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<strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong><br />
Creating Habitat for Pollinators: What to<br />
Know and What to Consider<br />
Benefits to Using Barn Owls for Rodent Control<br />
Transitioning to Organic Olives<br />
Organic Produce Sales Continue Strong Showing<br />
NOVEMBER<br />
3 rd<br />
See Page 39<br />
Volume 4: Issue: 5<br />
(Photo by McEvoy Ranch)
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2 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
4<br />
8<br />
12<br />
16<br />
20<br />
IN THIS ISSUE<br />
Creating Habitat for<br />
Pollinators: What to Know<br />
and What to Consider<br />
Benefits to Using Barn<br />
Owls for Rodent Control<br />
Transitioning to<br />
Organic Olives<br />
Organic Produce Sales<br />
Continue Strong Showing<br />
Veterans Grow New<br />
Careers in Agriculture<br />
4<br />
PUBLISHER: Jason Scott<br />
Email: jason@jcsmarketinginc.com<br />
EDITOR: Marni Katz<br />
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Cecilia Parsons<br />
Email: article@jcsmarketinginc.com<br />
PRODUCTION: design@jcsmarketinginc.com<br />
Phone: 559.352.4456<br />
Fax: 559.472.3113<br />
Web: www.organicfarmingmag.com<br />
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS<br />
& INDUSTRY SUPPORT<br />
Amy Barstow<br />
Manager, USDA<br />
NRCS Corvallis Plant<br />
Materials Center<br />
Danita Cahill<br />
Contributing Writer<br />
Taylor Chalstrom<br />
Assistant Editor<br />
Stacie Clary<br />
Western Sustainable<br />
Agriculture Research &<br />
Education<br />
Margo Hale<br />
Armed to Farm<br />
Program Director,<br />
NCAT<br />
Sabrina Halvorson<br />
Contributing Writer<br />
Neal Kinsey<br />
Kinsey Ag Services<br />
Mitch Lies<br />
Contributing Writer<br />
Robyn Metzger<br />
Armed to Farm Program<br />
Coordinator, NCAT<br />
24<br />
28<br />
34<br />
36<br />
Hemp Research Takes a<br />
Closer Look at Plant<br />
Responses to Nitrogen<br />
Determining the Best<br />
Organic Fertility for<br />
Trees: Part 2<br />
Growing Blueberries in<br />
Western Regions<br />
Drought Affects Urban<br />
Farmers in California<br />
8<br />
UC COOPERATIVE EXTENSION<br />
ADVISORY BOARD<br />
Surendra Dara<br />
UCCE Entomology and<br />
Biologicals Advisor, San Luis<br />
Obispo and Santa Barbara<br />
Counties<br />
Kevin Day<br />
County Director/UCCE<br />
Pomology Farm Advisor,<br />
Tulare/Kings Counties<br />
Elizabeth Fichtner<br />
UCCE Farm Advisor,<br />
Tulare County<br />
Katherine Jarvis-Shean<br />
UCCE Area Orchard Systems<br />
Advisor, Sacramento,<br />
Solano and Yolo Counties<br />
Steven Koike<br />
Tri-Cal Diagnostics<br />
Jhalendra Rijal<br />
UCCE Integrated Pest<br />
Management Advisor,<br />
Stanislaus County<br />
Kris Tollerup<br />
UCCE Integrated Pest<br />
Management Advisor,<br />
Parlier<br />
Mohammad Yaghmour<br />
UCCE Area Orchard Systems<br />
Advisor, Kern County<br />
34<br />
The articles, research, industry updates,<br />
company profiles, and advertisements in this<br />
publication are the professional opinions of<br />
writers and advertisers. Organic Farmer does<br />
not assume any responsibility for the opinions<br />
given in the publication.<br />
<strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong> www.organicfarmermag.com 3
CREATING HABITAT FOR<br />
POLLINATORS: WHAT TO KNOW<br />
AND WHAT TO CONSIDER<br />
By AMY BARTOW | Manager, USDA NRCS Corvallis Plant Materials Center<br />
Permanent pollinator habitat installed between vineyard rows. Mix includes Willamette Valley native prairie species (all photos by A. Bartow.)<br />
It’s one of the last warm fall days<br />
and bumblebees are actively foraging<br />
on the remaining flowers in our pollinator<br />
habitat, and scraggly California<br />
poppies and asters are some of the last<br />
holdouts. Creating pollinator habitat<br />
is quite easy. If you build it, they will<br />
come. Pollinators face many issues, but<br />
one of the biggest is habitat loss. It is<br />
estimated that more than 1,300 types of<br />
plants are grown around the world for<br />
food, beverages, medicines, condiments,<br />
spices and even fabric. Of these, about<br />
75% are pollinated by animals.<br />
More than one of every three bites of<br />
food we eat or beverages we drink are<br />
directly because of pollinators. Aside<br />
from pollinator services, they are also<br />
a major part of the food web and are an<br />
important source of food for birds, especially<br />
for when they are rearing their<br />
young. Installing pollinator habitat also<br />
benefits soil health by having a diverse<br />
set of plants that support soil microbes.<br />
Additionally, having a perennial habitat<br />
means less tillage, living roots throughout<br />
the year, and the pollinator habitat<br />
covers the soil.<br />
Planting a wildflower seed mix is a<br />
great way to create habitat for native<br />
pollinators, beneficial insects and honeybees.<br />
However, choosing which seed<br />
mix to buy can be a daunting task as<br />
there are many different mixes available<br />
on the market. The USDA NRCS<br />
Corvallis Plant Materials Center spent<br />
four years studying pollinator mixes to<br />
determine the most important factors<br />
to consider:<br />
1. Establishing season-long bloom is<br />
important for sustaining pollen and<br />
nectar resources throughout the<br />
growing season.<br />
2. At least three different species<br />
flowering at any given time.<br />
3. For perennial habitat, mixes that<br />
have about 25% annuals and 75%<br />
perennials seem to create a balanced<br />
bloom over the lifespan of the<br />
habitat.<br />
4. Grasses are good to include in small<br />
amounts and only use bunchgrasses<br />
(not rhizomatous grasses.)<br />
Season-long Bloom<br />
Season-long bloom can be achieved by<br />
focusing on early blooming and late<br />
blooming species, and most mixes will<br />
have plenty of “mid-season” blooming<br />
plants. Overwintering pollinators such<br />
as bumblebees heavily rely on early<br />
blooming plants as primary resources<br />
to re-grow their colony. Providing late<br />
blooming plants is also very important<br />
for pollinators because there are less<br />
plants blooming in late summer and<br />
fall.<br />
In unirrigated systems, finding late<br />
blooming plants can be challenging,<br />
but asters tend to grow well without<br />
irrigating and bloom until winter shuts<br />
them down. Some annuals, such as<br />
California poppies, bloom well into fall.<br />
When looking over the species list for a<br />
particular mix, be sure to understand<br />
Continued on Page 6<br />
4 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
®<br />
IMAGINATION<br />
INNOVATION<br />
SCIENCE IN ACTION
Continued from Page 4<br />
when each species blooms and make<br />
sure to select mixes with early and late<br />
blooming species.<br />
A brochure that has a bloom calendar<br />
on page 4 which covers some of the<br />
more common species used in pollinator<br />
mixes in western Oregon and<br />
Washington can be found on the NRCS<br />
website at nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_<br />
PLANTMATERIALS/publications/<br />
orpmcbr13465.pdf.<br />
A similar brochure that has a bloom<br />
calendar on page 4 which includes<br />
species more common in Montana and<br />
Wyoming can be found at nrcs.usda.<br />
gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERI-<br />
ALS/publications/mtpmcbr13642.pdf.<br />
Multiple Species<br />
Having multiple species blooming at<br />
any given time provides a varied diet<br />
for generalist pollinators and can also<br />
host a variety of specialist pollinators<br />
who might be attracted to a certain color<br />
of flower or can only access a certain<br />
shaped flower. In other words, floral<br />
diversity is also as important as floral<br />
abundance.<br />
This patch of wildflowers has been blooming since March when first warm days of spring<br />
brought the bumblebee queens out of hibernation.<br />
Annuals vs Perennials<br />
Annuals are the easiest way to provide<br />
floral abundance. Annuals also fit very<br />
well into many farming systems and<br />
can be used as “season extenders” as<br />
they are often some of the first species<br />
to bloom and can be grown later in<br />
the season to fill the late-season gap.<br />
Most wildflower mixes are a blend of<br />
annual and perennial species because<br />
most people are looking for a habitat<br />
that they do not have to re-install every<br />
growing season.<br />
Most farms have some areas that can<br />
Annual pollinator mix used as a field border. Mix contains crimson clover, lacy phacelia,<br />
meadowfoam, dwarf clarkia and California poppies.<br />
NOV.<br />
3rd, <strong>2021</strong><br />
be set aside and dedicated to pollinator<br />
habitat. Mixes that include perennial<br />
and annual species are the best way to<br />
create permanent habitat. The annuals<br />
provide first-year bloom and cover<br />
while the perennials are becoming<br />
established, but the annuals usually<br />
disappear over time. Short-lived perennials<br />
bloom heavily in the second year<br />
and usually re-seed themselves. Long-<br />
SEE PAGE 6 39 FOR MORE Organic INFORMATION Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
lived perennials will continue to bloom<br />
every year and expand over time.<br />
Pollinators evolved with native plants,<br />
so they seem like the best choice for the<br />
bulk of the pollinator plants we should<br />
use. The biochemistry of native plant<br />
pollen and nectar is the best match<br />
for the biochemical needs of native<br />
pollinators. However, many pollinators<br />
are generalists and will use non-native<br />
plants. Native plants are adapted to<br />
your area, and if you are in an area with<br />
summer drought, native plants should<br />
bloom and thrive with low inputs and<br />
no irrigation.<br />
Best Practices<br />
Installing a pollinator seed mix is<br />
similar to seeding a lawn. All existing<br />
vegetation needs to be killed and the<br />
soil needs to be loosened so the seeds<br />
can have good soil contact. Wildflower<br />
seeds are very small and should not be<br />
covered by more than 0.25 inches of<br />
soil. In temperate climates, fall seeding<br />
is best as native plants will grow in<br />
the fall and winter. In areas with cold<br />
winters, spring seeding may be more<br />
successful depending on the species<br />
you are using. Usually, the vendor will<br />
provide information about when it’s<br />
best to seed their mix.<br />
Weeds tend to be the most challenging<br />
aspect. If establishing pollinator plants<br />
from seed, you need bare ground. This<br />
involves killing some if not all of the<br />
existing plant community and can<br />
be done by smothering, solarizing,<br />
tilling or chemicals. And in most soils,<br />
there is a massive bank of weed seeds<br />
waiting to germinate as soon as the<br />
soil is bare. So if the weed seed bank<br />
can be reduced, your seeds will have<br />
less competition. Many “weeds” are<br />
beneficial to pollinators but are intolerable<br />
in farming systems. Therefore, it is<br />
up to each farmer to decide if the weed<br />
pressure is acceptable.<br />
Creating pollinator habitat is simple<br />
and easy to do in all types of farming<br />
systems. For more information, refer to<br />
our Pollinator Plants for Oregon Tech<br />
Note at nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_<br />
PLANTMATERIALS/publications/<br />
orpmstn7451.pdf.<br />
There are Plant Material Centers in<br />
every region of the country; visit our<br />
National website for more information<br />
about the center that serves your area<br />
at nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/<br />
plantmaterials/pmc/. For NRCS financial<br />
assistance or technical assistance in<br />
creating pollinator habitats, find your<br />
local USDA Service Center at offices.<br />
sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app.<br />
Comments about this article? We want<br />
to hear from you. Feel free to email us at<br />
article@jcsmarketinginc.com<br />
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<strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong> www.organicfarmermag.com 7
Like any biocontrol option, barn owls won’t drive pest populations to<br />
zero and may need to be augmented with rodenticides occasionally (all<br />
photos courtesy Ryan Bourbour.)<br />
BENEFITS TO USING<br />
BARN OWLS FOR<br />
RODENT CONTROL<br />
Barn owls are big,<br />
beautiful biocontrol.<br />
By STACIE CLARY | Western Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education<br />
"<br />
Barn owls are rodent-killing<br />
machines,” said Sara Kross, a<br />
lecturer at Columbia University,<br />
“They are natural predators of gophers<br />
and voles, which can be really horrible<br />
pests for agriculture.”<br />
For farmers, ranchers and/or land<br />
managers facing serious rodent problems,<br />
encouraging native barn owls to<br />
nest on their land can provide effective,<br />
ongoing biocontrol. The Western<br />
Sustainable Agriculture Research and<br />
Education (SARE) program has funded<br />
multiple research projects, such as one<br />
by Kross, looking at how to incorporate<br />
barn owls into a broader integrated<br />
pest management system. From this<br />
research, the program has developed<br />
a four-page “How To Guide” with tips<br />
for welcoming in barn owls to provide<br />
rodent control.<br />
The Research<br />
Barn owls are effective biocontrol<br />
against rodents, but like any biocontrol<br />
option, they won’t drive pest populations<br />
to zero and may need to be augmented<br />
with rodenticides occasionally.<br />
Kross’ study looked at the frequency<br />
and level owls on farms are being exposed<br />
to rodenticides through analysis<br />
of their pellets, droppings and blood.<br />
The team looked for the effects of that<br />
rodenticide exposure on the owls.<br />
One farm where the team has been<br />
conducting its research is Matchbook<br />
Wine Company’s vineyards in the<br />
Dunnigan Hills north of Sacramento.<br />
“My family’s been growing wine<br />
grapes here since the 1970s, and<br />
controlling rodents is a big part of our<br />
integrated pest management program,”<br />
said Matchbook’s Greg Giguiere. “We<br />
have 40 owl boxes on the farm. The<br />
rodent control is what we’re after,<br />
and it’s part of having an integrated<br />
system of biodiversity and biological<br />
controls to complement the chemical<br />
options we have for controlling these<br />
types of things.”<br />
Another aspect of the project is tracking<br />
where the owls hunt. For that,<br />
adults were fitted with little GPS backpacks<br />
that recorded their movements<br />
for up to two weeks at a time before the<br />
backpacks were transferred to a different<br />
bird to record more data.<br />
“Barn owls are an excellent study species<br />
because they come back to sleep in<br />
these boxes during the day, so we can<br />
“BARN OWLS ARE AN<br />
EXCELLENT STUDY<br />
SPECIES BECAUSE<br />
THEY COME BACK<br />
TO SLEEP IN THESE<br />
BOXES DURING THE<br />
DAY, SO WE CAN<br />
SAFELY RECAPTURE<br />
THEM.”<br />
– RYAN BOURBOUR, UC DAVIS<br />
safely recapture them,” says Ryan Bourbour,<br />
a Ph.D. student at UC Davis who<br />
is tracking the owls.<br />
The study data is helping growers place<br />
barn owl boxes in the locations that<br />
will do them the most good and place<br />
rodenticide bait stations in the periods<br />
and places that cause the owls the least<br />
harm.<br />
And that is very attractive to Giguiere.<br />
Continued on Page 10<br />
8 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
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(559) 470-4914<br />
onavarro@agromillora.com
Providing barn owls with artificial nest<br />
boxes on your farm and ranch helps them<br />
because natural nest sites are often a<br />
limiting factor for barn owl populations.<br />
Continued from Page 8<br />
“A big part of farming is being connected<br />
to the land,” he said. “So, a lot of<br />
what we do goes to that. I’ve been very<br />
interested in reducing chemical inputs<br />
into our system and moving away<br />
from a monoculture and having more<br />
biodiversity. So, it’s a very exciting<br />
program and we’re definitely on board<br />
and moving forward, and want to do<br />
even more habitats for hawks and other<br />
predators.”<br />
Are Barn Owls Right for<br />
Your Operation?<br />
Barn owls can help keep rodent populations<br />
under control and deter rodent<br />
damage to fields, irrigation<br />
lines and equipment. As night-hunters,<br />
they’re effective at controlling mice,<br />
gophers and voles. Their<br />
boxes can also serve as hunting platforms<br />
for day-hunters like hawks, kestrels<br />
and eagles, which can help control<br />
and deter ground squirrel populations.<br />
In addition, there’s often great satisfaction<br />
knowing you’re hosting and helping<br />
these gorgeous natural predators.<br />
For farmers, ranchers and/or land managers facing serious rodent problems, encouraging<br />
native barn owls to nest on their land can provide effective, ongoing biocontrol.<br />
If you have a serious rodent problem in<br />
your fields, barn owls can help. Providing<br />
barn owls with artificial nest boxes<br />
on your farm and ranch helps them<br />
because natural nest sites are often a<br />
limiting factor for barn owl populations.<br />
During the mating and nesting season,<br />
barn owls are looking for a safe place<br />
to raise their young and a lot of rodents<br />
to feed them. If you already have the<br />
rodents, you just need to add owl boxes<br />
to house the barn owls.<br />
For even better rodent control, also<br />
install raptor perches when you install<br />
barn owl boxes. Mount a wooden cross<br />
brace to a 10- to 15-foot-high pole.<br />
Hawks and kestrels will use them while<br />
hunting during the day, and barn owls<br />
use them at night.<br />
Developed from this research, Western<br />
SARE’s free How-To Guide (western.<br />
sare.org/resources/welcome-in-barnowls-to-provide-rodent-control/)<br />
takes<br />
you through decision-making, provides<br />
tips on how to provide nest boxes and<br />
describes how to site and maintain the<br />
boxes as well as how to determine if<br />
they are working.<br />
Western SARE has developed multiple<br />
research-based How-To Guides<br />
for farmers and ranchers that can be<br />
downloaded for free at western.sare.<br />
org/learning-and-resources/how-toquick-guides/.<br />
Comments about this article? We want<br />
to hear from you. Feel free to email us at<br />
article@jcsmarketinginc.com<br />
10 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
Transitioning to Organic Olives<br />
"Olives are a noble crop.”<br />
By SABRINA HALVORSON | Contributing Writer<br />
Dr. Javier Fernandez Salvador is<br />
the executive director of the UC<br />
Davis Robert Mondavi Institute<br />
Olive Center. For more than 20 years<br />
before his current position, he worked<br />
extensively in organic production of<br />
various specialty crops and served on an<br />
organic review committee, worked in<br />
organic certification and conducted organic<br />
research. When asked to compare<br />
organic olives to other organic crops, he<br />
had a wealth of experience to rely on.<br />
Compared to some crops that are more<br />
delicate or have more pest and disease<br />
pressure, olives can face fewer problems<br />
with organic production, Salvador<br />
said. Still, there are some threats to<br />
olives that can be difficult to manage<br />
organically. Among them, the fungal<br />
disease olive knot.<br />
Olive Knot<br />
“Olive knot comes after pruning, which<br />
is normally in the winter here,” Salvador<br />
said. “If your neighbor has a lot of<br />
it, or if you’re sharing labor or pruning<br />
crews with your neighbor, you might<br />
bring in olive knot.”<br />
Olive knot can be difficult even for<br />
conventional growers to manage. If infections<br />
occur on the trunks of young<br />
trees, it can kill them. On older trees, it<br />
can lower productivity and cause the<br />
fruit to have an off flavor. Management<br />
is primarily preventative. One method<br />
is to prune during the dry months<br />
of summer to prevent fungal growth.<br />
Preventive bactericide applications are<br />
also advised. Salvador said there are<br />
some organic options, such as applying<br />
copper after pruning.<br />
The trees at McEvoy were imported from Italy and have been producing olives since the ranch<br />
was founded in 1990 (all photos courtesy McEvoy Ranch.)<br />
“But it’s much easier and better if your<br />
system and location is geared for organic<br />
production from the get-go,” he<br />
said. That would include maintaining<br />
a high level of orchard sanitization<br />
geared toward preventing the spread of<br />
such crop diseases. Salvador has seen<br />
practices such as shoe covers or full<br />
body suits used to prevent cross-contamination<br />
used in organic crops in<br />
other countries, but it hasn’t become<br />
common practice here.<br />
“It would be good to do,” he said.<br />
Yield Disparity<br />
Another consideration for organic<br />
producers, especially those converting<br />
from conventional to organic acreage,<br />
is the difference in yield.<br />
“When you talk about conversion, I<br />
think one of the important things to<br />
consider is what is your goal regarding<br />
yield,” he explained. “For example,<br />
there’s a couple of very large producers<br />
here in California who work with<br />
thousands and thousands of acres<br />
who are now exploring and starting to<br />
transition some acreage to organic. In<br />
their system, trying to reach the same<br />
yield that they reach in conventional<br />
could be challenging because of how<br />
intensive it could be for that type of super<br />
high-density plant. We really don’t<br />
have a lot of data on super high-den-<br />
12 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
Compared to some crops that are more delicate or have more pest and disease pressure, olives can face fewer problems with organic production.<br />
sity planting when it comes to organic<br />
production.”<br />
He said a lot depends on the grower’s<br />
goals.<br />
“If your goal is to continue to obtain a<br />
lower yield but to focus on quality, then<br />
you can probably convert or establish<br />
an orchard with organic practices that<br />
is not extremely risky or cumbersome<br />
to do,” he said. “You have to account<br />
for that when you’re talking about high<br />
quality and low input. That comes with<br />
the philosophy and the mentality that<br />
you understand from the beginning<br />
that your goal won’t be to produce an<br />
incredible tonnage per acre but to focus<br />
on obtaining a high-quality crop that<br />
can be managed organically.”<br />
Organics at McEvoy Ranch<br />
A focus on quality is the goal at McEvoy<br />
Ranch.<br />
“For us, the core of our organic farming<br />
is tending the soil and having healthy<br />
soil as the basis of our farming operation,”<br />
said Samantha Dorsey, president<br />
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Continued from Page 13<br />
of McEvoy Ranch, a family-owned<br />
farm in Petaluma, Calif. that produces<br />
organic olive oil as well as wine, jams<br />
and several other products. “That<br />
includes having soil that’s alive, active<br />
and full of microorganisms and nutrients.<br />
And I think for most organic<br />
farmers, that’s the heart and soul of<br />
their organic farming, ensuring that<br />
their soil has excellent conditions so<br />
they can produce an excellent crop.”<br />
Dorsey said the main differences<br />
she has found between organic and<br />
conventional crops are in weed control<br />
and fertilizer availability.<br />
One consideration for organic olive producers, especially those converting from conventional<br />
to organic acreage, is the difference in yield.<br />
“We end up investing more in our<br />
weed control and our fertilization program<br />
just because we have a different<br />
toolbox that we can use,” she said.<br />
Another factor for all farmers in California<br />
is the availability of water, or<br />
lack thereof. When it comes to drought,<br />
Dorsey expects there to be a long-term<br />
effect on the crop.<br />
“I think it’s going to be that we will<br />
likely see fewer tons per acre, or as<br />
some farms measure it, gallons per acre<br />
that they’re able to get out of the final<br />
product. I think we’re going to see a<br />
decrease in tons per acre as the trees<br />
stabilize and learn to live with less<br />
water,” Dorsey said. “But it’s going to<br />
depend on the water source. Our ranch<br />
here in Petaluma, we’re 100% dependent<br />
upon surface water runoff and<br />
surface irrigation ponds. We don’t pull<br />
any groundwater. Whereas there are<br />
many farmers who are working off well<br />
water whose water supply is going to<br />
last longer than someone like us. We’re<br />
really suffering this year because our<br />
ponds never filled.”<br />
She said they were missing about twothirds<br />
of the water that they usually get<br />
in winter. The low water supply also<br />
inhibits the uptake of nutrients by the<br />
trees. Trees need water to carry the nutrients<br />
from the soil into the roots. To<br />
help the trees get some of the nutrients<br />
With a focus on quality organic production is easy to manage, according to representatives of<br />
McEvoy Ranch.<br />
they need, the ranch used organic nitrogen<br />
pellets throughout the orchards.<br />
However, the area didn’t get the rain it<br />
needed to fully work those pellets into<br />
the soil.<br />
“The nutrients are there, they’re just not<br />
available to the trees,” she said. The<br />
ranch is focusing its water resources on<br />
the two orchards that have the highest<br />
crop set.<br />
The trees at McEvoy were imported<br />
from Italy and have been producing<br />
olives since the ranch was founded in<br />
1990. Despite the extra challenges and<br />
costs that come with organic farming,<br />
Dorsey said McEvoy Ranch will stay<br />
organic.<br />
“The McEvoy family has remained 100%<br />
committed to that throughout the life<br />
of the company. And that’s part of the<br />
joy of working for a family company,”<br />
she said. She has worked for the McEvoy’s<br />
for 20 years.<br />
“Part of why I’ve stayed and worked for<br />
them for so long is that commitment<br />
to sustainability and to the organic<br />
production.”<br />
Comments about this article? We want<br />
to hear from you. Feel free to email us at<br />
article@jcsmarketinginc.com<br />
14 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
ORGANIC PRODUCE<br />
SALES CONTINUE<br />
STRONG SHOWING<br />
By MITCH LIES | Contributing Writer<br />
Year-over-year organic produce<br />
sales continued with a strong<br />
showing in quarter two of <strong>2021</strong>,<br />
overcoming the reopening of restaurants,<br />
which drove down conventional<br />
produce sales from the same period a<br />
year ago, to post a 4% increase, according<br />
to a report from the Organic<br />
Produce Network.<br />
“I think it is encouraging that even<br />
though consumer purchases of conventional<br />
produce were lower than<br />
quarter two of 2020, organic produce<br />
continued to generate growth,” said<br />
Steve Lutz, senior vice president of<br />
Insights and Innovation at Category<br />
Partners, which compiled the quarterly<br />
report for the Organic Produce Network.<br />
The report compared sales from quarter<br />
two of 2020, when the shuttering of<br />
restaurants due to COVID-19 drove<br />
up retail produce sales, to sales from<br />
quarter two of <strong>2021</strong>, when restaurants<br />
were starting to reopen, contributing<br />
to more normal consumer purchase<br />
behavior.<br />
“Bottom line, we are going to start<br />
returning to a little more normalcy as<br />
we go forward,” said Matt Seeley, CEO<br />
of Organic Produce Network. “The<br />
numbers now reflect us coming out of<br />
last year’s pantry loading when people<br />
were doing more cooking at home.”<br />
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The quarter two report comes after<br />
a sensational year-over-year growth<br />
rate of 9% in organic produce sales in<br />
quarter one of <strong>2021</strong>. But those numbers<br />
were heavily skewed by COVID-19, according<br />
to Lutz, who said the absence<br />
of competition from restaurant sales<br />
drove up the retail numbers.<br />
“I think the takeaway [from the quarterly<br />
reports] is that the growth of<br />
organic produce retail over 10 years has<br />
consistently been at a higher rate than<br />
conventional. And that was true during<br />
the pandemic and it remains true coming<br />
out of the pandemic for the last two<br />
reports,” Lutz said.<br />
Consumer Preference<br />
At the heart of the steady increase,<br />
sources said, is ongoing consumer<br />
preference for organic produce, a preference<br />
amplified during the pandemic<br />
and in its aftermath, when health concerns<br />
continue to drive consumer food<br />
16 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
executive director of Oregon Tilth,<br />
which provides organic certifications to<br />
farms, handlers and distributors across<br />
the U.S. “More people are cooking at<br />
home, starting with fresh ingredients<br />
and kind of rediscovering the joy of<br />
cooking with fresh flavors.”<br />
In the quarterly reports, the Organic<br />
Produce Network and Category Partners<br />
analyze retail sales at the supermarket<br />
level. The reports don’t capture<br />
farmers’ market sales, community<br />
supported agriculture sales, or other<br />
farm-direct sales.<br />
purchase decisions.<br />
Sources say COVID brought renewed interest in health and healthy eating.<br />
“During this time, peoples’ health is<br />
at top of mind,” Seeley said. “It is very<br />
front-and-center, and organic fresh<br />
produce has some tremendous attributes<br />
as it relates to providing consumers<br />
and mothers who are trying to feed<br />
their kids and their families healthy,<br />
nutritious food options. Organic fits<br />
that bill very nicely.”<br />
“I think eating habits changed as a<br />
result of what we experienced last year,<br />
and some of those habits are persisting<br />
into this year,” said Chris Schreiner,<br />
The quarter two report showed U.S.<br />
sales for all organic produce sectors<br />
totaled just under $2.3 billion, up 4.1%<br />
in dollars and 0.2% in volume from the<br />
same quarter a year ago. Meanwhile,<br />
conventional produce saw dollar sales<br />
decrease by 3.3% in quarter two and<br />
saw volume fall by 8.6% compared to<br />
Continued on Page 18<br />
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Continued from Page 17<br />
the same period a year ago.<br />
One interesting nugget in the quarter<br />
two report is that for the first time,<br />
berries overtook packaged salads as<br />
the number-one organic category in<br />
dollar sales. Year-over-year berry sales<br />
increased by 19% in the second quarter,<br />
with volume up 16% during the same<br />
time frame. Total organic berry sales<br />
topped $435 million for the quarter.<br />
The top ten organic produce categories<br />
showed mixed results, according to<br />
the report, with berries, apples, lettuce,<br />
bananas and citrus making sales gains,<br />
while packaged salads, herbs, carrots,<br />
tomatoes and potatoes showed modest<br />
declines.<br />
Promising Outlook<br />
Looking forward, Lutz sees no reason<br />
for organic sales to stop their growth<br />
and believes they will continue to<br />
increase at a higher rate than conventional<br />
sales.<br />
“I think they will for a couple of reasons,”<br />
he said. “One is the cost differential<br />
continues to come down. Producers<br />
continue to get better and more competitive,<br />
and so, what we are continuing<br />
to see is the price gap, the premium<br />
that organic carries over conventional,<br />
is narrowing. And as that price premium<br />
narrows, more and more consumers<br />
will make that jump.<br />
“And the second piece is continuity of<br />
supply,” Lutz continued. “Retail stores<br />
can’t live with sporadic supplies. They<br />
have to have the same product at the<br />
same price and the same quality and<br />
run it, maybe not for 52 weeks because<br />
of seasonality, but they have to run it<br />
consistently. They just can’t deal with<br />
variations in supply and variations in<br />
pricing.<br />
“So, what we are seeing is that as organic<br />
becomes more prevalent and it is<br />
more widely available, the consistency-of-supply<br />
issue gets solved, the price<br />
premium comes down, and both of<br />
those make the produce more attractive<br />
to the retailer for an ongoing item to<br />
Organic produce sales showed significant year-over-year gains in both the first and<br />
second quarter of <strong>2021</strong>. Here, workers at Gathering Together Farms in Philomath, Ore.<br />
harvest melons (photo courtesy Oregon Tilth.)<br />
“<br />
“I think it is encouraging that even though consumer<br />
purchases of conventional produce were<br />
lower than quarter two of 2020, organic produce<br />
continued to generate growth.”<br />
– Steve Lutz, Category Partners<br />
slot in their store that they can permanently<br />
give space to on a retail shelf,”<br />
Lutz said.<br />
Schreiner said Oregon Tilth has seen<br />
a significant uptick in organic certifications<br />
as of late, a reflection of the increased<br />
popularity of organic produce.<br />
So far into the <strong>2021</strong> certification season,<br />
the organic certifier is averaging about<br />
35 new applicants per month, he said.<br />
During last year’s certification season,<br />
Oregon Tilth was averaging about 25<br />
applicants per month.<br />
“This is a long-term trend in the area<br />
of growth in the food market,” Schreiner<br />
said. “I think there is a growing<br />
awareness of healthy food as preventative<br />
health care. And I think, secondly,<br />
there is this kind of larger sense of<br />
community and environmental health<br />
that is helping drive sales.<br />
“So, I think it is a combination of both<br />
of those factors that is motivating<br />
peoples’ choices,” he continued. “And I<br />
think as more food operations get into<br />
organics, that will drive public investment<br />
and public resources into figuring<br />
out how to make this food system work<br />
as well as possible.”<br />
”<br />
“If you look at consumer research, what<br />
you see consistently is that organic is<br />
perceived to be superior to conventional<br />
by the majority of consumers in<br />
almost every way except one, and that<br />
is cost.” Lutz said. “And that higher cost<br />
remains a barrier.<br />
“For the majority of consumers, if they<br />
could switch to organic and the cost<br />
barrier is not insurmountable, they will<br />
make the switch,” he continued. “That<br />
is what the long-term trend has shown<br />
is that consumers are looking for ways<br />
to make that switch, and it is really just<br />
a question of is the price premium too<br />
high, or is the product in some way different<br />
from the conventional alternative<br />
that they are used to buying.<br />
“So, the quality has got to be consistent.<br />
The package size has to be consistent.<br />
The varieties have to be consistent,”<br />
Lutz said. “But if you equal all of those<br />
out, consumers are making the switch.”<br />
Comments about this article? We want<br />
to hear from you. Feel free to email us at<br />
article@jcsmarketinginc.com<br />
18 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
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Veterans Grow<br />
New Careers in<br />
Agriculture<br />
By ROBYN METZGER | Armed to Farm Program Coordinator, NCAT<br />
and MARGO HALE | Armed to Farm Program Director, NCAT<br />
Sara Creech, an Air Force veteran,<br />
has been farming in Indiana<br />
since 2012, and says she knew<br />
from the beginning that she wanted<br />
her farm to be certified organic. She’s<br />
one of more than 350,000 veteran<br />
or active-duty service members<br />
involved in farming in the U.S. (2017<br />
USDA Ag Census). She’s also one of<br />
the hundreds of farmer veterans who<br />
have completed the Armed to Farm<br />
training program developed by the<br />
National Center for Appropriate Technology<br />
(NCAT).<br />
NCAT’s Armed to Farm<br />
Armed to Farm is a sustainable agriculture<br />
training program for military<br />
veterans. NCAT, a national nonprofit<br />
organization based in Butte, Mont.,<br />
arranged the first Armed to Farm<br />
training through a Beginning Farmer<br />
and Rancher Development Project<br />
with the University of Arkansas. The<br />
program has expanded over the past<br />
eight years with support from a cooperative<br />
agreement with USDA-Rural<br />
Development.<br />
Since launching the program in 2013,<br />
our guiding goals have been:<br />
Farmer-veteran Sara Creech, right, learns about goat health care at NCAT’s 2013 Armed to<br />
Farm training in Fayetteville, Ark. (photo by R. Metzger.)<br />
▶ To train veterans and their partners<br />
to operate sustainable crop<br />
and livestock enterprises.<br />
▶ To create a network of veterans<br />
and their families who are starting<br />
careers in sustainable agriculture.<br />
▶ To provide technical assistance<br />
to participants as they start and<br />
improve their farming operations.<br />
Over the past eight years, Armed to<br />
Farm has supported more than 800<br />
veterans from 45 states with hands-on<br />
and classroom learning opportunities.<br />
Farmer veterans learn how to make a<br />
business plan and market their products,<br />
set business goals and develop<br />
lasting mentorships with seasoned<br />
20 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
Sara Creech, left, leads an Armed to Farm training group on a tour of her Indiana farm in<br />
2019 (photo by R. Metzger.)<br />
farmers. Participants meet representatives<br />
from USDA agencies, including<br />
the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources<br />
Conservation Service and the<br />
Small Business Administration’s Small<br />
Business Development Centers. They<br />
learn how to access farm programs for<br />
help with business development and<br />
improving farm infrastructure.<br />
Tours and Training<br />
The training also features farm tours<br />
and hands-on activities at a variety of<br />
successful farms, some of which are<br />
veteran-owned. Participants learn from<br />
seasoned farmers and gain direct experience<br />
on livestock, vegetable, fruit and<br />
agritourism operations.<br />
Armed to Farm now offers three training<br />
series:<br />
▶ Flagship, weeklong hands-on and<br />
classroom training for new farmer<br />
veterans.<br />
FREE online information<br />
on soil health, produce safety, water management and more<br />
ara.org/publicaons<br />
Help line: 800-346-9140<br />
How can ATTRA help you?<br />
Trusted technical assistance for over 30 years<br />
▶ Armed to Urban Farm’s weeklong<br />
training focuses on veterans who<br />
are new farmers in urban areas.<br />
Continued on Page 22<br />
<strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong> www.organicfarmermag.com 21
Continued from Page 21<br />
▶ Armed to Farm 2.0 is advanced<br />
sustainable agriculture training<br />
designed for farmer veterans who<br />
have completed a previous weeklong<br />
session. This training provides<br />
in-depth curriculum on business<br />
planning, financial management,<br />
marketing and scaling-up production.<br />
We tailor hands-on activities<br />
at area farms to participants’ needs<br />
and focus on more advanced<br />
production, marketing and entrepreneurship<br />
techniques.<br />
Farmer veterans who complete one of<br />
the training series stay connected to<br />
their peers and often develop close ties<br />
to other farmers. The Armed to Farm<br />
program also provides opportunities<br />
for in-person and virtual veteran<br />
networking events as well as limited<br />
scholarships for veterans to attend<br />
agricultural conferences and trainings<br />
presented by other organizations.<br />
Armed to Farm educational opportunities<br />
continue after the weeklong trainings<br />
with webinars, podcasts and other<br />
online resources provided through<br />
NCAT’s ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture<br />
Program. The ATTRA program<br />
has built a trusted knowledge base over<br />
the last 30 years on everything from<br />
livestock, horticulture and agronomy<br />
to marketing and farm energy.<br />
The ATTRA website hosts more than<br />
500 farmer-friendly publications on<br />
agricultural production and marketing,<br />
plus webinars, tutorials, videos,<br />
podcast episodes and more. The<br />
website includes an extensive section<br />
on organic farming. This multimedia<br />
knowledge base is available free online,<br />
and our staff members are always available<br />
to provide one-on-one technical<br />
assistance. To contact our agriculture<br />
specialists, farmers can:<br />
1. Call ATTRA at 800-346-9140<br />
(English) or 800-411-3222 (Spanish)<br />
2. Email or text questions to askanag@<br />
ncat.org<br />
3. Submit questions through our<br />
website chat box at<br />
ATTRA.NCAT.ORG<br />
Why Veterans Choose Agriculture<br />
Over the years, we’ve learned that<br />
veterans are drawn to farming for<br />
many reasons. They find satisfaction<br />
in problem-solving and overcoming<br />
the challenges of farming, being their<br />
own boss and providing support and<br />
employment for other veterans. Many<br />
veterans also are drawn to farming<br />
because working outside with plants or<br />
animals, and feeding healthy food to<br />
their families and communities, helps<br />
them deal with post-traumatic stress<br />
disorder (PTSD) and other effects of<br />
being deployed.<br />
‘VETERANS MAKE<br />
GREAT FARMERS<br />
BECAUSE THEY ARE<br />
NOT AFRAID <strong>OF</strong> HARD<br />
WORK OR SETBACKS.<br />
THEY’RE NOT DE-<br />
TERRED WHEN THINGS<br />
GO WRONG, AND IN<br />
FARMING, THINGS<br />
ALWAYS GO WRONG!’<br />
As Creech said recently, “Farming can<br />
be a way to use nature as therapy.”<br />
Studies and anecdotal evidence show<br />
farming has proven therapeutic value.<br />
Another Armed to Farm alumna, an<br />
Air Force veteran, farmer and doctor<br />
at Walter Reed Hospital, prescribes<br />
gardening and farming to her patients<br />
and has seen positive results.<br />
Veterans make great farmers because<br />
they are not afraid of hard work or<br />
setbacks. They’re not deterred when<br />
things go wrong, and in farming,<br />
things always go wrong! But when<br />
veterans encounter an obstacle, they<br />
quickly reassess, formulate a new plan<br />
and follow through. The mission mindset<br />
they honed during military service<br />
is a great asset for farming. They also<br />
have an entrepreneurial spirit. Many<br />
veterans pursue not just one or two<br />
farming enterprises, but also produce<br />
value-added products and have creative<br />
farm business ideas.<br />
NCAT Northeast Regional Director Andy Pressman, left, leads a group exercise on<br />
whole-farm planning during the 2019 Armed to Urban Farm in Cleveland, Ohio<br />
(photo by M. Hale.)<br />
One Veteran’s Story<br />
Although Creech had no farming experience<br />
when she moved to her place<br />
22 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
ack in 2012, you would never guess it<br />
seeing her farm today. NCAT’s Armed<br />
to Farm Program Director Margo<br />
Hale and I had the privilege of visiting<br />
Sara’s operation two years ago, Blue<br />
Yonder Organic Farm. With help from<br />
Creech, along with the Farmer Veteran<br />
Coalition, Indiana and AgrAbility, we<br />
hosted an Armed to Farm training in<br />
Crawfordsville, Ind. in 2019. We spent<br />
a sunny May afternoon with a group<br />
of around 20 veterans touring Creech’s<br />
farm and learning from her experiences.<br />
Blue Yonder Organic Farm is a picturesque<br />
43-acre diversified farm about<br />
an hour west of Indianapolis. Creech<br />
produces certified organic chicken, beef<br />
and lamb as well as certified organic<br />
vegetables. In addition, she sells eggs,<br />
honey, mushrooms and maple syrup.<br />
She sells her products through farmer’s<br />
markets and some contract growing.<br />
In a recent podcast interview with<br />
Margo, Creech shared that the staff<br />
from her local Natural Resources<br />
Conservation Service (NRCS) service<br />
center have been key allies in her farm’s<br />
transformation. Although they had<br />
never worked with an organic producer<br />
before, they were excited to help her<br />
build the farm. Through the NRCS<br />
EQIP program, Creech has constructed<br />
two high tunnels that help protect<br />
her crops and extend the growing<br />
season. She also has participated in<br />
NRCS fencing and large-acre pollinator<br />
planting programs. Creech credits the<br />
USDA Organic Certification Cost Share<br />
Program with helping make certifying<br />
her farm more affordable.<br />
It is inspiring to have watched Creech<br />
progress from a beginning farmer in<br />
2013 when she attended our very first<br />
Armed to Farm training in Fayetteville,<br />
Ark. to a successful farmer and<br />
seasoned mentor teaching a new cohort<br />
of farmer veterans. And Creech is just<br />
one of many Armed to Farm alumni<br />
finding and sharing their passion and<br />
purpose in farming. As agriculture educators,<br />
we really couldn’t ask for more.<br />
Additional Information<br />
Learn more about Armed to Farm at<br />
ARMEDT<strong>OF</strong>ARM.ORG; there, you can<br />
join our listserv, sign up for email alerts<br />
or follow our Facebook page to keep in<br />
touch and learn about Armed to Farm<br />
news, events and resources.<br />
ATTRA Podcasts featuring Armed to<br />
Farm alumni: Forty Years Later, Mr.<br />
Burch is Back on the Farm; Veterans<br />
Discuss USDA Programs; Veteran Tells<br />
Dusty Hound Story; Veteran Helps Veterans<br />
Learn to Farm; From “Shovel and<br />
Rototiller” to Conservation Champ;<br />
and Camaraderie at Armed to Farm.<br />
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<strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong> www.organicfarmermag.com 23
HEMP RESEARCH TAKES A<br />
CLOSER LOOK AT PLANT<br />
RESPONSES TO NITROGEN<br />
By DANITA CAHILL | Contributing Writer<br />
With industrial hemp becoming<br />
a crop option in California,<br />
there is still much to learn<br />
about growing it. For instance, how<br />
much nitrogen do hemp plants need for<br />
optimal growth and optimal production<br />
of essential oils such as CBD? And how<br />
much nitrogen is too much, possibly<br />
causing harm to the environment?<br />
Researchers at UC Davis and at the UC<br />
ANR West Side Research and Extension<br />
Center (WSREC) are taking a closer<br />
look at this nitrogen balancing act.<br />
The research team, headed by UCCE<br />
specialists Bob Hutmacher and Dan<br />
Putnam, has launched a hemp nitrogen<br />
fertilizer project this year. UC colleagues<br />
involved in the studies include<br />
Sarah Light, Geoffrey Koch, Daniel<br />
Geisseler, Nicholas Clark, Maya Hotz<br />
and Jorge Angeles. Although these<br />
UC researchers have been doing hemp<br />
irrigation trials for multiple years, this<br />
is the first trial specifically for assessing<br />
plant responses to nitrogen levels. The<br />
nitrogen management trial will continue<br />
for three years.<br />
Fertilizer, Yield and CBD<br />
“Part of what we’re attempting to do<br />
is come up with basic information on<br />
impacts of applied nitrogen fertilizer<br />
levels on cola (bud cluster) yields and<br />
production of CBD and essential oils in<br />
our region,” said Hutmacher, director<br />
of UC’s West Side Research and Extension<br />
Center. “Part of the work is to look<br />
at crop efficiency in nitrogen use.”<br />
Josh Schneider, CEO of Cultivaris<br />
Hemp, said, “The most important<br />
aspect of the study is looking at the link<br />
between nitrogen levels and cannabinoid<br />
(CBD).”<br />
Cultivaris Hemp donated transplants<br />
used in evaluating responses<br />
of full-season types of cultivars. They<br />
are one of four companies donating<br />
goods or services to the hemp nitrogen<br />
project.<br />
Schneider said when hemp was legalized<br />
in the 2018 farm bill it caught<br />
states such as California flat-footed.<br />
While California, along with most<br />
other states, was scrambling to catch<br />
up, the “green rush” was on.<br />
“Farmers were already ordering seeds<br />
and plants. But most didn’t have the<br />
know-how or the research behind the<br />
crop. The number of people who understood<br />
it well were limited. There wasn’t<br />
a lot of hard agronomic information for<br />
growers,” Schneider said. “That’s why<br />
there’s not much of this research that<br />
has been done, and why we have to do<br />
more of it.”<br />
Full-season trial, west side REC. Full-season<br />
cultivars received between 0 and<br />
220 pounds N per acre (all photos by B.<br />
Hutmacher.)<br />
Christopher E. Hohm, Ph.D., agrees<br />
that the nitrogen project is important.<br />
Hohn is the Director of Research and<br />
Development at Kayagene, LLC. Kayagene<br />
donated hemp seed of one of their<br />
varieties to the project.<br />
“Research, like that which is being done<br />
at UC Davis, will help farmers make<br />
essential decisions about best practices<br />
for growing hemp and help advance the<br />
hemp industry as a whole. The more<br />
knowledge that a farmer has at their<br />
disposal, the more likely they are to be<br />
successful,” Hohn said.<br />
24 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
Auto flower N trial with fertilizer<br />
injectors, west side REC.<br />
“Universities like UC Davis are an essential<br />
component to bringing reliable<br />
data and science-based information<br />
to farmers,” he continued. “As a part<br />
of the industry, Kayagene believes it is<br />
also the responsibility of private companies<br />
to support this type of research<br />
to do our part in contributing to the<br />
community.”<br />
Double Test Plots<br />
The trials are being run as four different<br />
tests in two separate field trial locations;<br />
one at UC Davis and one at the<br />
WSREC located in Fresno County on<br />
the westside of the San Joaquin Valley.<br />
At both locations, researchers planted<br />
two nitrogen trials of approximately<br />
0.75 acres each, one planted to shorter<br />
growing season, smaller “auto flower”<br />
varieties, and the other planted to longer<br />
growing season, larger “full-season”<br />
varieties.<br />
“We decided to set up the auto-flower<br />
versus full-season field trials as fully<br />
separate trials based on differences<br />
in photoperiod responses, and large<br />
differences in size of plants and time to<br />
maturity,” Hutmacher said.<br />
Auto flowering varieties, Cannabis<br />
ruderalis, don’t require a specific photoperiod<br />
of light to dark ratio hours. They<br />
automatically begin to flower without<br />
regard to light cycle changes. Fullterm<br />
(full-season) varieties, Cannabis<br />
indica and Cannabis sativa, switch to<br />
flowering stage after the light cycle they<br />
receive drops below a certain duration<br />
of daylight. In the central California<br />
region, that would typically occur<br />
mid-summer.<br />
“In each of the nitrogen experiments,<br />
there are five different treatment levels,”<br />
Hutmacher said. “The peak amount we<br />
are applying in the auto flower cultivar<br />
treatments is about half the nitrogen<br />
applied in the full-season plants.”<br />
At the starting point of the study, researchers<br />
applied base applications of<br />
phosphorus and potassium. The range<br />
of treatment fertilizer N applications<br />
Continued on Page 26<br />
<strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong> www.organicfarmermag.com 25
Continued from Page 25<br />
goes from about 0 to 120 pounds of nitrogen<br />
fertilizer per acre with the auto<br />
flower cultivars, versus 0 to 220 pounds<br />
of nitrogen per acre for full-season<br />
cultivars.<br />
“Typically, in such a study, we are looking<br />
for where there is optimal response<br />
in terms of high yields combined with<br />
acceptable concentrations of essential<br />
oils,” Hutmacher said. “You don’t want<br />
to over-apply. We’re looking for the<br />
plants’ best yield and best quality. For<br />
example, perhaps the best response for<br />
auto flower cultivars might peak out<br />
at 90 pounds N per acre rather than at<br />
120 pounds per acre.”<br />
Spoon Feed Nitrogen<br />
Hutmacher said the study is similar to<br />
what people have tried to do with most<br />
crops under the nitrogen management<br />
plan restrictions of California. “We’re<br />
looking for acceptable yield with acceptable<br />
quality.”<br />
As for irrigating the trial plots, “We<br />
made a choice in managing all these<br />
trials to use drip irrigation. The reason<br />
is we pretty much figured with these<br />
higher-value crops, there is a higher<br />
level of probability that you would use<br />
a tighter control of water and fertilizer,”<br />
Hutmacher said.<br />
“One of the options for improved<br />
nitrogen can be to actually spoon-feed<br />
plants in small doses over the course of<br />
the season, so you’re not putting on any<br />
massive applications at any time,” Hutmacher<br />
said. “Using subsurface drip<br />
puts out small amounts at a time [when<br />
fertigating]. If you’re careful, you can<br />
exert a high level of control over where<br />
applied water and fertilizer is distributed,<br />
making sure more stays within<br />
reach of the root system.”<br />
Subsurface drip irrigation is a low-pressure<br />
but efficient irrigation system.<br />
Using buried drip tape or drip tubes,<br />
it can save water and improve yields<br />
while still meeting crop water needs,<br />
according to Colorado State Extension.<br />
What about Organic Practices?<br />
Although this study is not focused on<br />
organic nitrogen sources, such as fish<br />
emulsion, organic growers can still<br />
gain insight from the trials.<br />
Are there UC Davis organic hemp nutrition<br />
trials in the future?<br />
“Yeah, I think so, if the market starts<br />
pointing towards more organic product,<br />
that is something that might be<br />
researched later,” Hutmacher said,<br />
adding that from a pest management<br />
standpoint, availability of synthetic<br />
pesticide materials for industrial hemp<br />
is currently near non-existent levels for<br />
California producers.<br />
“Future decisions on which markets<br />
intend to use the harvestable products<br />
will have a strong influence on choice<br />
of organic production versus production<br />
involving synthetic chemicals,”<br />
Hutmacher said.<br />
Hutmacher pointed out that with<br />
hemp, growers have a lot of different<br />
options as far as types and uses. To use<br />
nitrogen fertilizer efficiently, the type<br />
of hemp a grower produces comes into<br />
play.<br />
“If you’re producing a crop solely for<br />
biomass, such as for fiber or even grain/<br />
seed production, the optimal amount<br />
of fertilizer N needed would likely<br />
differ considerably from what might be<br />
optimal for essential oil production,”<br />
Hutmacher said. “For this particular<br />
study, we’re not looking at grain and<br />
fiber plant types.”<br />
Auto flower N trial, west side REC field. Auto<br />
flower cultivars received between 0 and 120<br />
pounds N per acre.<br />
How long will it be until growers can<br />
access information gathered from the<br />
trials?<br />
“We’ll have some data out next year, but<br />
more complete information will start<br />
coming after the 2022 growing season,”<br />
Hutmacher said.<br />
The three-year nitrogen management<br />
trial is supported by the California<br />
Department of Food and Agriculture<br />
Fertilizer Research Education Program<br />
(CDFA-FREP). Besides Cultivaris<br />
Hemp of Encinitas, Calif. and Kayagene,<br />
LLC of Hollister, Calif., Phylos<br />
Biosciences of Portland, Ore. also donated<br />
seeds, starts or cuttings (clones).<br />
The project will also include THC and<br />
CBD analysis. Alkemist Labs of Garden<br />
Grove, Calif. is donating its crop sample<br />
analyzing services.<br />
“These are incredibly valuable donations<br />
to assist with this project, certainly in<br />
excess of $50,000 in donated materials<br />
and services from each of those companies,”<br />
Hutmacher said. “We wouldn’t<br />
be able to do the study without the help.<br />
The donations have been super important,<br />
and the industry people have just<br />
been so full of information.”<br />
“Part of the work is to look at crop efficiency<br />
in nitrogen use.” – Bob Hutmacher, UC Davis<br />
Comments about this article? We want<br />
to hear from you. Feel free to email us at<br />
article@jcsmarketinginc.com<br />
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Determining the Best Organic<br />
Fertility for Trees:Part 2<br />
By NEAL KINSEY | Kinsey Agricultural Services<br />
The more fertile the soil when the trees begin bearing, the greater the health and production of the trees (photo by Rich Kreps.)<br />
In Part I of Organic Fertility for<br />
Trees in the previous issue of Organic<br />
Farmer, we focused on considering<br />
the soil first. The article was primarily<br />
directed toward establishing the proper<br />
environment to encourage the greatest<br />
response from tree roots and all the<br />
biological life that is needed to correctly<br />
serve those roots and the trees that will<br />
be grown there. This article will consider<br />
what would be necessary to build<br />
the natural fertility of each different soil<br />
and how to determine what is required<br />
for the trees and the supporting biology<br />
to thrive accordingly.<br />
We have tested soils from over 75 countries<br />
and all 50 states here in the U.S.<br />
Numerous countries and many different<br />
states have provided thousands of<br />
samples from the worst to the best soils,<br />
with soils from tree crops being one of<br />
the greatest sources. Speaking comparatively,<br />
very few soils have all the nutrients<br />
in sufficient amounts to provide for<br />
ideal performance. And even those that<br />
do can soon be depleted if not properly<br />
cared for to determine and maintain<br />
those ideal levels.<br />
Too many assume that once a soil is<br />
corrected with the right nutrients it<br />
will remain in that condition. Once<br />
corrected, it will now be better than it<br />
would have been, but as the potential<br />
of the soil to produce goes higher, the<br />
removal of nutrients needed by the<br />
trees to do their best will be used up<br />
more quickly (some sandy soils have<br />
gone from best to worst in five years<br />
or less due to neglecting to maintain<br />
even the basic needed nutrients for the<br />
best fertility and consequently the best<br />
quality and yield.)<br />
With few exceptions, growers will admit<br />
that those soils which are found to<br />
be closest to the established optimum<br />
nutrient needs will grow their best<br />
trees. Most of those properties have<br />
never been personally visited, but the<br />
evaluation is made possible by using<br />
the soil testing methods developed and<br />
used by Dr. William Albrecht to determine<br />
when this is true.<br />
There are always exceptions! A grower<br />
who is still an ardent supporter of the<br />
program, whose principal crops were<br />
almonds and walnuts, sent samples<br />
for analysis and fertilizer recommendations.<br />
When what should have been<br />
the best field was pointed out, he said<br />
that in fact it was his very worst field.<br />
Despite all the data we had, it was not<br />
enough to provide the full picture.<br />
Cobalt and molybdenum, which are<br />
optional tests due to cost and so often<br />
not being considered as a limiting factor,<br />
were not requested for analysis on<br />
the samples by the grower. In this case,<br />
once the soil was analyzed for molybdenum,<br />
it was so deficient that it was<br />
the only reason this field was not a top<br />
performer. Once the molybdenum was<br />
supplied, it turned the field from the<br />
worst to one of the best.<br />
When what is seen to happen time and<br />
again, over and over, in all parts of the<br />
world for some reason does not seem<br />
to work, there should be a good reason<br />
why. It just requires additional effort to<br />
find that reason.<br />
Building Fertility<br />
What is needed for any basic fertility<br />
program for growing trees? As explained<br />
in the previous article, it is<br />
using soil chemistry to measure and<br />
supply the basic needs of each soil.<br />
Once accomplished, that provides a<br />
long-term workable solution for maintaining<br />
the proper soil structure, or the<br />
proper amount of pore space needed for<br />
balancing air and water needs of each<br />
soil. This in turn helps build and maintain<br />
the necessary environment for the<br />
needed biological activity for growing<br />
the best trees in that soil.<br />
Still, the place to begin must be<br />
28 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
producing enough of a crop to stay in<br />
business. That is best accomplished by<br />
providing adequate amounts of four<br />
major nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus,<br />
potassium and sulfur) for growing new<br />
young trees or producing the next crop.<br />
Then for long-term soil fertility and<br />
to maintain the proper soil structure,<br />
measure and correct the needed levels<br />
of calcium and magnesium. After those<br />
levels have been determined and any<br />
established needs have been met, plan<br />
to build the essential micronutrients<br />
to reach at least the minimum requirements<br />
before emphasizing those that<br />
specific tree crops respond to best.<br />
This is the real foundation on which to<br />
build soil fertility for growing any type<br />
of tree or plant. The only problem is<br />
that too often growers just assume they<br />
are meeting those requirements with<br />
a “hit-and-miss” program. Here is a<br />
good gauge to use as an organic grower<br />
to evaluate your fertility program. If<br />
your land has the proper fertility, then<br />
the organically produced crops should<br />
yield well above that of the average conventional<br />
grower. If it is not, then try<br />
to learn why because there is no good<br />
reason for any organic program that<br />
claims they are growing nutrient-dense<br />
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Continued from Page 29<br />
foods to lag from the average conventional<br />
program. When that happens,<br />
the trees are being robbed of specifically<br />
needed nutrients that should be and<br />
can be supplied naturally.<br />
Some growers use the excuse that conventional<br />
growers are forcing the soil<br />
and that is why the yields are so much<br />
higher. That is a possibility at times<br />
when pushing for extremely high yields.<br />
However, truly trying to force a soil is<br />
when more than is ordinarily required<br />
to produce the soil’s true yield potential<br />
is applied. That can happen with organic<br />
growers, too. It is the overuse of more<br />
than the trees show to be needing that<br />
causes harm. For example, when the<br />
soil is low in some needed nutrient and<br />
extra “organic” nitrogen from compost<br />
is applied instead of that nutrient to try<br />
and squeeze by and get a little more of<br />
it from the decomposition of soil humus,<br />
that is forcing the ground. When<br />
adding the needed nutrients to help the<br />
trees achieve their natural yield potential,<br />
that is not forcing the crop; rather,<br />
that is providing good crop nutrition<br />
as what is needed for growing the most<br />
nutritious crops. And what determines<br />
true crop potential? Correcting the soil<br />
to the very basic levels that are required<br />
to grow any plants properly suited for<br />
that area in terms of climatic conditions.<br />
Inadequate Fertility<br />
In working with organic growers, inadequate<br />
fertility is often their greatest<br />
limiting factor in terms of both quality<br />
and yield. For example, supplying<br />
enough nitrogen just to feed the trees<br />
what they need is often a big problem.<br />
For far too many growers, when<br />
they are not able to supply the needed<br />
amount of N from legumes, compost<br />
and foliar applications, the crop is just<br />
allowed to suffer. When a soil analysis<br />
shows to have an adequate amount<br />
of other needed nutrients, it is often<br />
possible to trace the lack of yield for<br />
organic fruit or nut trees right back to<br />
the insufficient use of nitrogen for the<br />
trees.<br />
A good guide to differentiate between a<br />
real need and using nitrogen even in an<br />
organic program to “force” production<br />
is to find out how much is required to<br />
produce the proven yield average for<br />
each orchard or grove. Adequate use<br />
of nitrogen is not the enemy in organic<br />
production; rather, it is the excessive<br />
use of nitrogen that causes the problems.<br />
And so long as it is possible to<br />
increase the yield without having to go<br />
above average N requirements serves<br />
as a good guide for the most conservative<br />
approach to nitrogen needs in tree<br />
crops. This does not assure maximum<br />
performance once the basic needs of<br />
the soil have been met. Then, applying<br />
what is needed for the average proven<br />
yield plus 10% extra over the next<br />
three to five years using slow-release<br />
N sources will show whether the top<br />
potential for that soil has been reached.<br />
Sufficient nitrogen is often the most<br />
limiting factor for better production on<br />
many types of organically grown crops,<br />
including all types of organic tree crops.<br />
Growers will often admit that their<br />
trees could use more N, but it is the<br />
availability of enough material or<br />
cost of that extra need that stops the<br />
process. Far too many organic growers<br />
rely heavily on compost to supply<br />
most of the needed nitrogen. When<br />
that is the case, one of two things are<br />
quite commonly a problem that must<br />
be faced. The first is a lack of enough<br />
material to supply the needed N, then<br />
the crop and the trees suffer from the<br />
problems caused by nitrogen deficiency.<br />
The second is when there is plenty to<br />
use and the assumption is if you need<br />
the nitrogen, because it is compost, and<br />
you can “never” apply too much, just<br />
put on all you can.<br />
Too much certified organic compost<br />
is just as bad as too much of anything<br />
else. Every time a soil builds up too<br />
much of one nutrient, it will reduce the<br />
availability of something else. Phosphate<br />
and sulfur are two nutrients<br />
that can serve as examples of possible<br />
unintended consequences to consider<br />
on soils growing organic tree crops.<br />
Both nutrients are required in sufficient<br />
amounts for top performance.<br />
Adequate phosphorus results in larger<br />
leaves. Adequate sulfur results in larger<br />
root systems and growing more wood.<br />
But excessive use of phosphate is antagonistic<br />
to sulfur uptake (more often<br />
seen in the organic fertility programs<br />
used in the eastern U.S.) and excessive<br />
sulfur applications are antagonistic to<br />
phosphate availability (more often seen<br />
in the western U.S.)<br />
For example, on soils that barely have<br />
enough phosphate, the amount of<br />
sulfur in a ton of gypsum can interfere<br />
with P uptake. But when large amounts<br />
of compost that normally contain very<br />
little sulfur are applied until it results<br />
in pushing P to excessive levels, that<br />
can not only cause problems with zinc<br />
deficiency (which then interferes with<br />
adequate moisture uptake), but also<br />
results in less sulfur uptake, which<br />
restricts wood growth. Soils with<br />
excellent phosphate levels (500 pounds<br />
per acre of P 2<br />
O 5<br />
or 100 to 110 ppm of<br />
elemental P) will respond best to excellent<br />
sulfur levels. For example, when<br />
this level of P is present, then sulfate as<br />
expressed in ppm of sulfur should be<br />
50 ppm. This will result in 25% more<br />
trunk growth by caliper measurement<br />
and up to 1/3 more leaf on young trees.<br />
But adding needed sulfur without correcting<br />
low phosphate levels can result<br />
in reduced leaf size and other related<br />
problems caused by P deficiency.<br />
Another related problem that becomes<br />
a possibility here is breakage from<br />
weak wood due to any combination of<br />
potassium, manganese and/or copper<br />
deficiency, which increasing limb and<br />
leaf growth from adding sulfur can<br />
exacerbate. After basic soil fertility<br />
requirements have been properly determined<br />
and correctly supplied based on<br />
reliable guidelines of an accurate soil<br />
analysis, consider the special needs for<br />
growing trees that set them apart from<br />
other crops.<br />
Begin this portion of the program by<br />
increasing potassium saturation in<br />
Continued on Page 32<br />
30 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
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the topsoil to 7% to 7.5%, sulfur to 50<br />
to 100 ppm for optimum growth and<br />
wood strength, and phosphate to 100 to<br />
150 ppm for larger leaves. Be sure any<br />
problems with too little or too much<br />
calcium or magnesium receive sufficient<br />
attention since those are the two<br />
major keys to building and maintaining<br />
the correct physical structure of each<br />
soil. Next, consider and emphasize the<br />
micronutrients that make the most<br />
difference for each type of tree. For example,<br />
once the minimum levels for all<br />
measured nutrients have been achieved,<br />
boron would deserve extra attention on<br />
olives, sweet cherries, avocados, citrus<br />
and macadamias, but even more so on<br />
figs, mangoes and pistachios. Consider<br />
higher manganese for soils growing<br />
walnuts and macadamias, and zinc on<br />
pecans. Higher copper levels provide<br />
extra resilience so limbs can bend and<br />
not break when there is sufficient potassium<br />
and manganese. Copper is also<br />
necessary for skin to stretch and not<br />
crack on the more perishable forms of<br />
fruit crops.<br />
To be specific about all of these needs<br />
requires a reliable soil test that is based<br />
on measured values that are directly<br />
applicable to the orchards and groves<br />
where the trees are growing. Generalities<br />
about what trees need for a<br />
particular yield or trying to guess what<br />
the plant needs to grow each crop will<br />
not solve specific problems or top-level<br />
requirements that relate directly to the<br />
needs of each tree crop from soil to soil.<br />
For long-term solutions, first use a soil<br />
analysis that can accurately determine<br />
what is already there. Next find a consultant<br />
that can explain the levels and<br />
which are giving positive and negative<br />
results. Then, consider an effective<br />
building program by supplying what<br />
nutrients are most limiting.<br />
Growing Young Trees<br />
Where possible, for tree and vine crops,<br />
start building the fertility at least three<br />
years before planting. Some growers<br />
adopt the erroneous philosophy that<br />
so much has been spent to get the trees<br />
in the ground that no more should be<br />
spent on fertility until the trees begin<br />
producing a crop. The exact opposite<br />
is true. The more fertile the soil when<br />
the trees begin bearing, the greater the<br />
health and production of the trees. It<br />
requires up to three years to acquire<br />
the best results from certain materials<br />
the trees need. Liming materials<br />
and several micronutrients are in that<br />
category.<br />
Correcting the nutrient needs for each<br />
soil is not usually accomplished in a<br />
year or so. How many years have needed<br />
nutrients been removed by crops<br />
without being properly measured and<br />
replaced? Results from adding some<br />
missing elements in needed amounts<br />
32 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
all at once can cause a problem rather<br />
than help the trees. Even when it is<br />
possible, the cost to try and do everything<br />
at once can be prohibitive. It can<br />
take years to re-build soils for peak<br />
performance in terms of efficiency and<br />
yield. Yet those who persist at building<br />
and maintaining specific fertility<br />
requirements for each different soil<br />
will have a solid foundation on which<br />
to build healthier and more productive<br />
trees.<br />
Soil compaction can be a serious<br />
limitation in such cases. Soil fertility<br />
needs can be measured and supplied,<br />
but keep in mind that correcting soils<br />
via proper nutrient applications can<br />
only give the best results when there<br />
are no limitations from compaction.<br />
Compaction problems and what to do<br />
about them are extremely important<br />
for tree crops, and the same major<br />
issues and principles apply for growing<br />
all types of crops. The problems<br />
caused by soil compaction and how<br />
to deal with them requires an entire<br />
article or more to consider and explain.<br />
Keep in mind that even for solving<br />
soil compaction problems, supplying<br />
the correct nutrients needed for good<br />
structure in that soil is a preliminary<br />
and basic requirement.<br />
Start tree crops on the soils with the<br />
most optimum fertility possible to optimize<br />
the health of the trees and maximize<br />
production for whatever those<br />
trees are selected to provide. Optimum<br />
fertility is when each soil has what it<br />
needs to grow the crop and provide<br />
the environment to allow the proper<br />
amount of air and water (needed soil<br />
porosity) to best encourage the plant<br />
roots and all the biological activity that<br />
serves to provide the trees what they<br />
need for doing their best. When the<br />
fertility is correctly provided (the right<br />
organically added soil nutrients, which<br />
constitutes using true soil chemistry),<br />
only then will the ideal pore space<br />
for needed air and water be present<br />
(the soil’s natural physical structure),<br />
which then provides the biological life<br />
that is present for the environment<br />
they need to thrive, not just struggle to<br />
survive.<br />
Neal Kinsey is owner and President of<br />
Kinsey Agricultural Services, a consulting<br />
firm that specializes in restoring<br />
and maintaining balanced soil<br />
fertility for attaining excellent yields<br />
while growing highly nutritious food<br />
and feed crops on the land. Call (573)<br />
683-3880 or see www.kinseyag.com for<br />
more information.<br />
Comments about this article? We want<br />
to hear from you. Feel free to email us<br />
at article@jcsmarketinginc.com<br />
Contact us to see how we can help!<br />
(559)584-7695 or visit us as www.superiorsoil.com<br />
Serving California since 1983<br />
<strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong> www.organicfarmermag.com 33
Growing Blueberries<br />
in Western Regions<br />
By DANITA CAHILL | Contributing Writer<br />
Blueberries can add another market<br />
niche to your operation if<br />
proper steps are taken before and<br />
after planting. For starters, the growing<br />
site needs to be chosen with care. Other<br />
considerations are soil type, access to<br />
irrigation and quick and easy road access<br />
to cooling and packing facilities or fresh<br />
markets.<br />
Since blueberry bushes can live for 50<br />
years, it pays to put in the research and<br />
effort to situate them well and get the<br />
plants off to a vigorous and productive<br />
start.<br />
Blueberries are considered a specialty<br />
crop along the California coastline and<br />
in Southern California, but they can still<br />
produce well if care is taken to address<br />
the plants’ needs.<br />
Choosing a Planting Site<br />
Mark Gaskell, retired UCCE small farm<br />
and specialty crops advisor, wrote the<br />
guide, ‘Blueberry Production in Coastal<br />
and Southern California.’ In the<br />
guide, he said that if California growers<br />
are aiming for early season blueberry<br />
production, requirements include a mild<br />
winter climate together with low-chill<br />
varieties and frost protection.<br />
“The site will ideally be frost-free or have<br />
a threat of frost only rarely and for short<br />
periods,” according to Gaskell.<br />
Hillsides are helpful when planting new<br />
blueberries. Not only do hillsides assist<br />
with drainage, “Planting on a hillside<br />
will also allow cold air to drain away<br />
from the crop on clear, cold nights with<br />
the potential for frosts,” Gaskell wrote.<br />
“Sites with good air circulation will<br />
also enable mixing of cold air near the<br />
surface with warmer air higher off the<br />
ground.”<br />
Hillsides facing the winter sun are beneficial<br />
because such sites allow for earlier<br />
warming. Growers can add additional<br />
frost protection with fans to mix cold<br />
air with warm, or by using overhead<br />
sprinklers.<br />
Blueberry growers may want to consider<br />
the use of high tunnels. Tunnels create<br />
temperature gain, but they will also help<br />
protect against frost and wind. High<br />
winds are damaging to berry plants and<br />
developing fruit. Heavy winds stress<br />
the plants, Gaskell noted. The berries<br />
can develop scratches and blisters<br />
from leaves and branches blowing and<br />
rubbing against them. One drawback to<br />
growing under tunnels is an increased<br />
issue with thrips. If tunnels aren’t<br />
practical or affordable, growers can add<br />
windbreaks.<br />
“Plants in windy areas will not reach the<br />
same levels of vigor and productivity as<br />
plants in calmer areas or plants protected<br />
by windbreaks,” according to Gaskell.<br />
Soil and Amendments<br />
Blueberries will grow in a variety of soil<br />
types in the above mentioned California<br />
regions, although heavy clay soils create<br />
drainage issues and sandy soils drain<br />
too quickly. To slow down drainage in<br />
sandy soils, incorporate organic matter.<br />
Spread five tons of compost or well-aged<br />
manure per acre in three- to four-foot<br />
bands over the rows. With a rotovator<br />
or disk, incorporate the compost or manure<br />
to a depth of 6 to 8 inches, Gaskell<br />
advised.<br />
Test soil before planting. Blueberries<br />
require a pH level of 4.5 to 5.5 to thrive.<br />
Growers can add elemental sulfur<br />
and work it in at the same time as the<br />
compost to acidify the soil, if needed.<br />
Adding sulfur as early as possible will<br />
Berkey’s Blueberries test their soil every two<br />
to three years for pH level, organic matter and<br />
nutrient concentration (all photos by D. Cahill.)<br />
Amy and Jesse Berkey grow five acres of<br />
blueberries in Lebanon, Ore.<br />
In 2007, blueberries were planted on a sawdust<br />
mound to improve aeration and drainage.<br />
help make it available to roots at planting<br />
time.<br />
“When elemental sulfur is mixed with<br />
moist soil, soil bacteria convert the<br />
sulfur to sulfuric acid,” according to<br />
Gaskell. “The sulfur products that have<br />
shown good results in California are<br />
Tiger Sulfur 90® and Disper-Sul®, both of<br />
which are finely ground sulfurs formed<br />
into pellets with bentonite clay for ease<br />
of application. The clay expands as it<br />
absorbs moisture and breaks apart to<br />
disperse the fine sulfur particles.”<br />
34 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
Even with organic amendments, sandy<br />
soils will still require more frequent<br />
irrigating than heavier soils.<br />
To grow blueberries in clay or heavy<br />
soils, build mounded beds on top of<br />
compost-amended soil with copious<br />
amounts of sawdust, wood chips or rice<br />
hulls. These high beds will improve<br />
aeriation as well as drainage. Most soils<br />
do best with this treatment. After planting,<br />
mulch the entire surface around<br />
plants to help control weeds.<br />
Pacific Northwest<br />
As with California regions, soil pH<br />
should be tested before planting. According<br />
to Washington State University<br />
Spokane County Extension, blueberries<br />
are better suited to the environment<br />
found in Western Washington as<br />
opposed to the eastern part of the state.<br />
Later blooming varieties are better than<br />
early blooming varieties for the inland<br />
northwest since later bloomers are not<br />
as likely to suffer damage from a late<br />
spring frost.<br />
large size and the “tangy-sweet” flavor.<br />
Jesse said he doesn’t have a favorite. By<br />
the time berry season is over, he’s had<br />
enough blueberries to last him awhile.<br />
“I won’t eat another berry until Christmas,”<br />
he said.<br />
What is the biggest issue the Berkeys<br />
have growing blueberries in Oregon?<br />
“This year, it was the heat stress,” Jesse<br />
said.<br />
The Berkeys offer u-pick and have a<br />
farm stand with pre-picked berries for<br />
sale, along with value-added products,<br />
including syrup, jam and dog treats.<br />
The family sells at six different farmer’s<br />
markets in the Willamette Valley and<br />
at the Oregon coast. They also have an<br />
online store.<br />
Comments about this article? We want<br />
to hear from you. Feel free to email us<br />
at article@jcsmarketinginc.com<br />
Are Blueberries A Good Option?<br />
Blueberries want loose, welldrained<br />
soil high in organic matter.<br />
They need acidic soil with a pH<br />
between 4.5 and 5.5. (Gaskell<br />
suggests keeping pH levels<br />
under 5.0 in California).<br />
If the pH is too high, blueberry<br />
leaves turn yellow. If the<br />
pH remains too high for too<br />
long it kills the plants.<br />
Retest soil every three to four years.<br />
In later years, growers may need<br />
to add major or minor nutrients.<br />
Protect plants from high winds.<br />
Choose the right varieties for your<br />
planting zone; early bloomers tend<br />
to do well in low-frost California<br />
regions. Late bloomers are better<br />
in the Pacific NW where late<br />
spring frosts aren’t uncommon.<br />
According to Oregon State University,<br />
Washington State University and<br />
University of Idaho, the same holds true<br />
with western and eastern Oregon. Most<br />
commercial blueberry production in<br />
Oregon is west of the Cascades, although<br />
Northern highbush blueberries<br />
can be grown successfully not only in<br />
Eastern Washington, but also in Eastern<br />
Oregon and some areas of Idaho.<br />
Amy and Jesse Berkey grow five acres of<br />
blueberries in Lebanon, Ore. Their operation,<br />
Berkey’s Blueberries, is certified<br />
organic with Oregon Tilth. They grow<br />
six highbush varieties (7,600 plants) on<br />
five acres.<br />
Before planting in 2007, the Berkeys<br />
incorporated sawdust into the soil and<br />
built up a bed of sawdust to plant the<br />
berry bushes on. The Berkeys test their<br />
soil every two to three years for organic<br />
matter, pH levels and nutrient concentration.<br />
They add more sawdust around<br />
the plants annually.<br />
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<strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong> www.organicfarmermag.com 35
DROUGHT AFFECTS URBAN FARMERS IN CALIFORNIA<br />
Decentralized water system and municipal water restrictions create<br />
special headaches for urban agriculture.<br />
By TAYLOR CHALSTROM | Assistant Editor<br />
Many issues that urban farmers encounter during drought (and even when drought is not severe) can be attributed to California’s uneven water<br />
landscape and decentralized water system as it pertains to municipal supply (photo courtesy Rachel Surls, UCCE.)<br />
As California suffers from yet<br />
another period of extreme<br />
drought, it can be easy to forget<br />
how urban farmers are also affected in<br />
the larger scope of agriculture.<br />
Urban farmers can suffer from many of<br />
the same consequences of drought as<br />
large-scale farmers. Issues that urban<br />
farmers encounter during drought<br />
(and even when drought is not severe)<br />
include water rationing, drought<br />
surcharges, and access to water infrastructure<br />
such as lines or meters. Many<br />
of these issues can be attributed to<br />
California’s uneven water landscape<br />
and decentralized water system as it<br />
pertains to municipal supply.<br />
Uneven Water Landscape<br />
A number of factors interact to create<br />
an uneven water landscape for urban<br />
farmers and gardeners, according to<br />
UCCE Urban Agriculture and Food<br />
Systems Advisor Lucy Diekmann, and<br />
these factors become even more complicated<br />
during drought.<br />
Diekmann said a key factor of Cali-<br />
36 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
L<br />
fornia’s uneven water landscape is its<br />
decentralized water system, noting<br />
that most water for urban agriculture<br />
comes from municipal sources and is<br />
frequently more expensive than other<br />
non-potable sources of irrigation water.<br />
“During drought, urban water restrictions<br />
are likely to apply to farms and<br />
gardens using municipal water,” she<br />
said. “These could have a large impact<br />
on urban farms’ operations if they have<br />
to ration water or limit watering to<br />
certain days and times.”<br />
A case study led by Diekmann published<br />
in 2017 looked at how urban<br />
agriculture in Santa Clara County<br />
was affected by drought. An important<br />
finding of the study, which can<br />
be found at tandfonline.com/doi/<br />
abs/10.1080/13549839.2017.1351426?-<br />
journalCode=cloe20, showed that some<br />
urban farmers connected to non-municipal<br />
water supplies, such as wells,<br />
experienced water shortages.<br />
“One farm’s well ran dry, forcing them<br />
to end their season early,” Diekmann<br />
said.<br />
Farms that were connected to the municipal<br />
supply had more reliable water,<br />
she said, but were concerned about<br />
their ability to afford much higher water<br />
bills if water rationing or drought<br />
surcharges took effect.<br />
In Santa Clara County, there are 13<br />
different water retailers providing<br />
water across 15 cities. Each water<br />
retailer, Diekmann said, adopts their<br />
own price structure and water rates<br />
and is responsible for creating and<br />
implementing their own drought<br />
management plan.<br />
“Depending on where a farm is located,<br />
farmers can pay very different<br />
amounts for water and need to adopt<br />
different drought-related measures,”<br />
she said. “In Santa Clara County, water<br />
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FOR WATER AND NEED<br />
TO ADOPT DIFFERENT<br />
DROUGHT-RELATED<br />
MEASURES.”<br />
‒LUCY DIEKMANN, UCCE<br />
retailers also have the option to offer a<br />
discounted rate for agricultural water<br />
use. During the last drought, however,<br />
less than a third of retailers offered this<br />
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Continued from Page 37<br />
rate to their customers, so, again, an<br />
urban farm’s ability to take advantage<br />
of this discount is highly dependent on<br />
location.”<br />
This is only one example of the unevenness<br />
in urban water landscapes. Other<br />
examples center on inconsistent water<br />
costs varying with agencies hosting<br />
urban farms, whether parks, school or<br />
utility districts, faith-based institutions<br />
or other organizations, and details of<br />
their land use agreement(s).<br />
Diekmann also said that many urban<br />
farms and gardens are supported by<br />
city and county departments, educational<br />
institutions, nonprofit organizations<br />
and others who help them access<br />
both land and water. These supporters,<br />
she said, can have a big impact on a<br />
farm’s operation depending on whether<br />
they choose to absorb or pass on conservation<br />
requirements and extra water<br />
costs in a drought.<br />
“This is also where opportunities for<br />
innovative policies among urban food<br />
systems policy makers remain,” said<br />
UCCE Urban Ag & Food Systems Advisor<br />
Rob Bennaton. “If urban growers<br />
cultivating crops beyond their own<br />
personal and family needs are managing<br />
lands in ways that preserve soil and<br />
water resources while increasing food<br />
security and environmental quality,<br />
should those costs for growing crops be<br />
at municipal or residential water rates?”<br />
Indeed, water is becoming more expensive.<br />
“Some may be better able to<br />
manage changes, at least over the shortterm,<br />
while others may not have the<br />
necessary resources to tide them over,”<br />
Diekmann said.<br />
Cooperative Solutions<br />
In order to change the uneven water<br />
landscape for urban farming in metropolitan<br />
cities and improve water access<br />
during periods of drought, organizations,<br />
local governments and urban<br />
farmers must all contribute.<br />
One way to improve water access, according to UCCE Urban Agriculture and Food Systems<br />
Advisor Lucy Diekmann, is to offset the cost of installing needed water infrastructure, such<br />
as water lines or meters, at urban farm and garden sites (photo courtesy Urban Homestead.)<br />
Diekmann suggested offering a discounted<br />
water rate for urban agricultural<br />
uses as one way local governments<br />
can help to improve access<br />
to water for urban farms. Bennaton<br />
agreed with supporting discounted or<br />
reduced rates, given the proven social<br />
and environmental benefits of urban<br />
farming.<br />
Another way to improve access, according<br />
to Diekmann, is to offset the cost of<br />
installing needed water infrastructure,<br />
such as water lines or meters, at urban<br />
farm and garden sites.<br />
“On sites that do not already have water<br />
lines or a water meter, paying to have<br />
them installed can cost thousands of<br />
dollars,” Diekmann said, noting that<br />
the city of San Francisco has several<br />
model programs in this area while also<br />
providing tools for calculating a water<br />
budget and encouraging training on<br />
efficient irrigation. Additional information<br />
about the program can be found at<br />
sfpuc.org/programs/grants.<br />
Improving Efficiency<br />
Educational opportunities abound to<br />
learn practices for conserving water,<br />
including workshops and webinars<br />
by UCCE Master Gardener Program,<br />
and also the Qualified Water Efficient<br />
Landscaper (QWEL) training program<br />
for professionals. Over the long-term,<br />
municipalities could consider opportunities<br />
to develop or extend alternative<br />
water sources, like recycled water, to<br />
urban agricultural users, she said.<br />
As for what urban farmers can do to<br />
mitigate the effects of drought and<br />
reduce water usage, practicing efficient<br />
irrigation management is key. Soil<br />
health practices, such as applying compost<br />
or mulch, can increase the soil’s<br />
water holding capacity, and using drip<br />
irrigation can also save water for plant<br />
growth.<br />
Bennaton added, “Mulch and drip<br />
irrigation can also minimize soil upsplash<br />
onto undersides of leafy green<br />
vegetables, helping keep food safe when<br />
growing crops in variable urban soils.”<br />
Diekmann noted that many urban<br />
farmers, including the ones in the<br />
Santa Clara County case study, already<br />
emphasize water conservation whether<br />
there is a drought or not. “In our study,<br />
100% of farmers were already using<br />
drip irrigation,” she said.<br />
Comments about this article? We want<br />
to hear from you. Feel free to email us at<br />
article@jcsmarketinginc.com<br />
38 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>
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YIELD<br />
WITH A<br />
25% LIQUID<br />
ORGANIC<br />
CALCIUM<br />
SCAN ME<br />
SUSTAINABLE. COMPATIBLE. PLANT AVAILABLE.<br />
480-361-1300 | WWW.FERTICELLUSA.COM<br />
40 Organic Farmer <strong>Oct</strong>ober/<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong>