SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 9 — /PRNewswire/ — California’s specialty crop industries have a significant impact on the state’s economy yielding nearly $15.9 billion annually, or $43.5 million each day of the year, in “ripple effect” business activity as a result of collective industry spending, according to new research commissioned by the Buy California Marketing Agreement (BCMA), administrators of the “California Grown” program.
“The research clearly indicates that California’s specialty crops touch every aspect of California life and positively impact the economic vitality of our state,” said Maile Shanahan Geis, BCMA Executive Director. “Despite the challenges facing California agriculture – from intense global competition to the growing water crisis – the state’s specialty crops prove that the industry continues to be a world leader in agriculture production, which is a title Californians should be proud to protect.”
The “California Grown” campaign is an initiative to educate Californians about the importance of choosing California-grown products whenever they shop. The study examined the financial impact of fifteen California specialty crops including the dairy and wine sectors, as well as asparagus, avocados, cherries, cut flowers, figs, kiwifruit, nectarines, olives, peaches, pears, plums, raisins and table grapes.
The study, conducted by Dennis H. Tootelian, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Small Business at California State University, Sacramento, indicates the expenditures by the state’s specialty crop growers create a ripple effect spurring the growth of more than 137,435 jobs. When it comes to labor income, more than $5.2 billion is generated as a result of industry spending, which is more than $14.3 million each day of the year. These dollars go to wages and salaries for new employment, as well as increasing incomes for those already in the labor force – a portion of which is reinvested throughout California’s economy to pay for an array of goods and services. Read the rest of this entry »
Organic grower Vern Peterson let us in on some cool info. In the video clip below from PPNTV, Vern describes how growers will actually have to wait 6 years before a stonefruit tree is ready to produce marketable fruit. Each tree has to reach a certain level of maturity to be able to deliver the proper nutrients to developing fruit.
This is what makes stonefruit growers unique compared to row crops like cotton or wheat. Stonefruit growers are in it for the long haul and treat the land and their orchards accordingly. Through good practices, continued research and developing technology, stonefruit growers are careful to keep an ecological balance in their orchards to hopefully ensure many more years of fresh California fruit.
The Summer’s first plums are ready for harvest! The first few weeks of May provide a glimpse at this Summer’s domestic stone fruit crop. The plums you see at the market over the winter are most likely from Chile or another South American source so it’s good to know that domestic plums are now available. Of the hundreds of varieties available through the summer each individual variety has only a 7-10 day harvesting window. Each variety has its own unique color, shape and most importantly taste.
The party’s over and it is almost time for plum trees to crash! After a summer spent sizing up sweet fruit for harvest, plum trees are dropping their leaves and getting ready for a winters rest.Growers measure the hours the tree has spent in weather below 45°. Most of the California varieties need between 700 and 1,000 chill hours before bloom in spring.
Part of what makes the San Joaquin Valley so unique for growing Stonefruit is the cold winters and dense fog layer. While the hot summer sun helps trees pack nutrients and natural sugars into the fruit, our fog layer during the winter helps each tree get the necessary “Chill Hours.” The layer of fog helps keep the valley floor 10°-20° cooler than it would be without.
Below is plum grower Paul Buxman talking about some of the other features of the Valley that help produce great plums.
Parlier, California - Rod Milton is a California peach, plum and nectarine grower in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. I had the chance to talk with him this summer out in one of his plum orchards. We were working on a video project called PPN TV, a collection of short clips from California growers that is intended to let them share some of their history and family stories.
Over the past few years agriculture and farming have been a larger topic of interest to most Americans. Modern day “Victory Gardens” are popping up in urban areas and the general public just wants to know where their food is coming from. Even the USDA is launching a new program called “Know your Farmer, know your food.” Some are skeptical of the program, some are not, either way the message sounds great.
California growers have grouped together to make these videos to help reconnect with their consumers. They want to share their personalities and prospectives with everyone and would like to hear back as well. There are plenty of opinions, some misguided about agriculture today, why not hear one right from the growers heart. Any comment posted on Plumbelievable, or the video sites with their clips will get back to the growers.
Tarragon Turkey Salad Lettuce Cups with Plums and Toasted Almonds
Prep time: 15 minutes
12oz. Extra thick, deli-sliced, low sodium oven-roasted turkey breast
2 Fresh California plums, pitted and diced
½ cup thinly sliced celery
¼ cup minced red onion
¼ cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fat-free plain yogurt
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
Sea salt to taste
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
12 butter lettuce leaves
Directions
Stir together all ingredients except almonds and lettuce in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir in almonds just before serving. Spoon about 1/4 cup mixture into each lettuce leaf.
We had a chance to visit with Jeff Enos last week at his farm and packinghouse as he was harvesting the Tulare Giant prune variety. Most of the Tulare Giants were being packed for export to the European and Asian markets, as there is a much larger fresh prune market outside of the United States.
Enos is a third-generation plum grower who resides in Visalia, California, and still lives on the same farm established by his grandfather, Tony, in the late 1940s. The Enos family farm specializes in fresh California plums, Jeff’s favorite variety being the Catalina plum, which he describes as “crisp, juicy and totally refreshing.
Taking a short break from a busy packing line we took a walk through Jeff’s plum orchards and talked about his farm, what it means to him to be a farmer today and his plans for the future. He was upbeat and positive about his season so far, happy that there had been no weather related issues yet. Sometimes late season hailstorms can ruin entire crops. “Plums, although sturdier than nectarines and peaches are still delicate,” Jeff said, “late season hail storms can bruise the skin and sometimes knock the plum right off the tree.” Jeff talked about the care and time it takes to make sure the trees are getting the right amount of water and nutrients, only to be wiped out days before harvest by bad weather. As frustrating as that is, he explained how he tries not to stress out about the things that are out of his control and left to mother nature.
He expressed some of his fears that came along to new potential regulations that could make it difficult for him to stay in business. He hadn’t cited anything specific but just generally what new regulations mean to him. “It’s not that I disagree with any new regulations because most of them mean well, they have good intentions,” Jeff said, “it’s just that in tough economic times it’s difficult for me as a small grower to be able to spend the money it takes to meet those new regulations”
Keeping family in the business, Jeff had his two teenage daughters working alongside him in the packinghouse. Although they had been born into farming, they only have time to work on the farm during their summer break from school. When asked what he would like to see happen to farming in the next ten years, he glanced over to his two daughters, paused and expressed his concern that there are not that many young people getting into farming. Both as a result of lack of interest, and because of the financial barriers a young person must overcome to get into the business. “A bank, especially now, is not going to loan anyone especially a 22 year-old the money it takes to get a farm up and running,” Jeff said, “the start up costs are just too high.”
Jeff wants to see more young people come back to farming and continue what their families have started. “It takes a love and commitment to the land that I am trying to instill in my children with the hope that they will want to farm and continue our family’s farming tradition.”
We captured part of our time with Jeff and his daughters on film and will have more of our time together posted here shortly…stay tuned!
2 fresh California plums, pitted and very thinly sliced
3 cups baby or chopped arugula
½ cup slivered red onion
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Divide dough into 3 pieces; roll each into a very flat oval on a lightly floured board (about 7 X 11-inches). Place dough on baking sheets and brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Bake for 10 minutes. (May be prepared ahead to this point.) Just before serving, top each flatbread with 2/3 cup cheese. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. To prepare plum salad, toss remaining oil with remaining ingredients. Place equal amounts on each warm cheese flatbread and cut into 3-inch slices to serve.
Makes 6 Servings Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 40 to 45 minutes
Prep time: 20 minutes
Marinate time: 12 to 24 hours
Cook time: 40 to 45 minutes
Ingredients
1/4cup balsamic vinegar
2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3/4teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon pepper
3cloves garlic, minced
2pounds boneless pork tenderloin
1 1/2pounds California plums, pitted and cubed
6tablespoons white wine
1 1/2tablespoons sugar
1tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
Place balsamic vinegar, oil, rosemary, salt, pepper, garlic and pork in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours to marinate. To prepare coulis, puree plums in a blender or food processor. Press mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove all skins and solids. Place plum puree in a small saucepan with wine and sugar; simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, then stir in rosemary. Let cool. Grill pork over medium heat until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F. Let rest for 5 minutes then cut into 1/4-inch thick diagonal slices. Pour plum coulis on a platter and top with sliced pork. Garnish with additional fresh rosemary and grilled plum slices, if desired.
Per serving: 460 calories, 52g protein, 23g carbohydrate, 15g total fat, 145mg cholesterol, 570mg sodium, 2g fiber.
