Ads
President’s Message
Farm to School
F
by Noel Stehly
arm to School. In a generation of children
knowing only processed foods, drive thru
restaurants and an epidemic of childhood
obesity, what a great concept! In San Diego we
have been fortunate enough to be part of a
growing movement involving fresh, locally grown
produce being delivered to our public schools. This
movement and its local counter-part, Farm to Table
and locally grown, have not only helped our children
and locals eat healthier, but it has highlighted what
the farmers in our county produce.
The concept of farm to school is not a new one. In fact, it has been around for many
years throughout the country. However, the concept was slow to move at first in San
Diego; that was until a few people at the Whole Foods grocery store in Hillcrest began
a series of meetings. The meetings were based around locally grown and heirloom
products to supply their stores. Then came the idea of supplying the over-abundance
of locally grown products to our schools. These spin off meetings were called farm to
school.
I must say, for those of us who attended these
meetings, we were very enthusiastic that a
possible new market was opening up in our
own backyard; an opportunity to showcase
our products in a new market and provide
fresh flavorful foods to our schools. But, the
concept was not going to be easily applied.
Then along came the San Diego Unified School
District. It became aware of a grant to assist us
and applied for and received it. The grant allowed the district to hire an employee
specifically for sourcing locally grown products, when available. Since then the
partnership between farmers and schools has been flourishing. San Diego Unified
has even made it cool and important to children to know your farmer. The school
district has created and distributes baseball cards for their local vendor (harvest of
the month). The cards give statistics of the farm and farmer, and give the children a
personal connection to the farm where their food is coming from. Who knows, maybe
we can show children that fruits and vegetables are not a punishment from their
parents, but actually taste good when eaten in season and when they know where
they come from. The other benefit is that maybe some of those children just might
want to become farmers because of a simple concept: “Farm to School”.
San Diego Unified
has even made it cool
and important to
children to know your
farmer.
In the big picture, the Farm to Table and Farm to School programs not only help our
communities in eating healthier, but they support our local economy. In these most
difficult of times, what more can we ask for? ❧
San Diego County Farm Bureau has received a grant through the federal American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 administered through the County and
UCSD. The grant is part of the Healthy Works program. The grant will fund 1.5 new
employees for five months to facilitate Farm Bureau’s role to help create a system that
will facilitate the easy movement of locally grown food products to qualified buyers
throughout the San Diego region.
2
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
Farm Bureau News
November 2011
Volume 24, No. 11
San Diego County Farm Bureau News is
published monthly by the San Diego County
Farm Bureau, a nonprofit trade organization
whose mission is to represent San Diego
agriculture through public relations, education
and public policy advocacy in order to
promote the economic viability of agriculture
balanced with appropriate management of
natural resources. This newsletter and the
activities sponsored by San Diego County Farm
Bureau are paid for by the annual dues of its
membership.
© San Diego County Farm Bureau. Articles
published in San Diego County Farm Bureau
News may be reprinted without permission
provided credit is given to the San Diego County
Farm Bureau and a copy of the issue in which
the reprint appears is forwarded to the Farm
Bureau office provided below.
Article suggestions are welcomed and should
be mailed or emailed to the Farm Bureau
address below, attention Eric Larson, Executive
Director. Use of articles is at the discretion of
the Executive Director and based on space
availability and may be edited to meet space
requirements. Article deadlines are the first of
the month prior to the publication month.
San Diego County Farm Bureau
1670 E. Valley Parkway
Escondido, CA 92027
Phone: (760) 745-3023
Fax: (760) 489-6348
E-mail: sdcfb@sdfarmbureau.org
Editor: Casey Anderson
Newsletter layout: Kathy Rathbun
Executive Officers:
President: Noel Stehly
1st Vice President: Julie Walker
2nd Vice President: Ken Altman
Secretary: Lawrence Kellar
Treasurer: Janet Silva Kister
Past President: Mike A. Mellano
CFBF Director, District 1: Janet Silva Kister
(for San Diego & Imperial counties)
Executive Director: Eric Larson
Visit us on the Web: www.sdfarmbureau.org
F
2011 Farm Tour Day
arm Bureau’s Farm Tour Day 2011, held on Saturday
October 15, was an unequivocal success with over 300
participants spending their Saturday driving through
the country to visit six north county farms. This year the public
toured farms featuring mushrooms, cacti and succulents,
avocados, a vineyard, and vegetables. The Farm Tour Day
committee applied lessons learned last year to create a special
event that from start to finish exceeded expectations. A posttour survey solicited participants’ responses to the day. Here
are some comments:
“A note to say how very much my friend and I enjoyed the
Farm Bureau tour on Saturday. I’m still talking about it to
friends and family who did not attend (their misfortune).
Thanks to you and the huge team that coordinated this
wonderful, full day.”
“Thoroughly enjoyed all of [the tours] and have a better
understanding of the impact of SoCal’s water problems on our
local farmers, food and plant suppliers.”
“It was wonderfully informative, interesting, and fun.”
“The [tours] were all excellent; very friendly. I was surprised at
how much I learned.”
“I enjoyed the variety of farms and the fact that most owners
or managers were there to personally talk about the product.
Their passion showed through.”
“Thank you for providing San Diego citizens the opportunity
to visit our local farms.”
A young tourist admires wooly cacti at Western Cactus.
Children and grownups alike were astounded to see the level of
production going on right in their “backyard”.
“Thanks to all who put this fantastic event on! We were very impressed with the tour, from the friendly volunteers to the
knowledgeable tour guides, it was a winner.”
Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped make Farm Tour Day 2011 a resounding success. ❧
Farmer Mil Krecu at Stone Farms discusses
tomatoes with a visitor. Tourists were
excited to walk the rows of vegetables and
taste tomatoes off the vine.
Malcolm Matheson answers questions
on avocado production. Visitors to his
grove got a first rate lesson on Southern
California’s water challenges and how
they affect local growers and the local
landscape.
3
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
Board member and vineyard manager, Al
Stehly, led the tour at Shadow Mountain
Vineyard. Tour participants were treated to
a wine tasting following the talk on wine
grape production.
From the Executive Director
T
They like you. They really like you.
by Eric Larson
he San Diego County Farm Bureau’s first foray into
bringing the public onto farms in 2010 was hard to
measure as a success when a few more than 100
residents took part in the inaugural Farm Tour Day. Farm
Bureau lost money on that event but the joyful response
from the participants and the post-tour enthusiasm of the
farmers and volunteers gave cause to try again. Plus some
important lessons were learned that first year. There were
too many farms spread over too many miles with too little
time allotted for participants to reach them all. We also learned that publicity has to be
initiated far in advance.
The 2011 plan called for one less farm on the itinerary, using six farms that were
in close proximity, expanding from five to six hours, and getting the word out to
newspapers and magazines several months in advance. In one year we went from
wondering if the idea was sustainable to holding a tiger by the tail.
On Saturday October 15th more than 300 San Diegans paid $20 each to spend a
Saturday touring local farms. The lesson we have to learn from this year is that parking
control is now a chief concern.
What really comes
from Farm Tour
Day is that the
public likes farms
and farmers.
We did something else different this year. The signups
were all taken online, which means we captured email
addresses for everyone who bought a ticket. That gave
us the ability to conduct a post-event survey through the
popular SurveyMonkey system. A remarkable 51 percent
of the participants on our list took the time to do the
survey. That in itself is a measure of success. What they
had to say was very encouraging.
100 percent, that’s a nice round number, said it was
a positive learning experience for them. 97 percent responded they were likely to
participate in Farm Day Tour again in 2012. That height would be envied by anyone
putting on an event. In response to the open-ended question about the “highlight”
of their day every farm was mentioned and the descriptive terms the responders used
included terrific, fascinating, amazing, and informative. They also mentioned the
passion and friendliness expressed by the farmers.
Wanting to use the audience to help figure what could be done better from their
perspective, we asked for suggestions on how to improve Farm Tour Day. The survey
takers weren’t bashful and said they’d like to do this more often, have opportunities
to buy farm products along the way, and parking was a challenge at couple of farms.
That’s valuable information, but not critical of the event at all.
November 2011
Calendar of Events
For more information about these
events, call the Farm Bureau office at
(760) 745-3023. More events are listed
on Farm Bureau’s Calendar page at
ww.sdfarmbureau.org
November 2011
November 3
Farm Bureau
Board of Directors Meeting
Farm Bureau
10:00 am Business of the Board
10:30 am General Meeting
November 16
Executive Committee meeting
Farm Bureau Office
3:00 pm
November 17
Farmer of the Year Dinner
6 pm–9 pm
(see back cover)
November 24-25
Thanksgiving Holiday
Farm Bureau office closed.
Water School Schedule
November 8
6–8 pm
Farm Bureau Office
December 3
10 am–Noon
Farm Bureau Office
For Water School reservations call the
Farm Bureau Office at 760-745-3023
For an updated list of upcoming events
visit: http://www.sdfarmbureau.org
What really comes from Farm Tour Day is that the public likes farms and farmers. They also like the opportunity to be on a farm
and learn directly from a farmer, even if that means investing their Saturday. If that’s what they want, we’ll give them more. Will
we triple participation again in 2012? I wouldn’t bet against it as Farm Tour Day becomes a premiere event in San Diego County.
Can we handle the logistics as the crowd soars? That’s a good question, but it’s the best question we could ask for. ❧
Take advantage of the Farm Bureau’s twice daily weather update service.
Call the office at 760-745-3023 to get the access number available
exclusively to Farm Bureau members.
4
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
Night of awards
In addition to awarding the Farmer
of the Year, Farm Bureau will be
presenting several other recognitions
the evening of November 17.
Ben Hillebrecht
Farm Bureau Service Award
Presented to a Farm Bureau member
who has made an extraordinary
contribution to or on behalf of the
organization to the benefit of all
members.
Bob and Elizabeth Crouch
Bob Crouch (continued from page 1)
was “loaned” to the White House and
served as a scientific advisor to President
Kennedy. As one member of a group of
four advisors Bob advised the president
on, “a lot of different programs,” he says.
“The president was involved in lots of
different projects. The space program specifically the Mercury program - was
designed to obtain the information we
needed about man’s capability in space
flight so that we could design the Apollo.”
Following his service to the White
House, Bob returned to Lockheed
Missiles and Space Co. as the Assistant
Director of Research. He later joined
North American Aviation Corporation
Planning which merged with Rockwell
International. He became Operational
President of three divisions. In 1984 Bob
retired from Rockwell International. He
bought a small mushroom farm off North
Broadway in Escondido and called it
Mountain Meadow Mushroom.
scientific methods or innovations he said,
“No. I just built more rooms and reduced
the time to grow the mushrooms from
63 days to 50. I was just improving
productivity. I wasn’t using brand new
methods; I was just doing it better.” In
2008, Bob sold the farm to his son Gary
Crouch and grower Roberto Ramirez.
“The farm I purchased is the same farm
that exists today. My son and Roberto
have taken it over and improved it even
more. Gary and Roberto make a great
team.”
How does an aeronautical engineer get
to owning and renovating a mushroom
farm? Bob says dryly, “Well I retired and
it was something to do. It was strictly
numbers. I visited some other farms, and
I just thought I would try it and it worked.
The farm was in bankruptcy when I
bought it and at the time was growing
about 500 pounds a week. I built it
up to where it was growing 20,000
pounds a day. And that’s how you make
money.” Asked whether he used any new
Even as he built Mountain Meadow
Mushroom, Bob kept himself busy
staying involved in his community. He
served on the San Diego County Farm
Bureau Board of Directors for many
years and was active in the Future Home
Site committee from 2006 to 2008.
He served on the board of directors
of Western Farm Credit Bank for eight
years. At the same time he and his wife,
Elizabeth, were major fundraisers for
the Escondido YMCA raising over $2
million dollars for the organization to
renovate its pool and gym. From 1998
to 2007 he was on the board of directors
of the Palomar Pomerado Hospital
Foundation. He is currently on the board
of the San Diego Symphony and is a
past director of the San Diego Chamber
Orchestra. He has also served on the
board of the San Diego North Economic
Development Council and the California
State University, San Marcos Presidents
Council. ❧
5
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
In addition to past service as president
and serving on the board of directors
for several decades, Ben acted as
treasurer for 19 years.
Gary Arant
Friend of Agriculture
Presented to an individual not engaged
in farming who has made significant
contributions to the well being of
agriculture in San Diego County.
In his capacity as general manager
of the Valley Center Municipal Water
District and as a director of the
San Diego County Water Authority,
Gary has been a leading voice
for differential water pricing for
agriculture.
Jeff Rossman
San Diego Grown 365 Award
Presented to an individual or firm that
personifies the connection between
locally produced farm products and
the members of the San Diego County
community.
As the Author of From Terra’s Table
and as the owner of Terra Restaurant
and Catering, Jeff has been an
advocate for the use of local farm
products
Michael Anthony Mellano
Past President
Mike will be recognized for his service
as Farm Bureau president from 20092011.
❧
FFA Ag-tivities
Escondido FFA
T
his year the Escondido FFA held
its third annual Agriculture
Introduction Night. The purpose
of this evening was to inform first year
members and parents of the benefits of
agriculture education and the National
FFA Organization. We had over 27
informational booths that range from
SAE (Supervised Agriculture Experience)
project ideas, Judging Teams Offered,
Leadership Teams, Committees, and
chapter activities the new students can
be involved in. The night was a huge
success and many new parents were
surprised to find out what an agriculture
program is all about. We hope next year's
event will be a great success as well.
The theme of the Escondido FFA Chapter
this year is "Let The Good Times Roll".
Because Prop T passed in the city of
Escondido, our chapter received a
complete remodel of our agriculture
department and a partial remodel of our
school farm. Construction on the new
building started December of 2009 and
was completed in early August 2010,
in time for the beginning of the school
year. Our new agriculture department
has two brand new agricultural science
classrooms and an expanded, state-ofthe-art mechanics shop. At the farm we
will soon be building a new swine barn
and a new lamb barn for our students
SAE Projects. For the past two years, we
have adjusted to the changes and found
ourselves working out the kinks. The
lamb and swine barn have been put on
hold for some time so that the district
can work out the funding issues.
Our chapter had over 75 Animals and
66 students participate in the Livestock
Market Show at the San Diego County
Fair. Our members raised 27 pigs, 25
lambs, 5 goats, 9 steers, and 9 turkeys.
All our animals received blue ribbons
and went through auction. We also had
a few champions-Katie Kintz received
Reserve Champion Hampshire for
swine, and Louie DiAngelis received
Reserve Champion Yorkshire Swine. Nicki
Alderman placed FFA Reserve Champion
6
FFA officers name from left to right is, Christian Itzaina (Reporter), Connor Wilson (Vice President),
Tanner Stephan (Vice President), Ciara Murillo (President), Nicole Booten (Historian), Sierra Straw
(Treasurer), Kaysia Pajita (Sentinel), & Nicole Alderman (Secretary)
and Cross Bred Champion. Jamie Fox
won FFA Grand Champion and Reserve
Champion overall for lambs. Katelyn
O'Brien and Sarah Jackson both went in
to compete in Masters Showmanship.
Jenna Schmitt won Bred N Fed
Champion as Top Breeder for breeding
her own goats and selling them as fair
projects to other members. To top it all
off, Melissa Moe won Reserve Champion
Turkey.
Escondido FFA is also upholding our
strong tradition of successful judging
teams. This year we will compete in
Floriculture, Horse Judging, Livestock
Judging, Farm Power, and Best Informed
Greenhand. We are also very excited
for our leadership teams-Opening and
Closing, Parliamentary Procedure, Job
Interview, Creed, Extemporaneous and
Prepared Public Speaking. Last year they
were very successful with both of our
Parliamentary Procedure team moving
on to the state competition. ❧
Escondido HS FFA
Wish List
Nursery, Floral, & Garden Supplies:
Cash register, plant label maker,
office supplies, refrigerator for eggs
& produce,cinder blocks, soil mixer or
cement mixer, garden gloves, shovels,
rakes, or hoes, vases, baskets , floral
containers, ribbon , recycled nursery
pots.
Science Equipment:
Microscopes, slides, vet. supplies
Livestock:
Flat digital scale, shears, tarps ,
sponsors for livestock projects, buyers
for livestock projects.
Mechanic Shop:
Horse shoes, plumbing for gas lines,
tool cabinets, empty 50 gallon metal
drums, roll around toolboxs, flat bed
trailer.
Misc.
Barn donations, farm buildings,
leadership conference sponsors.
Contact: Marc Reyburn, Escondido
High FFA, 760-291-4069 or email
mreyburn@euhsd.k12.ca.us.
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
From the Agricultural Commissioner
Pests Spread by Firewood: “Buy It Where You Burn It”
From Lisa Leondis Agricultural Commissioner
Sealer of Weights and Measures
D
id you know the San Diego County Agricultural Commissioner’s activities extend beyond agriculture to include forest
pests, including those transported in firewood? This is true in the case of gold-spotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus
(GSOB), a devastating new pest found damaging oaks in San Diego County. GSOB has no effective natural enemies and
has wrecked havoc on the oaks of Pine Valley, Guatay, Descanso, Julian, and Southern Cleveland National Forest. This beetle is also
attacking oaks in Dos Picos County Park in Ramona, Louis Stelzer County Park near Lakeside, and Marian Bear Memorial Park in
the City of San Diego. In addition to the concern over spreading pests in firewood, weakened and dying trees cause tremendous
practical concerns for private citizens and public agencies in terms of cost for removal and intensified fire risk.
Many affected oaks are in environmentally sensitive areas. Initially, the County became involved with GSOB in response to
concerns over the potential misuse of pesticides that were being used to control the beetle. The County then partnered with
the GSOB Steering Committee and our role has grown to include regular outreach and education efforts. There are currently no
statewide laws regulating the movement of firewood and no state declared quarantine for this pest.
Scientists from the U.S. Forest Service, University of California, and CAL FIRE have taken the lead in mapping and tracking the
distribution of GSOB in an effort to determine the most susceptible trees and to develop management methods. The beetle is
found in Arizona and is thought to have been brought to San Diego in firewood. These three agencies have begun characterizing
GSOB’s natural enemies both from Arizona and a closely related beetle in Mexico. Unfortunately, bio-control options will take
years to develop. GSOB larvae may live up to two years in the bark of a felled and chopped tree, allowing perfect conditions for
the larvae to be unintentionally transported in firewood to destinations where the adults will emerge and begin anew.
The best defined management technique to date is to tub grind infested trees down to one to two inch particle sizes. The best
option, and our key message, is “Don’t Move Infested Oak Firewood” and “Buy It Where You Burn It” to prevent the transport of
GSOB out of infested areas.
There are no simple solutions to the GSOB infestation but together we can get the word out and make a difference. A website
www.gsob.org has been created by the University of California to provide current information on management methods, maps
of infested areas, GSOB information and to keep the general public, professional arborists, and firewood dealers in the loop. The
California Firewood Task Force works to unify northern and southern Californians to address the insect and disease problems
associated with firewood movement. Their website is at www.firewood.ca.gov. We can all take an active role in preventing the
spread of pests and diseases in firewood! ❧
Welcome New Agricultural Members
7
David Adler
Samuel Maldonado Zarraga Sunsoar Properties
Kurt Bantle
Edgardo E. Marifosque
Edward Thacher
John T. Caney
Hindu Nanziri
Patricia Townsend
Isaac Izadi
Pinery Christmas Trees Inc
Valley Center Growers Inc
John B. Kidwell
Cynthia Poma
Weston Valley Center LLC
Margaret Kreusser
Pete Prestininzi
Dan Wireman
Francisco Leon
Corliss Roenicke
Margaret Zivelonghi
Rina Liles
Robert S. Sadler
Joe Magdic
John Snow
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
President’s Club vital to Farm Bureau
M
ore than 60 Farm Bureau
Agricultural members have
been generous over the years
through their participation in the
President’s Club. These supporters
voluntarily pay $400 per year for their
Farm Bureau membership instead
of the standard $215 rate. With only
32 percent of Farm Bureau’s income
coming from the dues paid by
Agricultural members, the President’s
Club is a very effective fund-raising tool
that supports the organization’s efforts
as the strongest voice for local farmers.
Recently the Board of Directors
decided to expand the opportunity
for members to give Farm Bureau an
extra boost. The President’s Club has
been modified to include inclining tiers
that will give participants options for
even greater levels of support. The
new lineup will be as follows, with the
standard rate remaining at $400:
President’s Club Bronze. . . . $ 400
President’s Club Silver. . . . . $ 700
President’s Club Gold. . . . . . $1000
President’s Club Platinum $2500 and up
Members wishing to join the
President’s Club or current participants
who would like to increase their level
of giving can call the Farm Bureau
office at 760-745-3023 and the
change will appear on the next annual
membership dues notice.
President’s Club Platinum
Pauma Valley Citrus
Buena Vista Farms
Premier Color Nursery
Carltas Company
Protea USA
Donnie Dabbs
Robin C. Parsky
Lizbeth A. Ecke
Lynne V. Villalobos
John G. Forester
Rua M. Petty
CF Farming
R.E. Badger & Son
Chandler Ranch
River Mountain Ranch
Cocopah Nurseries
Rote Greenouse
DP Durling Orchard
S & K Land & Cattle Co LLC
Dramm Echter Fox Point Farms
Sky Valley Ranch LLC
Evergreen Nursery
Stehly Enterprises
Fluegge Egg Ranch
Stehly Farms Organics
Harry Singh & Sons
Stehly Grove Management
Hilliker's Ranch Fresh Eggs
Sunlet Nursery Inc
Ingwersen Nursery Inc.
The Bridges Golf Club
JD Farms
Trical Inc
Triple B. Ranch
Jaime Serrato, Sr.
Jeff Chandler
Duane L. Young
Donald R. Durling
Robert Echter
Mark L. Collins
August Fluegge
Krishna Singh
Frank I. Hilliker
Jane Ingwersen
James D. Pardee, Jr.
Kents Bromeliad Nursery
Jeffrey Kent
Lyall Enterprises Inc
Warren Lyall
Maranatha Lemon Ranch
Charles E. Badger, Sr.
Mellano & Company
Michael A. Mellano
Charles E. Badger
Burnet B. Wohlford
Michael Rote
Eric Kroesche
Michael S. Dillon
Jerome J. Stehly
Noel Stehly
Albert T Stehly
Janet Kister
Mike Hathaway
Gary A. Broomell
Tulloch Family Partners
Margaret Drown
Tulloch Family Partners
William T. H. Tulloch
Tulloch Ranches
Benjamin W. Tulloch
Van Ommering Dairy
Rancho Guejito
Mountain Meadow Mushroom
President’s Club Bronze
Obra Verde Growers
Vessels Ranch
Olive Hill Greenhouse
Village Nurseries
Olson Avocado Management
Western Cactus Growers Inc
Pala Rey Ranch
Wollam Grove Management Inc
Hank Rupp
Altman Plants Inc
Ken Altman
Am-Sod Inc
Floyd Wirthlin
B.A.P. Nursery, Inc.
Willi Voelker
Barcelo Enterprises Inc
Rosa Barcelo
BLV Agribusniess Consultants
Bob L. Vice
Botanical Partners
Ralph J. Evans
8
Briggs Tree Co Inc
Robert Crouch
Joe Walker
Tony Godfrey
Steve Olson
Rodney D. Guild
Pankey Farms
Victor Pankey
Pardee Tree Nursery
Lauren Davis
Paul Ecke Ranch
Paul Ecke, III
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
David E. Van Ommering
Frank Vessels
Mike Babineau
Thomas Britsch
Mark H. Wollam
Wylie FLP Compton Family Trust
Jan Wylie Compton
Woody Barnes
Jackie Frahm
Victoria Higgins
James C. Roberts
Crop of the Month: Apples
Board member, Woody Barnes, has a long
family history of raising apples in Julian.
He was glad to answer our questions about
apple production in the hills of San Diego
County and also provide a bit of Julian
history.
Acres grown in San Diego: 286
San Diego crop value: $271,414
Numbers taken from the County of
San Diego, Department of Agriculture,
Weights and Measures 2010 Crop
Statistics and Annual Report
Apples and Pears have been planted
in Julian since shortly after gold was
discovered in the 1870's. Almost every
homestead had a family orchard. In the
early days any surplus fruit was taken to
San Diego by horse and wagon and sold
for cash or traded for sugar, flour, coffee
and other items not grown locally.
Starting in the early 1900's a few of the
orchards (including ours) were enlarged
and consolidated into what was a
commercial scale in those days. The
hay day of orchards in Julian was from
about 1940 until the mid 1970's with
approximately 200 acres in production.
Fruit was distributed throughout the San
Diego region, and cider as far as Long
Beach and Phoenix. Then with the rise
and consolidation of chain stores, local
growers could not provide the large
quantities required. Therefore, roadside
sales became the outlets of choice, and
remain so today, leading to smaller
orchard operations.
There has been a constant evolution
in varieties grown, with most ranches
trying to have varieties that ripen from
Mid August until early November. At
present some of the varieties grown (in
approximate order of ripening) include
Julian Duchess, Jon Grimes, Paula
Red, Jonathan, Gala, Golden Delicious,
Red Delicious, Fuji, Rome Beauty,
Newtown Pippin, and Granny Smith. One
interesting side note is that until about
1980 Julian raised far more pears than
apples.
Historically, until the end of World War II
all the orchards were dry farmed, leaving
them at the mercy of our irregular
rainfall. The trees were widely spaced
and the ground clean cultivated to
conserve moisture. Even today most of
the orchards receive only a small amount
of irrigation due to limited water in the
area. This leads to lower production, but
higher soluble solids in smaller tasty fruit.
In addition to the water shortage, spring
frosts are a regular threat early in the
season, and Santa Ana winds can blow
off the nearly mature fruit in the fall. The
most serious insect pest is the codling
moth, and the most regular fungus
problem is mildew.
On a personal note, my maternal
grandfather, Martin Jacobs, came to
9
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
1955: Alice Barnes making Apple Pie.
Julian in the 1880's as a miner. He soon
had a family orchard in what is now
Kentwood that stayed in the family until
around 1960. My paternal grandfather,
E.Y. Bames began to lease our home
place in either 1904 or 1905, and bought
it in 1916. My dad and mom, Franklin
and Alice Bames, enlarged our Manzanita
Ranch until from the 1940's until the
1970' s we had over 100 acres of orchard.
Then we shrank to our present size of
about 25 acres. Our family ran a retail
store, fruit stand and cider plant from
1942 until 2000. Since then we have only
sold wholesale to other local outlets. ❧
Oil Spill Plan
On October 18, 2011, the U.S. EPA extended the date for
farms to prepare or amend their Spill Prevention, Control and
Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans to May 10, 2013.
Farms and ranches in operation before August 16, 2002,
must maintain and continue implementing an SPCC Plan
in accordance with the SPCC regulations that have been in
effect since 1974. Farms are required to maintain plans during
the interim until the compliance date for amending and
implementing the amended plans. The date extension does not
relieve farms from the liability of any oil spills that occur.
What are the compliance dates for farms?
A Farm starting operation...
Must...
On or before August 16, 2002
Maintain its existing SPCC
Plan. Amend and implement
the amended SPCC Plan no
later than May 10, 2013
After August 16, 2002
through May 10, 2013
Prepare and implement an
SPCC Plan no later than May
10, 2013
After May 10, 2013
Prepare and implement an
SPCC Plan before beginning
operations
A brief overview of what you need to know for your agricultural
operation about petroleum and non-petroleum oil products
storage is outlined below and in additional attached
documents.
* Please note: Federal definition of oil: Diesel fuel, gasoline, lube
oil, hydraulic oil, adjuvant oil, crop oil, vegetable oil, oil from nuts,
seeds or animal fat.
What should you do if you don’t have a Plan?
1. Develop your SPCC plan:
• If your farm was in operation before August 16, 2002 and
you do not already have an SPCC Plan in place, you must
prepare a plan. If you have an SPCC plan in place you must
maintain or amend your existing plan by May 10, 2013
and keep a copy on site.
• If your farm began operation after August 16, 2002, you
must develop, certify and implement an SPCC Plan on or
before May 10, 2013.
• Your Plan must be amended and updated when changes
are made to the farm, i.e. if you add new storage
containers or purchase or lease parcels with containers
that can contain 55 gallons or more. You must review and
amend your Plan every five years to make sure it includes
any changes in oil storage at your farm.
2. Certify your SPCC plan:
• You may use the SPCC Plan Tier I or II template available
on the California Farm Bureau website:
http://www.cfbf.com/issues/index.cfm
• Or you may need to have a certified Professional Engineer
prepare your SPCC plan if your farm has storage capacity
of more than 10,000 gallons or has had an oil spill.
US EPA – Spill Prevention, Control and
Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan
3. Retain your SPCC plan with your records at the site of your
operations. Do not send your completed plan to US EPA.
The federal SPCC program is to prevent *oil spills into waters
of the United States and adjoining shorelines. Farms, nurseries,
logging and construction sites are not exempt under the
federal SPCC regulations and are required to develop, certify
and implement an SPCC Plan if:
For additional information regarding the SPCC plan
requirements for farms, secondary containment, Tier I & Tier II
self-certification templates, check the U.S. EPA SPCC website:
http://www.epa.gov/oem/content/spcc/spcc_extfarms.htm
•
The farm stores, transfers, uses, or consumes *oil or *oil
products; and
•
The farm stores more than 1,320 gallons in aboveground
containers of 55 gallons or greater or
more than 42,000 gallons in completely
buried containers (Adjacent or nonadjacent parcels, either leased or owned,
may be considered separate facilities for
SPCC purposes do not need to be added
together in determining whether the
1,320-gallon applicability threshold is
met); and
•
If the tanks could reasonably be expected
to discharge oil to waters of the US or
adjoining shorelines, such as interstate
waters, intrastate lakes, rivers, and
streams.
10
Contact Andrea Fox at the California Farm Bureau:
916-446-4647. ❧
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
You Can Count
on Health Net
Simple, affordable solutions that meet your needs and your budget
With more than three decades as a top health care plan provider, we’ve developed
products and programs that deliver straightforward costs without compromise
of quality, simplicity or value.
Health Net health coverage is a benefit of Farm Bureau membership.1 Our
strong community ties help us to understand the California marketplace and
quickly respond to the needs of our Farm Bureau insureds.
Call your authorized Health Net agent, or contact our Member Services, and
discover how we make health care work for you! 1-800-909-3447, option 2;
www.healthnet.com
Christian Aparicio,
Health Net
We make health care
easy to understand.
1California Farm Bureau Members’ Health Insurance Plans are underwritten by Health Net Life Insurance Company.
Health Net Life Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Health Net, Inc. Health Net is a registered service mark of Health Net, Inc.
Farm Bureau and the Farm Bureau logo are registered service marks of the American Farm Bureau Federation, used under license by
Health Net Life Insurance Company. All rights reserved.
11
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
Feeding America San Diego
Feeding America San Diego, a member of the national Feeding America Network and San Diego's leading county-wide Food Bank,
works to feed the hungry within our community, to advocate for those whose own voice is unheard, and to educate those who can make
a difference.
Since Feeding America San Diego's founding in late 2007, we have been providing food and grocery essentials to our local
communities through what has grown to be a county-wide network of more than 190 nonprofit hunger-relief organizations.
Last year alone, Feeding America San Diego distributed 16.2 million pounds of food - the equivalent of 13.5 million meals - to over
435,000 people.
But more needs to be done. With 29% of San Diego County residents economically distressed as a result of high unemployment,
natural disasters, and other hardships, it would take an estimated 80 million more pounds of food to end hunger within our local
communities.
You can help! As a local grower, farmer, or rancher, you can be a vital source of healthy, nutritious food to those who need it most.
Also, by donating to Feeding America San Diego, not only will you be helping your community, you will also be helping yourself
by reducing waste, increasing sustainability, improving efficiency, and cutting your costs!
Of course, while we realize that donations may be infrequent, our pledge to you is that - if and when you ever have excess or "unsaleable" product - we can be there to pick up from your location within 24-48 hours. We have five refrigerated trucks on the road
six days a week, serving the county from corner to corner.
And as you help us, we can help you! Donating is easy, smart, cost-effective, and the right thing to do!
So if you've ever wondered if there's a good home for your good food, we're happy to let you know that, just as you help us, we
can help you!
Please consider donating to Feeding America San Diego: It's a win-win-win situation!
For more information, please feel free to contact Paul Hammans at (858) 401-3105 or phammans@feedingamerica.org.
Thank you!
12
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
I’m Glad to be a Farm Bureau member
because. . .
I’m glad to be a member because there
is no other organization as intensely
focused on San Diego County, State
and Federal issues affecting the diverse
farmers in this region than Farm
Bureau. The breadth of knowledge,
professionalism and capabilities among
the members, board and staff gives me
complete confidence that they are ready,
willing and able to tackle the tough issues
we find before us as farmers. I am proud
to be a member.
Mike A. Mellano
Mellano & Company
13
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
Meet Your Board Members
Vic Pankey
Vic Pankey is the focus of this month’s Meet Your Board Member feature. He serves on the
SDCFB Board of Directors representing Agriculture and Information.
What do you produce?
We primarily produce avocados and Valencia oranges. We also have some mandarin
oranges (Satsuma and Kinnow) and low-chill apples.
Tell us a little about your business.
This ranch started in the late 1940's as a cattle (primarily cow-calf ) operation, based
on irrigated permanent pasture. Over the years, the higher ground was planted to
avocados and lower areas to citrus.
What is your business background?
I am one of the fourth generation of Pankeys farming in this area. My greatgrandfather came to California on horseback from Illinois and began producing
honey on the O'Neil ranch (now Camp Pendleton). My grandfather planted walnuts
and oranges on Irvine Company land as a sharecropper and developed his own
orchards as he became more successful.
After WWII, dad and my uncle purchased the Cooper ranch here near Bonsall. As
I was growing up I changed a lot of sprinkler pipe in the pastures and planted a
lot of the oranges and avocados on the hillsides. The pastures were converted to
bean ground as the cattle deal wound down. During the 70's and 80's I expanded the bean plantings to the west of our location
growing both standard Lima and blackeye beans. New varieties of heat-tolerant bean plants made the central valley more
competitive in bean production and the handlers in Irvine and Santa Ana where we sold our beans moved out, and we ceased
production. That was a big reduction in my operations to where I now manage only the tree fruits.
What are some favorite hobbies and activities of yours?
My hobby and major non-work activity is Argentine Tango. My wife, Elena, and I dance
in shows and have taught and danced on cruise ships and cities all over the world. We
will be celebrating Halloween in Puerto Rico this year, attending a world Argentine
Tango conference. Check out our website: http://www.TangoCaminito.com. For
more, take a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maDT8hMbQOM. ❧
FOX WEATHER, LLC
Meteorological consulting for agriculture





Satellite rain analysis
Fruit frost program
Delivery by Internet, fax, or e-mail
30-day/seasonal outlook
Forecast maps of rain (Mountain RT)
Phone (805) 469-1368
Fax: (707) 725-9380
www.foxweather.com
726 13th St., Suite A, Fortuna, CA 95540
14
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
Farm Bureau
Working for You
November 2011
99 Represented Encinitas growers
at general plan workshop
99 Participated in first meeting
of county’s Purchase of
Agricultural Conservation
Easement Program Advisory
Committee
99 Conducted second annual San
Diego County Farm Tour Day
99 Attended Food Day event
99 Met with U.S. Fish & Wildlife
officials on conservation issues
99 Helped with SD Ag in the
Classroom’s Teacher Resource
Fair
99 Worked with Ramona and
Escondido growers on water
pricing issues
CULTIVATING GROWERS
GTASB-B-S2_11
15
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
discharge. If you don't, by the time a case
comes to trial, the only manager who
knows the situation may have long since
moved on.
Terminations Done Right
Y
ou have an employee who
is unsuited to the job, is
insubordinate, or refuses to
interact appropriately with fellow
employees. When it becomes apparent
that termination is in order, how do you
do that without creating even bigger
problems, like a discrimination claim?
Get specialized advice from an expert.
Rely on any specialized members your
management team, like your HR director
or a human resources consultant (such as
a FELS Labor Management Consultant),
who may be better able than you to
judge the appropriate action. Hopefully,
these professionals will be familiar with
your past practices, they will know what
legal requirements are for discrimination
and retaliation, and should be aware of
any other relevant information, such as
a recent claim by the worker against the
company.
Do everything you can to create at least
the appearance that the decision was
reached and executed with care and
forethought.
A cooperative decision among your
senior management, particularly if this
is carefully documented, will allow you
to demonstrate later to a third party
that you did your due diligence and did
not act in haste. If the decision is made
by a single supervisor or manager, a
plaintiff's attorney might be able to
convince a judge, jury or arbitrator that
the decision was self-serving, emotional,
or retaliatory.
Make sure you have layers of people in
your company who are familiar with the
situation.
Lawsuits can drag on for years; members
of your management team will come and
go. Be sure multiple members of your
management team understand how
and why you reached the decision to
Thank You
Farm Bureau Volunteers
Thanks to the Farm Bureau members listed below who helped
out at Farm Tour Day farms
Matheson Ranch – Malcolm Matheson
Mountain Meadow Mushroom – Gary Crouch
Oasis Water Efficient Gardens – Ken & Deena Altman
Stone Farms – Stone Brewing, managed by Mil Krecu
Sunshine Mountain Vineyard – Ed & Claire Kruger
Western Cactus – Hans & Gretl Britsch
and
Glenn Drown for providing bottled water for the event
16
Site Captains
Volunteers
Janet Kister
Julie Walker
Debbie Broomell
Lisa Stehly
Cathey Anderson
Fred Ceballos
David Drucker
Jessica Anderson
Joe Walker
Leah Krecu
Ron Powell
Lisa Leondis
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
Be careful, be thorough, and remember
the details.
Discharging an employee is always
difficult. Senior management must fight
the temptation to cut corners to "get
it over with," because this can lead to
errors such as failing to document what
you're doing and why you're doing it, or
consulting all the expertise available to
you.
Requirements under California law
for giving the final paycheck to an
employee often trips up employers.
No matter whether an employee is
being discharged or is resigning on at
least 72 hours' notice, the law requires
the employee be paid all wages due
immediately when the employment
ends. (Where an employee does not give
at least 72 hours' notice of intent to quit,
final wages must be paid within 72 hours
after employment ends.) If you get this
wrong, you may be slapped with costly
penalties under the California Labor
Code.
Also be sure you are ready for other
questions that will arise in the context of
a termination, including any severance
you intend to give and questions about
unemployment insurance. Be ready
to give a departing employee a copy
of the Employment Development
Department's publication DE 2320, For
Your Benefit: California's Programs for
the Unemployed.
The gripe of a single disgruntled former
employee can grow into a class-action
lawsuit that can take years and huge
sums of money to resolve.
This article is provided courtesy of the Farm Employers
Labor Service (FELS), an affiliated company of the
California Farm Bureau Federation. FELS provides
labor-management consultation, union avoidance,
human resources education, compliance materials
and products and workplace safety and health
training for agricultural employers throughout
California and Oregon. For more information about
FELS, please contact FELS Chief Operating Officer
Bryan Little at 800-753-9073, at blittle@fels.net or
visit FELS’ website: www.fels.net.
❧
Business Supporting Member Focus
Whole Foods Market
W
hole Foods Market local producers and farmers are rock stars! Their creativity and ingenuity are a constant source
of inspiration to us. That's why in 2007 we launched the first-of-a-kind Local Producer Loan Program (LPLP), which
provides up to $10 million in low-interest loans to small, local producers. We truly believe in supporting local farmers
and producers and want to help in meaningful ways, like our loan program, which provides a way to grow local businesses and
helps us bring more local products to market. We're proud to support small suppliers who need a hand to make their dreams a
reality.
For 2011, we have given out 37 loans. Since the program began, we have given 110 loans to 96 companies! We are always actively
seeking more applicants. The hard-working growers and producers we support breathe life into our stores with their unique
products and interesting stories. Our ability to buy so locally to each of our markets also gives each of our stores its own character
and flavor. And, one element of supporting local business that means a tremendous amount to us is that we're helping to keep
money in the pockets of growers right in the communities we serve.
Loans range from $1,000 to $100,000 and can be used in a variety of ways, such as purchasing more animals, investing in new
equipment or converting to organic production. We minimize the fees, interest rates and paperwork that can often get in the way
of a small local farm or business taking the next step to expand its operations.
Stories of Local San Diego Loan Recipients: From ranchers and beekeepers to ice cream makers and bakers, they all have
wonderfully unique experiences to share. If you are a local producer yourself, check out the information provided here about our
local loan program www.wholefoodsmarket.com/values/local-producer-loan-program.php. Here are a couple of our local San
Diego recipients:
• NuttZo http://gonuttzo.com
• Whale Tails http://www.whaletailschips.com
San Diego Farmers - we want you for our local growers task force! If you are looking to expand your business and want to work
with a retail outlet that supports the local movement, we'd love to have you join our local growers task force. We meet every other
month at Stone Brewery in Escondido. For more information please contact our local forager: don.nishiguchi@wholefoods.com
SDCFB Voluntary Contributions
As a member of San Diego County Farm Bureau each year you receive in the mail your membership renewal notice. Chances
are you take a glance, note the dues amount in bold type, sign the check and move to the next item on your to do list. This
year, take a closer look at your renewal notice. Do you see that list of voluntary contributions directly below your standard dues
amount? Those check-offs are opportunities for you to make donations directly to a specific project that SDCFB is working on.
Scholarship Fund
Each year college students from San Diego County who are pursuing degrees in agriculture or a closely related field are eligible
to apply for a scholarship. These students represent the future of farming in our community. The Scholarship Fund was set up
to help the best and brightest meet their educational goals and is administered by San Diego Ag in the Classroom.
SDCFB Legal Fund
Occasions arise when San Diego County Farm Bureau must take the lead in challenging land-use decisions or regulatory
burdens that are direct threats to farming in our county. Those efforts can require the retention of professional or legal
assistance beyond the resources of SDCFB’s income from dues and special events. The SDCFB Legal Fund is tapped to support
those efforts only after careful consideration by the SDCFB board of directors.
SDCFB Building and Improvement Fund
The San Diego County Farm Bureau building was constructed in 1961 and purchased by SDCFB in 1968. As with a building of
any age, investments must be made in maintenance and occasional improvements. SDCFB has also been recently considering
moving its office to a new location. While proceeds from the sale of the current building, which SDCFB owns free and clear,
would primarily finance a relocation, additional funding would likely be needed.
Fund to Protect the Family Farm
To strengthen the voice of the agricultural community in the public policy arena, California Farm Bureau Federation established
the California Farm Bureau Fund to Protect the Family Farm (FARM PACsm). FARM PAC raises funds to support the candidates of
any party affiliation who are committed to working for the best interests of California agriculture.
17
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
AG
CRIME
REPORT
Agriculture Related Crimes from
August 20th – September 20th
8/20 Petty Theft-Fruit Grove: Steel
6” x 10” irrigation pipe from fruit grower
15000 Block Highway 76 Valley Center
Method of Entry: Drove truck onto
property Est Loss: $500 Evidence/
Suspect Information: Dark colored Ford
Explorer
10/15 & 17
Grand Theft-Nursery:
36” Tree Box Dolly 17-15 gallon Canary
Island Palm Trees 15-Mediterranean
Fan Palm Trees, 3000 Block Oleander
Ave. Vista Unincorporated. Method of
Entry: Cut chain on access road-suspect
repaired chain with engine spring. Est
Loss: $3120 . Evidence/Witnesses:
None
10/15 & 17
Petty Theft-Farmer’s
Market: Miscellaneous food items from
conex box 3000 Block Oleander Ave.
Vista Unincorporated Method of Entry:
Cut chain on access road-conex box
emptied. Est Loss: $141. Evidence/
Witnesses: None
10/17 & 18
Grand Theft-Nursery:
Air compressor, rusted green handtruck,
Gardenia Vietchii plants, Azalea Formosa
plants, and Zalea Alaska plants-2400
Block San Pasquel Valley Rd.- Escondido
Unincorporated Method of Entry: Cut
fence in several places, defeated locks.
Est Loss: $4587. Evidence/Witnesses:
None
10/19 Grand Theft- Fruit Stand: Took
cases of avocados and other assorted
food items, Pala Rd, Fallbrook Method
of Entry: Kicked wood panel out from
rear of fruit stand. Est Loss: $2164.
Evidence/Witnesses: None
Crime Prevention Tips of the Month:
‘‘ Report crimes or suspicious activity
immediately to Sheriff’s Dispatch
24/7/365 (See information box
below)
‘‘ Request Extra Patrol when crops
mature and are ready to be
picked ‘‘ Look into low cost trail cameras with
no flash infrared digital pictures day
or night for surveillance
‘‘ Report roadside stands to the local
Sheriff’s Station or Substation and
advise B.J.
‘‘ Take photographs of your property,
equipment with serial or other
identifying marks, and workers.
Sheriff’s Dispatch 24/7/365
9-1-1 Life in danger or crime in progress
(858) 565-5200 (Countywide)
(760) 749-1303 Valley Center
(760)728-1113 Fallbrook/Vista
(760) 751-4408 B.J. Williams
Crime Prevention Requests for Service
Farm Bureau members
qualify for exclusive discounts
on General Motors vehicles.
The discounts include a $500 manufacturer incentive
on a purchase or lease at participating dealers. Fleet
vehicles also qualify for the $500 incentive.
The partnership features Chevrolet cars and trucks, GMC
trucks and Buick cars as part of the GM Vehicle Incentive
Program. There is no limit to the number of vehicles that
may be bought or leased using the incentive.
To be eligible for the discount, customers must have
been members of a county Farm Bureau in California for
a minimum of 60 days, based on the delivery date of the
vehicle.
See our information guide (http://cfbf.com/benefits/
pdf/informationguide.pdf) for a list of the models
available and full program rules.
18
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
Classified Advertising
Farm Bureau membership includes one free, four-line ad in this classified advertising section each month. Call (760) 745-3023
e-mail SDCFB@sdfarmbureau.org to reserve ad space.
Trees & Plants
Protea Plants  We have thousands of Protea
plants, Protea, Leucodendrons, Leucospermums
available for planting now. Large variety
and reasonable prices. Wholesale only.
proteahillsranch@sbcglobal.net (760) 741-5516.
Sago palms  in 5-gal pots $25 ea; 20-gal pots
$60 ea. Call Jack Brouwer @
(760) 749-5897 or cell (760) 212-5192 or
jackbro@pacbell.net for pictures.
Bamboo, palms & other exotics  20% discount
to Farm Bureau members. (760) 758-6181 or
BotanicalPartners.com.
Palms  and other plants, all at discount
prices. Cold hardy, wide selection. Call James
at (760) 749-9375.
COLD HARDY & RARE PALMS  Lowest prices
available. Many varieties to choose from—call
James @ 760-749-9375
Mexican blue fan palms  Brahea armata; 15
gal. pots $15. Avail. in Jamul. (619) 890-7965.
Succulents Wanted  Re-wholesaler looking
for all sizes, varieties Echevaria, Sedum, Aloe,
Agave, etc. Mark, Cardiff Greenhouses. (949)
376-1563 or Miguel at (760) 942-3552.
Protea seed starter packs  Protea flower
bouquets & Protea botanical prints shipped
anywhere in the US. www.capeflowerfields.com
Soil & Soil Amendments
Locally produced fertilizer  from biosolids at
Fallbrook Public Utility District. Classified by
the EPA as Class A EQ soil amendment. Can
be used just like any commercial fertilizer.
Slow release nitrogen fertilizer; properties
similar to Milorganite, a highly concentrated
soil amendment. $20 a ton. jeff@fpud.com or
760-728-1125
Stockalper Soils  Premium topsoil, compost,
nursery mixes, planter mixes, organic
fertilizers, mulches, bark, etc. Call Eb (760)
801-5664.
Mushroom compost  Consistent, formulated,
homogenous product. High water & nutrient
holding capacity; weed free. No nitrogen
draw down problems; supports plant growth.
A great natural soil amendment.
(760) 749-1201.
FREE Mulch  Poway. Good for water
retention & weed control. (858) 748-6524.
Land to Buy/Sell/Lease
Farmer’s units  available in Chula Vista for
immediate occupancy. For more information
please call (619) 429-9613
For lease  10 acres citrus all or part with
good well. Fruit on trees 760-749-0858 or Cell
760-484-6761, flueggeggranch@yahoo.com
19
(760) 213-3903.
For sale or Lease  8 acres on Deer Springs Rd
in San Marcos, 2” meter listed mls# 090008204
(760) 815-0722 Bonnie
Bee hives  available for pollination–groves,
For Lease 100 Flat  plus 40 hillside acres of
Bees  looking for a place to put my bees.
great nursery or farmland. Great microclimate.
District and well water available. Contact
aleatherb@aol.com
For Sale  Bonsall- 3.96 Ac gentle land, water
meter and power $299,000 - Foreclosure – 14
Ac Vista Estate & Grove $589,000; Fallbrook
– 13+ Ac Hass grove with well $169,000; Call
Kay O’Hara, Sunshine Properties 760-2070562
Wanted, grove properties to lease, no grove
too small; citrus only. (760) 749-3330.
David@lemondropfarm.com
Wanted: Small grove  to lease (less than
5 ac); citrus, avos or mixed fruit. Ramona,
Escondido or San Marcos preferred.
(760) 788-9324.
Wanted, groves, land  and horse properties.
We have clients ready to buy. Jill Pettigrew
(Agent) (760) 468-1144 or office
(760) 451-1600.
Real Estate Services
Looking to lease your avocado grove?  Call
Conan at Harvest Time Produce for details.
760-473-1327 conan@harvesttimeproduce.com
Agricultural appraisal  of avocado
groves, citrus, cut flowers, dairies, ranches,
commercial and industrial in San Diego and
Riverside counties. Real estate appraisals
for financing, condemnation, litigation and
trusts. 40-year North County resident. Robert
Shea Perdue, MAI. (951) 694-6904, (760) 7416124 home office.
Services
Sustainable Vineyard Care  California
Environmental Protection Agency Agricultural
Pest Control Adviser License #120550.
Organic, Biodynamic, or conventional pest
and fertility management. Eight years
professional experience in San Luis Obispo,
Santa Barbara, Sonoma, and Napa counties
as a Viticulturist and PCA. B.S. in Viticulture
from California Polytechnic State University,
San Luis Obispo, CA. For Services Contact
VineyardCareSD@gmail.com
McDonald-Western  Grading for roads, home
sites, ponds, drainage, rip-rap, etc (760) 7498847 or Mike@McDonaldWestern.com
Licensed Architect  Code compliance,
violations, zoning, site plans, as builts,
permits, reasonable rates. (619) 221-1941
Banner’s Professional Weed Abatement 
Mowing and disking, brush clearing & fire
breaks. Insured. Free estimates.
Farm Bureau News  November 2011
wildlands, etc. (760) 731-6594.
If you have a grove or open space call John
(760) 473-8347
Avocado tree injection/phosphorous 
Professional application. Fights root rot. Geoff
Bamber (760) 728-6786.
Grove Roads, grading & cleanup  Licensed
Contractor, (760) 451-1788.
Daniel’s Farm Services  Grading, excavation,
grove clearing. (760) 731-2504.
Nursery & grove equip.  trailers, carts, grates,
etc. Build to your specs or we design. Also
equip. repair. Richard (760) 723-0533.
Diesel service & repair  trucks, trailers, farm
equip. & RVs. References avail.
(760) 801-7858.
Horse shoeing  and trimming in San Diego
County. (619) 478-9070.
Grinding/chipping  Industrial capacity
horizontal grinder w/operator for rent.
Optional front loader operator avail. Green
waste, land clearing, C&D material. No job too
large. Call for rates. (858) 550-0919.
Gopher removal by ‘Gopher Ninja’.  Save your
farm or winery today by contacting www.
gopherninja.com or email gopherninjasd@
gmail.com
Farm Management
Professional, Profitable Avocado  Grove
Manager with over 34 years experience.
Consulting, management, design &
installation. Charley Wolk’s Bejoca Company
(760) 728-5176.
Sunrise Farms  packers of organic and
conventional citrus for 30 years and going
strong! Call for a quote on all citrus. Will help
certify organic. (760) 598-3276.
Grove manager  Grading, grove roads,
clearing, chipping using CAT D-6, D-2,
Morbark Chipper. Reasonable rates. John/
Fran-Bar Farms. (760) 451-1788.
Wanted
Retired and bored farmer wanted  as an
advisor for growing silage corn in Lakeside.
Call Rob @ 619-933-7427
Firewood  avocado, oak, citrus.
(760) 747-3434.
Miscellaneous
Quality 3-way forage horse hay 
(760) 749-1491. Ask for Debbie.
Tango Caminito Dance School  Lessons and
shows. Elena Pankey www.TangoCaminito.com.
Presorted Standard
U.S. POSTAGE
San Diego County Farm Bureau
1670 E. Valley Parkway
Escondido, CA 92027-2409
PAID
San Diego, CA
Permit No. 751
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Don’t Miss the Celebration!
Farm Bureau’s
2011 Farmer of the Year & Awards Dinner
Honoring
Bob Crouch
Thursday, November 17, 2011
California Center for the Arts, Escondido
Cocktails at 6 pm, Dinner at 7 pm
$70 per person
Deadline to purchase tickets Thursday, November 10
Call 760-745-3023 or register online at www.sdfarmbureau.org/FOY