SMALL FARM CENTER • COOPERATIVE EXTENSION • UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Small Farm News

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SUMMER 1998

IN THIS ISSUE

Outreach ProjectsSpan State

Growing Red andWhite Currants

1 Outreach Projects

Red and White Currants

2 Director's Message

3 Program News

6 Diverse Operations

8 Letter to the Editor

10 Farm Safety

11 Calendar

12 Recipes

Manuel Jimenez chats with co-host Stella Romo Ribes rubrum, Ribes sativum, andRibes petraeum are members of theSaxifragaceae (saxifrage) family.

Red and white currants are essentiallythe same fruit, differing only in color. Cul-tivars come from combinations of threemain species of Ribes, all of them decidu-ous shrubs. Ribes rubrum is an uprightshrub found from northern Europe to Si-beria and Manchuria. Ribes sativum (R.vulgare), which includes the large-fruitedCherry cultivar, is a spreading shrub fromthe temperate region of western Europe.The vigorous Ribes petraeum, which in-cludes the Prince Albert and Goudouincultivars, is a native of high mountain ar-eas of north Africa and Europe.

Flowers are borne toward the base of1-year-old stems and on spurs on olderstems. Each bud opens into a number offlowers that are joined together on a deli-cate, drooping stem called a strig. Mostcultivars have self-fertile flowers, but a feware partially self-sterile.

Market InformationUse. When picked just after they turn

red, red currants are unsurpassed for jelly

Radio stations, bus tours, and agri-tourism are just three vehicles thatthe Small Farm Program uses to

reach small farmers throughout Califor-nia. The following are snapshots of threeoutreach programs undertaken by theSmall Farm Program.

Advisors Make Inroads On The RadioIn the late 1990s, radio certainly can’t

be called high-technology communica-tion. But Small Farm Program farm advi-sors Manuel Jimenez and Richard Molinarhave found that it’s still one of the bestways to get information out to the peoplethey serve.

As part of the Small Farm Program’soutreach efforts, Jimenez and Molinarwork with small-scale farmers in Tulareand Fresno counties, respectively, help-ing them sustain their small businesseswith information on crop production, pestcontrol, labor management, fertilization,harvesting, and marketing. They makepersonal visits to farms and answer ques-tions on the telephone. While articles,newsletters, and even a site on the WorldWide Web are part of their communica-tion efforts, they say nothing works likeradio.

Jimenez drives to Fresno once amonth to answer listener questions onStella Romo’s live call-in talk showComentarios y Entrevistas (Commentariesand Interviews) on KGST. On the pro-gram, he’s known as “Señor Agrónomo,”(“Mr. Agronomist”) and he’s consideredan expert on everything agricultural.

Because of his success reaching His-panic farmers on the radio, Jimenez islooking for more air time. He is now co-ordinating a new special program on Ra-dio Bilingüe, a public radio station inFresno that reaches small-scale farmersand farm workers throughout California,and in parts of Texas and Mexico.

While Jimenez directs his programsto Spanish speaking farmers, Molinar’sradio service targets Fresno County’sHmong farming community. Every otherMonday evening, his assistant MichaelYang, fluent in Hmong and Lao, can beheard on Fresno radio station KBIF 900AM. The 30 minutes of air time is pur-

A crop insert from the Specialty and MinorCrops Handbook, Small Farm Center

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SMALL FARM NEWS SUMMER 1998

Desmond Jolly

Director’s Message

El Niño and Other Disasters

One of Frank Sinatra’s signaturesongs was “It Was A Very GoodYear.” This has not been a very

good year for agriculture. I received wordrecently that both the U.S. House of Rep-resentatives and the Senate have zeroedout funding for the Fund for RuralAmerica competitive grants program.This news puts the cap on a year of disas-ters for agriculture.

When the Federal Agriculture Im-provement Act of 1990 was passed, it waswith an implicit, if not an explicit, con-tract that Congress would appropriate$100 million per year for three years tofund research and technology transferprojects in areas that improved the com-

petitivenessof U.S. agri-culture, en-vironmentalstewardship,and ruralcommuni -ties. Thiswas a trade-off for thewithdrawalof govern-ment from

commodity programs that stabilizedprices and farm incomes.

During its first year of operation, sev-eral million dollars were withdrawn fromthe Fund to meet disaster relief needs inthe Midwest. This substantially dimin-ished the resources available for the origi-nal purposes of the fund.

But if 1997 brought portents of di-saster, 1998 has brought torrents. Bear inmind that the federal budget, for the firstyear in at least two decades, is running asurplus of from $40 - $50 billion. Bear inmind also that the day on which the Fundwas being zeroed out, the President was

signing the Congress' Highway Bill for$203 billion. According to a news item filedby Glen Johnson for the Associated Press,critics “... label the new law an election-year plum for Congress, saying it containspork for all 50 states.” Utah, which is host-ing the 2002 Winter Olympics, gets $640million.

And this was the year in which theNational Commission on Small Farms ad-vocated putting the small, family farm atthe centerpiece of agricultural policy. Itadvocated research on new crops, im-proved farming and marketing systems,technology development and adoption forvalue-added products, entrepreneurshipdevelopment, etc. The zeroing out of theFund calls into question the government'scommitment to meet the recommendationsof the National Small Farm Commission.

But besides the political heavyweather, agriculture has been savaged byEl Niño and, if we believe Vice PresidentGore, El Niño may become more the normthan the exception. El Niño plus globalwarming may precipitate an oscillation ofclimate between floods and drought. If thisis the case, risk will increase manyfold foragricultural producers at the very timewhen the government is determined toprivatize risks. The result, if we are un-lucky, could be disastrous, as many pro-ducers do not have crop insurance and maynot be able to cover credit obligations.

But at least with a $203 billion high-way program, farmers may have less pot-holes to traverse as they take products tomarket.

Disaster ReliefGrowers affected by El Niño might

be eligible for the USDA Farm ServiceAgency (FSA) Noninsured Crop Disas-ter Assistance Program. The programprovides crop loss protection for manycrops for which federal crop insuranceis not available. Details include:

• Producers will be paid ben-efits similar to the cata-strophic level of cropinsurance (50 percent cov-erage, 60 percent price).

• An eligible disaster condi-tion must have affectedyour area.

• Producers must file a reportwith the local FSA officewithin 15 days after cropdamage is apparent. Call thelocal FSA office staff formore specifics about thisrequirement.

• After filing the initial reportwith FSA, producers haveuntil July 15, 1999, to file aseparate benefits applica-tion form with the local FSAoffice.

For more information, contactyour local FSA office, listed in theU.S. Government section of yourphone book.

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SUMMER 1998 SMALL FARM NEWS

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sVisitors:

The Small Farm Center hosted a delegationfrom Indonesia with whom it shared experiencesand information about prospects for the small farmsector of Indonesian agriculture.

The delegation included Iwan Gunawan, Ph.D.,head, Sub Directorate of Technology for TerrestrialBased Natural Resources, Jakarta; MulyaeliKusumowidagdo, Ph.D., director, National Aero-nautics and Space Institute Remote Sensing Tech-nology Center; Jakarta; Hedianto, senior manager,Mitsubishi Corporation, Jakarta; and A Karsidi, di-rector, BPP Teknologi, Jakarta. Louis J. Armstrongand Philip Mineart of Woodward-Clyde Interna-tional-America, Oakland, also were members of thegroup, which expressed a desire to establish a work-ing relationship with the Small Farm Program andUC Davis.

Steven Kirkhorn, M.D., Health Partners, St.Paul, Minnesota, visited the Small Farm Center todiscuss farm work health-related risks and theCenter's Pesticide Safety Outreach Program.

The Center also hosted a delegation fromMuldova that is interested in small farm issues.

ConferencesSmall Farm Program Director Desmond Jolly

attended the May 19-22 National Conference onAgriculture and Rural Tourism in Hershey, Penn-sylvania.

“From Farm to Table: Animal Husbandry andPublic Health,” a symposium held in SacramentoMay 12, was designed to help people with oppos-ing perspectives shift their focus from points of dis-agreement to areas of shared values. The sympo-

sium was sponsored by the Small Farm Center, theDavis Humanities Institute,the Sierra Health Foun-dation, the UC Sustainable Agriculture Researchand Education Program, and the California Coun-cil for the Humanities.

The San Diego Agricultural Conference heldJune 6 in Oceanside, California, provided partici-pants with information to establish successful newfarm businesses or to make transitions to new cropsor new agricultural enterprises. The conference wassponsored by the Small Farm Center; UC Coop-erative Extension, San Diego County; Mira CostaCollege; and the Carlsbad Agricultural Improve-ment Fund.

AwardsMichael Yang, field

and lab assistant, UCCooperative Extension,Fresno County, receiveda Division of Agricultureand Natural Resources1998 Individual Incen-tive Award. As SmallFarm Program farm ad-visor Richard Molinar'sassistant, Yang has demonstrated client trust, lead-ership, and creativity in his work primarily withHmong and Lao farmers.

Of Hmong descent, Yang escaped from Laosto the U.S. with his family at the age of nine. Hisfirsthand knowledge of Lao farming and culture hasbeen instrumental in the development of Coopera-tive Extension outreach to the Southeast Asian com-munity in Fresno.

Michael Yang, right, with Fresnofarmer Srun Phe.

The Small Farm Center links those who need informationon small-scale farming with those who have the informa-tion. The Center produces publications and a newsletter;sponsors conferences and seminars; holds a library ofperiodicals, reports and books; gives referrals; and answersrequests for information.

Readers are encouraged to send us information, expressviews, and contact us for assistance. Mention of a specificproduct is intended for the reader’s information — not as arecommendation of that specific product.

SMALL FARM NEWS is published by the Small FarmCenter, University of California, One Shields Ave., Davis,CA 95616-8699. Phone (530) 752-8136, fax (530) 752-7716; web site: http://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu.

Director: Desmond Jolly, dajolly@ucdavis.eduSecretary: Birgit Hempel, sfcenter@ucdavis.eduProgram Rep.: Shirley Humphrey,sahumphrey@ucdavis.eduNewsletter Editor: Susan McCue, semccue@ucdavis.eduPostgraduate Researcher: Angela Moskow,almoskow@ucdavis.eduAdmin. Assistant: Linda Vieira, lmvieira@ucdavis.eduStudent Interns: Mai Hoang, Mary O'Brien

Small FarmCenter

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SMALL FARM NEWS SUMMER 1998

chased by the Small Farm Program andthe USDA’s Farm Service Agency.

“Half of the material we present isfrom the Farm Service Agency, coveringsuch issues as loans and the non-insur-able crop program. The other half pro-vides information we wish to extend tothe farmers, on such topics as pesticideuse and safety, nematode control, diseaseproblems and effective cultural prac-tices,” Molinar said. Yang always reservespart of the program for call-in questions.

“When strawberries were ready, wegot many calls,” Yang said. “With the wetweather, people had problems withbotrytis and rot. We explained about theproducts that help the problem and whatthey should be doing for the safety ofworkers and themselves.”

Molinar and Yang have offered ra-dio listeners free pH and salinity soil test-ing. A number of farmers have takenthem up on the offer, including one whowas wondering why he was havingtrouble getting anything to grow.

In this case and many others, radiohas proved to be an effective way to reachsmall-scale farmers — many strugglingunnecessarily with problems Universityresearch has already solved — and pro-vide them practical information andcounsel from the UC Small Farm Pro-gram advisors.

Multi-Agency Farm Tour“Models for Success" farm tour, held

for the first time on Feb. 24, 1998, useda unique approach to raise awarenessamong Spanish-speaking farmers aboutthe services they can receive from agen-cies. A bus filled with tour participants,including 31 growers, visited three smallfarms and the Rural Development Cen-ter. Each site on the tour showcased adifferent agency, and participants wereintroduced to farmers already workingwith these agencies in areas includingcrop production, marketing, soil conser-vation, farm management, and financialassistance. The tour was conducted inSpanish, with simultaneous translation

in English. At each site, the farmer andagency rep described what kinds of prob-lems the agency had helped the farmersolve. “Growers light up when hearingfrom other growers, and they asked lotsof questions,” says Monterey County Co-operative Extension Director Sonya Varea-Hammond, who participanted in the tour.

The tour group also stopped at theWatsonville and Salinas Cooperative Ex-tension offices. There the participantsviewed a bilingual video on what Coop-erative Extension does, heard from the ag-ricultural commissioner, and picked upinformational literature from the agenciesinvolved.

The “Models for Success” tour is aproject of the Joint Agencies Outreach

Committee, a voluntary group organizedby Cooperative Extension that has beenmeeting since 1995. The tour was spon-sored by Cooperative Extension inMonterey and Santa Cruz counties, theSmall Farm Program, the Farm ServiceAgency, the Natural Resources Conserva-tion Service, the Resource ConservationDistrict of Monterey County, the Rural De-velopment Center, and the CaliforniaLatino Agricultural Association.

Two Small Farm Program farm advi-sors, Richard Smith, Monterey, San Benitoand Santa Cruz counties, and RamiroLobo, San Diego County, participated inthe tour. Ramiro Lobo helped evaluate theprogram’s effectiveness by interviewing 15growers who agreed that the tour was aproductive use of their time. All of themsaid they would participate again.

Small Farm Center and Partners LaunchAgri-Tourism Project

Agri-tourism is one alternative forimproving the incomes and potential eco-nomic viability of small farms and ruralcommunities. Some forms of agri-tourism

enterprises are well developed in Califor-nia — including fairs, festivals, etc. Otherpossibilities offer potential for develop-ment.

To aid in this development, theproject “Adding Value to Agriculture —A Collaborative Approach Based on Agri-cultural Tourism,” will allow those in-volved to develop organizations of grow-ers, marketers, and community represen-tatives to formulate visions, develop strat-egies, and begin to develop agri-tourismenterprises. These enterprises will addvalue to agriculture and rural products,and will create markets for them.

Funded by a grant from the USDA’sFund for Rural America, project princi-pal investigators, collaborators, and co-operators include Desmond Jolly, direc-tor, Small Farm Program; Angela Moskow,postgraduate researcher, Small Farm Cen-ter; Diane Wallace, county director, UCCooperative Extension, San DiegoCounty; Ramiro Lobo, farm advisor, UCCooperative Extension, San DiegoCounty; Scott Parker, program represen-tative, UC Cooperative Extension, SanDiego County; Lourdes Gonzalez, presi-dent, California Latino Agricultural As-sociation; Linda Harris, Cooperative Ex-tension microbiologist, Department ofFood Science and Technology, UC Davis;and Michael Dimock, principal, Sun-flower Strategies, Sonoma.

Planned project activities include thedevelopment of a working group in agri-tourism, a resource center for informationand literature, and county based work-shops and meetings.

The project’s advisory committee in-cludes Vashek Cervinka, formerly withCalifornia Department of Food and Agri-culture; Peter Graff, director, Center forInternational Trade, Gavilan College; TomLease, National Program Manager, Cali-fornia Trade and Commerce Agency’s Di-vision of Tourism; Paul Vossen, farm ad-visor, UC Cooperative Extension, SonomaCounty; and Garth Veerkamp, farm advi-sor, UC Cooperative Extension, Placer-Nevada counties. ■

Outreach Projects–FROM PAGE 1

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SUMMER 1998 SMALL FARM NEWS

Red and White Currants–FROM PAGE 1

making. They are also used for pies andsauce (sometimes in combination withother fruit) and for wine. The crushedfruit makes a cool, refreshing summertimedrink. Some currants can be eaten out ofhand if left on the bush for about threeweeks after the berries first turn red (redcultivars) or translucent (white cultivars).Currants are popular among northernEuropeans. They are little known inAmerica because they were banned by fed-eral law in 1920 as a supposed carrier ofwhite pine blister rust. The ban was liftedin 1966, and currants are now enjoyingsome renewed interest in the U.S.

CultureClimatic requirements. Currants

thrive in cool, well-drained fertile soil, infull sun or in partial shade. In warm re-gions, the bushes prefer heavy soil andshould be planted in partial shade or on anorth-facing slope. An organic mulch canbe used to protect the roots and keep thesoil cool and moist.

Propagation and care. Currants arepropagated from hardwood cuttings ofyear-old wood. They usually are grown asbushes spaced 5 feet apart. To grow cur-rants in tree form, remove all but the topthree buds from the cutting so sprouts willnot grow from below the ground. Set cut-tings in the ground in the fall or earlyspring.

Annual pruning will increase yieldand keep plants manageable and healthy.Prune so that most fruits will be borneon spurs of 2- and 3-year-old wood. Tomaintain a supply of two or three each of1-, 2-, and 3-year-old stems, use a renewalmethod of pruning. In the first winter,remove all but two or three stems atground level. The second winter, removeall but two or three of the stems that grewthe previous season. At this point the bushwill have two or three each of 1- and 2-year-old stems. Continue this practiceevery winter. In the fourth winter, cutaway any stems more than 3 years old attheir bases and shorten long or low-hang-ing branches.

If you want to grow different culti-vars in a small area or against a wall, youcan grow currants in cordons as singlestems. Plant cordons 1 1/2 feet apart ortrain them against the wall. To develop acordon, shorten the single upright stemeach winter to 6 inches of new growth andshorten any laterals.

Currants have a moderate need fornitrogen and a high potassium require-ment. An annual dressing of 1/2 ounce ofactual potassium per square yard will pre-vent potassium deficiency, which is vis-ible as scorching of the leaf margin. Cur-rants are sensitive to chloride ion toxic-ity, so muriate of potash (potassium chlo-ride) should not be used.

Pests and diseases. Currants can begrown with little or no spraying. Theymay require treatments including spray-ing if pests such as aphids, spider mites,and currant borers cause damage. The im-ported currantworm, usually a gooseberrypest, can defoliate currant plants quickly.An appropriate insecticide should be ap-plied as soon as currantworm is detected.By cleaning up leaves in autumn, you canhelp prevent potential disease. Fungicidescan be used to control powdery mildew,leaf spot, and anthracnose.

Harvest the whole strig intact unlessthe fruit is to be used immediately. Ripecurrants are very soft and easily injured.

Plant SourcesNote: Red Lake, Wilder, and Minne-

sota 71 are excellent cultivars and arewidely available. Jonkheer van Tets andCherry are resistant to powdery mildew.The following nurseries offer more exten-sive selections of cultivars:

Alexander Eppler Ltd., P.O. Box 16513,Seattle, WA 98116-0513.

International Ribes Association, c/oAnderson Valley Agricultural Institute,P.O. Box 130, Boonville, CA 95415.

Southmeadow Fruit Gardens, Lakeside,MI 49116.

Whitman Farms Nursery, 1420 BeaumontNW, Salem, OR 97304.

More InformationAntonelli, A., et al. 1988. Small fruit pests— Biology, diagnosis, and management.Publication BE 1388, Washington StateUniversity Agricultural Communications,Pullman, WA.

Baker, Harry. 1986. The fruit garden dis-played. Cassell Ltd., The Royal Horticul-tural Society, London.

Galletta, G., and D. Himelrick, eds. 1990.Small fruit crop management. Prentice HallPress, West Nyack, NY.

Ourecky, D. K. 1977. Blackberries, cur-rants, and gooseberries. Cooperative Ex-tension Publication IB 97. Cornell Uni-versity, Ithaca, NY.

Reich, Lee. 1991. Uncommon fruits wor-thy of attention: A gardener’s guide.Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Reading,MA.

Prepared by Lee Reich. ■

■ The Specialty and Minor CropsHandbook is available from the SmallFarm Center. Please see our displayon page 7 for pricing and orderinginformation.

Ripe red currents. Photo: Bernadine Strik

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SMALL FARM NEWS SUMMER 1998

Profile: Three California Farmers

Diverse Operations Fit Unique Farmersby Susan McCue, publications coordinator, Small Farm Center

Tom Chino owns a farm stand in DelMar, San Diego County, that at-tracts wealthy clientele who flock

to his stand in Mercedes coupes, RangeRovers, and chauffeur driven limousines.Restaurant chefs even lie about buying hismulti-variety farm stand produce, saysChino. “Because our name has cache,people will say that they use our veg-etables and they don’t.”

Although his farm stand is highly suc-cessful, Chino and his family have knowntheir share of hardship. During World WarII, his parents were interred in a reloca-tion camp for Japanese Americans. Chinosays the family farming operation started“around 1946, I guess. It took a while toget out of camp.”

Advised by a veteran farmer to growa variety of crops to protect against singlecrop failure and financial ruin, Chino’sparents initially grew sweet corn andstrawberries. But sweet corn requiresmore spraying than the family was com-fortable with, so they branched out. To-day their farm stand overflows with col-orful vegetables in multiple varieties. Of-ferings include baby artichokes, beets,broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, radishes,and scallions.

“Our clientele is somewhat sophis-ticated, well healed and well traveled, butthey are also ethnically mixed becausethey are from other areas,” says Chino,who explains that these factors keep him

looking for vegetables from around theworld. “This is cardoon,” points outChino. “We didn’t have any idea how togrow it. We had to look in books.” Chinocontinually refers to his home library forthat purpose.

His diverse clientele allows him to in-troduce new produce and see if it sellsbefore expanding his offerings. There havealways been odd items that capture smallsegments, says Chino, but never any cropthat dominates sales.

Chino markets his produce solelythrough the farm stand. “I don’t think weever went to farmers’ markets because wecan maintain our individuality here,” heexplains. The logistical efforts inherent inselling at farmers’ markets also have kepthis family on the farm, where they hap-pily continue to sell quality vegetables towave after wave of Mercedes, Range Rover,and limousine occupants.

Rare Fruit Grower Sells U-PickUp the road in Fallbrook, northern

San Diego County, retired chemical engi-neer George Emerich sells rare exotic fruitto u-pick clientele who find his 5 1/2-acrehilltop residential lot strictly throughword of mouth. On a recent visit, Emerichweaves his way through a United Nations-like assortment of trees that his predomi-nantly Southeast Asian clients normallytraverse as they pick his fruit.

As he walks, Emerich offers tastes ofcherimoyas and white sapotes, and pointsout Indian and African Jujubes, Orientalpersimmons, Surinam cherries, Algeriantangerines, Pakistan mulberries, and gua-vas from Taiwan, the Philippines, Viet-nam, and Thailand. He explains that aninternational exchange has accidentallyoccurred between one of his Algerian tan-gerine trees and a blood orange tree, cre-ating a new fruit that he has passed on toa UC researcher for further experiments.

Calling himself a hobby farmer,Emerich doesn't have a clear reason whyhe transitioned from engineering to rarefruit upon retiring. Maybe the answer is inhis upbringing. He was born on a cattleranch in Montana, and says, “I was a cow-boy when I left for college a little over 60years ago.” He took the country with himthroughout his engineering career, plant-ing fruit trees at all of his homes. His loveof fruit has extended to involvement in or-ganizations including the California RareFruit Growers Association, where he hasserved for more than 20 years in positionsincluding president and as a member ofthe board of directors.

Asked what he would do differently ifhe grew fruit strictly for profit, Emerichsays he would have to increase the num-ber of trees that grow fruit that customersactually want, and decrease the number oftrees that bear undesirable fruit. He knowsthat growing for profit isn’t easy, and that

some crops don’tdo well no mat-ter how hard youtry. “You can’t doa darn thing withmangos," he says,and points hisfinger at a nearbyspecimen.

“That one is10 to 12 years old.In the tropics, atwo- to three-

year-old tree would be bigger than that.”Regardless of the effort, the 82-year-

old Emerich stays committed to his trees.And don't even mention the idea of slow-ing down after retirement. “That’s the prob-lem with a lot of people,” says Emerich.“They just sit down and die. I’m not quit-ting.”

—CONTINUED NEXT PAGE

Tom Chino

George Emerich

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SUMMER 1998 SMALL FARM NEWS

Stockton Grower Transitions toStay in Business

Quitting just isn’t in Joann Cutter'svocabulary either. When she and her fam-ily realized that their 15-acre CountrysideFarms just outside of Stockton couldn’tcompete with higher volume farms, theydecided to make some changes. “Thisland’s been in my family for 50 years,” saysCutter. “I came back 10 years ago. Hardwork was not a surprise. But the moneythat’s needed was a shock.”

So the Cutters are replacing 10 acresof vegetables to grow walnuts, a long termcrop that they can manage while theywork part-time. Because the walnut treeswon't produce for five years, they plan toraise crops between the trees, and sellother farmers’ walnuts until their treesproduce. But the walnut planting isn’t theonly change the farm has seen.

“Our best money is in having fieldtrips,” explains Cutter, who offers educa-tional tour packages to schools in theStockton area. Her hands-on tours last foran hour to an hour and a half, with fivetours scheduled per day throughout thespring, summer, and fall. Depending onthe season, the trips include hayrides,petting animals, and climb-on farm trac-tors, as well as a behind the scenes lookat the growing and packaging of the farm’sfruit and vegetables.

Cutter also operates a farm standwhere she sells strawberries, boysenber-ries, blackberries, and raspberries, whichgenerate half her income. Her well-built,county approved stand also housesshelves of dill pickling cucumbers, hotsalsa made from the farm’s tomatoes andpeppers, and her really big sellers — fruitjams.

A master at marketing through a va-riety of sources, Cutter also sells at farm-ers’ markets, and occasionally to super-markets. She also picks and delivers 90-

100 crates and ships in the same day to awholesaler’s cold box in San Francisco.“When the fruit starts getting pink, I startcalling contacts,” say Cutter. Somehowshe also manages to work off the farmpart-time for San Joaquin County Coop-erative Extension in Stockton.

But she notes, “I would not be ableto farm if my son didn’t help out.” Shealso gets help from her husband, who trav-els full time as a trucker and works on

the farm evenings and weekends. Season-ally employed workers also help out.

“My family farmed from the early1900s,” says Cutter, who clearly loves theland she inherited. “We don’t farm justfor the profit of it. We enjoy the process.”As a tribute to her family, she plans to cre-ate “a cookbook with a picture of my fa-ther in it, and what this land means to us... these 15 acres.” ■

News Notes

According to theMay 1998 issue of theFarm Service AgencyNewsletter, Californiaagriculture suffered$191.1 million in dam-ages resulting from ElNiño storms. Farmers inmore than 36 countieshave been affected, with damage and losses found incommodities including strawberries, wheat, alfalfa,broccoli, celery, almonds, and lettuce.

Richard Gradwohl, director of the InternationalMiniature Cattle Breeders Society, says miniatures arebetter suited to 2-10 acre homestead farms becausethey are easier on the land, equipment, and facilities.He adds that smaller animals also need less feed, areless intimidating and easier to handle than larger ani-mals, and have carcass weights that better match theproportion size and needs of today’s smaller families.

Established by the 1996 Farm Bill, the WildlifeHabitat Incentives Program (WHIP) helps farmers,ranchers, and other landowners protect wildlife habi-tat. Participants prepare and implement a wildlife habi-tat development plan with assistance from USDA’s Natu-ral Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and theirlocal conservation districts. WHIP provides cost-shareassistance for up to 75 percent of the cost of institutingwildlife habitat practices. Cost-share payments of upto $10,000 are available for each WHIP agreement,which is in effect for a five to 10 year period. Contactyour local USDA Service Center or NRCS office for moreinformation.

The University of Vermont Cooperative ExtensionWomen’s Agricultural Network (WAgN), offers a seriesof educational programs for women who want to ownfarms and related businesses in Vermont. Although in-tended primarily for Vermont women, the programsare open to other women and men as well. ContactWomen’s Agricultural Network, 590 Main St., Univer-sity of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405-0059; (802)656-3276 for more information.

Joann Cutter

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SMALL FARM NEWS SUMMER 1998

Organic agriculture is not on thebrink. While, as Desmond Jollyclaims, “organic agriculture ... as

practiced in the late 1960s and 1970s,could have been regarded as part of a fu-gitive subculture of urban refugees ...,” itcould also have been a rational responseto widespread pesticide abuse, contami-nation of groundwater with chemical fer-tilizers, and a lack of fresh, healthy pro-duce in the marketplace. The market fororganic food continues to grow becauseagrichemical problems are still an issueand health and environment are increas-ing concerns.

Acronyms ExplainedReaders shouldn’t be put off by or-

ganic acronyms, particularly CCOF (Cali-fornia Certified Organic Farmers), OMRI(Organic Materials Review Institute), andOFRF (Organic Farming Research Foun-dation). These organizations are evidencethat the organic community is strong andactive, and not on the verge of chaos.CCOF is a membership organization ofroughly 700 farms and 50 handler/pro-cessors that has been working for 25 yearsin California and the nation to developstandards for organic agriculture that pro-mote ecologically based farming, protectthe environment, and provide consumerswith a product they can believe in.

CCOF staff and members had astrong hand in writing the California Or-ganic Food Act of 1990 (COFA 1990) andwere consultants to the National OrganicStandards Board. Asking whether the stan-dards of CCOF and COFA 1990 are toohigh or too low misses the point: they arethe standards needed to uphold the in-tegrity of organic on the farm and for theconsumer.

OMRI’s function is to determine whatbrand name products can be used by cer-tified organic growers and processors. TheCalifornia Organic Foods Act of 1990 mayallow fish emulsion, but OMRI looks at

brands of fish emulsionand checks to see if any

additives used are prohibited. No state orfederal agency does this. OMRI is sup-ported by most private certifiers through-out the country.

OFRF funds research related to or-ganic farming and disseminates results toorganic farmers and growers interested inadopting organic production systems.They also are active in educating the pub-lic and decision-makers about organicfarming. OFRF has raised over $1,000,000for organic research and information dis-semination programs, and has awarded 74on-farm research and education grants.

These are the private, non-profitgroups that have nurtured and strength-ened the organic industry and defined or-ganic for much of the country.

Little credit for the continuing suc-cess of organic agriculture can go to an-other acronym, USDA. They have givenalmost no support to research or market-ing of organic products. According toMark Lipson, author of “Searching forthe ‘O-Word’, Analyzing the USDA Cur-rent Research Information System for Per-tinence to Organic Farming,” organic re-search made up less than one-tenth of onepercent of USDA’s research portfolio, bothnumerically and fiscally.

USDA Rewrites RulesThe many weaknesses of USDA’s pro-

posed rules are further evidence of theirlack of knowledge and commitment to theindustry. USDA received 200,000 over-whelmingly negative responses to the pro-posed rules during the comment period— more opposition than they ever re-ceived for any proposed program. Theywill rewrite the Organic Rules (they havealready backed down on sewage sludge,irradiation, and genetically engineered or-ganisms), but the organic community stillquestions their expertise and support oforganic agriculture.

Finally, the view that “oversight oforganic operations by private certifiers isundermined by the presence and partici-pation of organic producers and handlerswithin their governing bodies,” (editor’snote: this statement was made by SolomonTeklu, not Desmond Jolly) is an extrememinority view. Member-run organizationslike CCOF and Oregon Tilth have estab-lished the strictest standards and insurethat their growers adhere to them by in-specting all operations with a knowledge,experience and vigor that serves to main-tain the integrity of organic. Retailers,wholesalers and consumers recognize thatCCOF certified product provides themwith the greatest safeguards against pes-ticide contamination and that certifiedfarmers are using sustainable practicesthat protect the environment.

With the knowledge that USDA hasnot been supportive of organic agricul-ture, and is at best slow to act, privatecertifiers and other industry groups arenow organizing to develop national stan-dards — based on the NOSB recommen-dations — that can be implementedsooner rather than later. Given the strongrecord of the development of standardsfor organic agriculture by private certifi-ers, this may be the industry’s best chancefor strict, consistent national standards

Organic is StrongerOrganic agriculture is growing stron-

ger and bigger, but it is not on the brinkof bonanza boondoggle. It has a solidfoundation of knowledge, experience, andleadership that will continue to preservethe integrity of organic product. Privatecertifiers are a significant part of the foun-dation that gives it its weight and strength.They will insure that national rules,whether private or legislated, are strictrules that provide the consumer with or-ganic products that they trust and farmswith guidelines for ecological practicesthat protect the environment. ■

Letter To the Editorfrom Raoul Adamchak, CCOF member

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SUMMER 1998 SMALL FARM NEWS

Publications

Voluntary Food Safety Guidelines forFresh Produce explains practices forminimizing microbial contamination infresh produce production, cooling,transporting, and processing. Cost: $35.Contact: Dylan Whitlow, WesternGrowers Association, PO Box 2130,Newport Beach, CA 92658; (714) 863-1000 x133.

Direct Marketing and Related Topics is abibliography containing citations from1991-1996 books, articles, and video-cassettes on direct marketing andrelated topics. Cost: free. Contact:Mary Gold, National AgriculturalLibrary, Room 304, Beltsville, MD20705-2351; (301) 504-6559.

Mushrooms are detailed in threeresources: the How-To Book (cost:$3.50), Proceedings of the NationalShiitake Mushrooms Symposium (cost:$10), and the Procedure for GrowingShiitake Mushrooms video (cost: $5).Contact: Cathy Sabota, Alabama A&MUniversity Cooperative ExtensionSystem, P.O. Box 967, Normal, AL35762; (205) 851-5710.

The California Poultry Letter coversgeneral poultry information includingegg production and processing. Cost:$12 per year; free to qualified subscrib-ers. Contact: Donald Bell, UC Coopera-tive Extension, 142 Highlander Hall,University of California, Riverside, CA92521; (909) 787-4555.

Web Sites

USDA National Ag Statisticshttp://www.usda.gov/nass/pubs/agstats.htmIncludes information on agriculturalproduction, supplies, consumption, andcosts.

Ornamental Horticulture Research andInformation Centerhttp://ohric.ucdavis.eduResearch-based information and issuesfacing the horticulture industry inCalifornia.

Electronic Ag Decision Makerhttp://www.econ.iastate.edu/adm/homepage.htmlA financial decision making tool forfarmers and others involved inagribusiness.

Herb Onlinehttp://herbonline.comHerbal recipes, remedies, and informa-tion.

The International Linkhttp://ctr.uvm.edu/tradeWorldwide links with information onareas including trade, market andagricultural research, and ag marketprices.

Wright’s PestLawhttp://www.pestlaw.comNews, regulatory information, and otherresources about conventional pesticides,biopesticides, and antimicrobialpesticides.

Small F

arm

Pro

gra

m P

ublica

tion

s

Updated and expandedfrom the first edition, the Spe-cialty and Minor Crops Hand-book contains 63 crop pro-files, a comprehensive bibli-ography, a glossary of Asianvegetables, and an index tocommon and scientific cropnames.

To order, call the SmallFarm Center at (530) 752-8136. Cost: $35 plus tax andshipping.

The Specialtyand Minor Crops

Handbook

The Small FarmHandbookThis practical guide cov-

ers topics including livestockand crop production, buyingproperty and equipment,dealing with taxes and regu-lations, and marketing.

To order the Small FarmHandbook, call the SmallFarm Center at (530) 752-8136 Cost: $20 plus tax andshipping.

The Specialty andMinor CropsHandbook

Small Farm CenterUniversity of Californiarnia

■ Visit the Small Farm Center website at www.sfc.ucdavis.edu for newweb site links on topics ranging fromcrops to water management.

10

SMALL FARM NEWS SUMMER 1998

Think Safety First

Keep your family, workers, and customers safe this summerby following these farm safety tips.

Operating VehiclesDuring 1981 - 1990, 417 people were killed while working

in agriculture in California, with highway motor vehicle crashesthe most common cause. Prevention is relatively simple:

• Always wear your seat belt, especiallyin pickups and larger trucks.

• Place children in a car seat in theback seat, or attach a seatbelt. Ifyou drink alcohol or take prescrip-tion or nonprescription drugs, rideas a passenger.

ChildrenChildren account for about 20 percent of all farm fatalities.

The National Farm Medicine Center estimates the death toll inchildren younger than 20 years of age on U.S. farms and ranchesat 300 each year. To safeguard your children:

• Provide good supervision. If hiring a sitter is imposs-sible, work together with other families to care forchildren cooperatively.

• Do not allow children to ride on tractors, even in aparent’s arms or on a lap. Never leave a runningmachine unattended.

• Keep pesticides, fuels, lubricants, soaps, disinfectants,solvents, and other chemicals in a locked storagefacility.

• Never put any harmful materials into food containers.

• Fence ponds and other water areas.

Vehicle and Child-related safety tips by William E. Steinke,director, Farm Safety Program, UC Davis.

Food SafetyFor best on-farm cleaning and sanitation, always clean and

sanitize the inside, outside, lips, and handles of farm containers.Also keep in mind the following:

• Do not dry nesting containers on soil or other poten-tially contaminated surfaces.

• Do not stack or nest cleaned containers if they havebeen in connect with soil.

• Do not use harvest containers for postharvest shippingor transport of lightly processed or “value-added” pro-duce without an intervening cleaning and sanitation.

• When possible, use containers in different colors foreach application to minimize confusion as to prior on-farm use of a container.

Food safety tips prepared by Trevor Suslow, extension spe-cialist, Department of Vegetable Crops, UC Davis.

Pesticide SafetyWhen working with pesticides, if you feel dizzy, sick, or

have trouble breathing:

• Stop what you are doing immediatelyand follow the appropriate emergencyfirst aid procedures listed on thepesticide label.

• If someone has swallowed a pesticide, never inducevomiting if the person is unconscious or having con-vulsions.

• Have someone call ahead to tell the doctor the brandname and common name of the pesticide, the EPA reg-istration number, and the name of the manufacturer.

• If possible, take a copy of the pesticide label with youto the doctor.

Pesticide safety tips from “Pesticide Safety for Small Farms,”available from the Small Farm Center. ■

11

SUMMER 1998 SMALL FARM NEWS

cale

ndar

AUGUST14-16Introduction to PermacultureMiddletown, CALearn more about permaculture, the art and science that applies patterns innature to the design and construction of human and natural environments.This workshop focuses on home food production, energy efficiency, anderosion control.Contact: Larry Santoyo, Santoyo & Associates Permaculture Services, 309Cedar St. #85, Santa Cruz, CA 95060; (800) 469-5857.

SEPTEMBER16Efficient Use Of Organic Fertilizers For Vegetable ProductionBuellton, CAThis field day is sponsored by the Organic Farming Research Foundation,Nojoqui Farms, and UC Cooperative Extension, Santa Barbara and San LuisObispo counties.Contact: Mark Gaskell, UC Cooperative Extension, Santa Maria; 624 W. FosterRd., Santa Maria, CA 93455; (805) 934-6240.

13-15Health and Safety in Western Agriculture: Building BridgesUC DavisPresented by the UC Agricultural Health and Safety Center, topics includeincreasing communication, collaboration and cooperation, heighteningcommunity and industry awareness, and sharing the latest research findingsin agricultural health and safety.Contact: Eleanor Wood, UC Agricultural Health and Safety Center, ITEH Bldg,Old Davis Road, Davis, CA 95616-8757; (530) 752-5253.

15-17Fresh-Cut Products: Maintaining Quality and SafetyUC DavisThis three day workshop focuses on production, processing, packaging, andquality control of fresh-cut products.Contact: Anna Trunnell, University Extension, University of California, OneShields Ave., Davis, CA 95616; (800) 757-8777.

16-18Best of the West SummitSan Francisco, CAParticipants from the western states are invited to address prominent issuesimpacting urban and community forestry. Several success stories will bepresented that exemplify leadership, innovation, and practical solutions forserious urban forestry challenges.Contact: Martha Ozonoff, Dept. of Environmental Horticulture, University ofCalifornia, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616; (530) 752-7636.

JULY11Introduction to Wine AnalysisUC DavisDesigned primarily for home winemakers, but useful for cellar workersalso, this class introduces wine analysis for basic wine production andbuilds familiarity with basic tests.Contact: Sharon Munowitch, University Extension, University of California,One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616; (800) 757-8777.

12-15Annual Society of Horticulture ConferenceCharlotte, NCTopics include horticulture in cancer research, virtual horticulture, andlinks between molecular and horticultural processes.Contact: Teresa Alfaro, American Society for Horticultural Science, 600Cameron St., Alexandria, VA 22314-2562; (703) 836-4606.

1642nd Annual Weed DayUC DavisLearn about current weed research at UC Davis through a bus tour offield demonstrations and current research studies, followed by indoorpresentations.Contact: David Visher, Weed Research and Information Center, Universityof California, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616; (530) 752-0612.

19-224th Annual Conference on Precision AgricultureSt. Paul, MNPresented by the University of Minnesota's Precision Agriculture Center incooperation with the Potash and Phosphate Institute, the programincludes hands-on workshops, industry forums, and exhibits.Contact: Mary Kay Ferguson, University of Minnesota Extension Service,P.O. Box 64780, St. Paul, MN 55164-0780; (800) 367-5363.

19Mulching Green Waste in Tree CropsSan Luis Obispo, CAPresented by Ben Faber, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor, whospecializes in avocados, subtropical crops, soils, and water.Contact: Laura Gardner, San Luis Obispo Agricultural Weights andMeasures Department, 2156 Sierra Way, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405,(805) 781-5910.

25Small Vineyard Series: Integrated Pest Management, CoverCrops and Erosion ControlUC DavisFor home and small commercial wine growers, the course coversimportant diseases and insect pests of grapevines, with special attentionto problems encountered by small producers.Contact: Sharon Munowitch, University Extension, University of California,One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616; (800) 757-8777.

12

SMALL FARM NEWS SUMMER 1998

Small Farm CenterUniversity of CaliforniaOne Shields AvenueDavis, CA 95616-8699

Official Business610W

Address Services Requested

The University of California, in accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex,disability, age, medical condition (cancer-related), ancestry, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam-era veteran or special disabled veteran. The University alsoprohibits sexual harassment. Inquiries regarding the University’s nondiscrimination policies may be directed to the Affirmative Action Director, University of California, Agriculture andNatural Resources, 1111 Franklin St., 6th Floor, Oakland, CA. 94607-5200. (510) 987-0096.

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Bulk RateU.S. POSTAGEPAIDDavis, CAPermit No. G-00268

Easy No-Cook Tomato Sauce

1 lb. (3 to 4 medium) fresh California tomatoes,coarsely chopped1 Tbs. olive oil3/4 tsp. each salt and sugar1/2 tsp. ground pepper1 1/2 to 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

In a food processor or blender, combine and process all in-gredients to make a rough-textured sauce. Adjust flavors totaste. Makes about 1 1/2 cups sauce. Variations:

Monday: add 1/4 cup chopped fresh basilTuesday: add 1/4 cup chopped Greek or Italian olives and1 1/2 tsp. finely grated orange peelWednesday: add 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese and 3/4 tsp.finely chopped fresh or dried rosemaryThursday: add 3 Tbs. toasted peanuts and 4 to 6 thin slicesprosciutto, cut into bitsFriday: add 3 Tbs. capers and 2 Tbs. chopped parsley

From the California Tomato Commission web site atwww.tomato.org/tips-pgs/sauce.htm

Bistro Pear Tart

1/4 cup cornstarch1/2 cup sugar2 cups nonfat milk1 teaspoon grated lemon peel1/4 teaspoon orange oralmond extract1 baked 9-inch tart shellfresh California Bartlett pears, pared and sliced1/4 cup apricot jam

Mix cornstarch and sugar; whisk in eggs. Scald milk; slowlywhisk hot milk into egg mixture; return to heat. Stir whilecooking until thickened. Stir in peel and extract; cool. Pourinto baked tart shell. Arrange sliced pears on top; brush withwarm apricot jam. Makes 10 servings.

Note: For a quicker and lower- fat tart, use a nonfat vanillapudding mix instead of the custard.

From the California Pears web site atwww.calpear.com./recipes.htm

Summer Recipes