Spring 2012 SAN LUIS OBISPO - San Luis Obispo County Farm

Country
SAN LUIS OBISPO
Spring 2012
Country M
Publisher’s Note…
san luis obispo
Volume 41, Issue 1 s Spring 2012
Jackie Crabb – Publisher
Mary Silveira – Editorial & Photography
Joni Hunt – Production & Ad Sales
San Luis Obispo Country Magazine is published
quarterly— March, June, September, December—
by San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau, 651 Tank
Farm Road, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-7062; (805)
543-3654; www.slofarmbureau.org. The subscription
price is included in Farm Bureau membership.
Advertising: Call the San Luis Obispo County Farm
Bureau, (805) 543-3654 or Joni Hunt, (805) 545-9547.
Printer: Layton Printing
©2012 San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau retains
all rights to text, photos and graphics. San Luis Obispo
County Farm Bureau does not assume responsibility
for statements by advertisers or for products advertised
in SLO Country Magazine, nor does San Luis Obispo
County Farm Bureau assume responsibility for statements or expressions of opinion other than in editorials
or in articles showing authorship by an officer, director
or staff member of the San Luis Obispo County Farm
Bureau or its affiliates.
eet Bailey. She is my sister’s dog
for a while. My sister signed up
for a service dog training program
where she raises a puppy for about
18 months and then returns her to the program to
be trained. If Bailey passes (60 percent don’t pass),
then she will be trained to assist someone with
special needs. It’s hard not to get too attached
to her, knowing that my sister will have to let her
go. It is the service Bailey may provide someone
that makes it all worthwhile for my sister.
Working dogs, such as Bailey,
that can cause serious problems for
play a critical role. Take agriculture,
local agriculture and the environment.
for instance. Have you ever watched
Funding cuts to the program, run
a cow dog work a herd of, well, cows?
through the Department of AgriculIf not, just Google “cow dogs” and
ture, have placed most of it on hold.
see them in action. With their herding
Do you remember the old Warner
skills, they play a crucial role in cattle
Bros. cartoons where Sam Sheepdog
ranching, and they form a strong bond
guards sheep from Ralph E. Wolf?
with their owner and vice versa.
After the two clock into work, Ralph
Another type of working dog
tries endlessly to sneak a sheep from
is a detector dog, trained to sniff out
the field. Sam always catches him, and
unlabeled packages with plants and
Ralph comes up with another scheme.
produce at airports and mail services.
Google their names to see the cartoons.
These dogs assist in the prevention
Our real-life service dogs are as
of unwanted pests—an insect, a plant
vigilant as Sam and
disease or a noxious (invasive) weed—
important helpers.
Contents
“Strawberries are the angels of the earth, innocent and sweet
with green leafy wings reaching heavenward.” —Terri Guillemets
Cover
Strawberry grower
Greg France readies
root stock for planting
last fall.
Photo by
Donna France,
Mar Vista Berry
04 Strawberry Fields Forever…
Meet Donna and Greg France
of Mar Vista Berry. Learn how they
grow strawberries and just how
popular the luscious fruit is.
07 In the Kitchen
Berry, berry good recipes await you!
2
Summer 2011 s SLO Country Magazine
www.slofarmbureau.org
Photo by
Kathy Blackburn,
HZ Farms
08 How to Grow a Farm
What does it take to start a new farm? Read why HZ Harvest Farm
flourishes.
10 In the Garden
Your thumb can be ever-green
with help from the San Luis Obispo
Master Gardeners.
12 Local Links
13 Scene Around…
Unexpected delights in SLO Country.
SLO Country Magazine s Spring 2012
3
A
Strawberry
Fields Forever…
s you push your cart through a grocery store or walk around a farmers market
in SLO Country, you catch a whiff of an unmistakable sweet, fruity scent. Your
eyes close, you inhale and you know you have to pick up several clamshells or
baskets of strawberries to take home. Mmmmm, spring has arrived!
Strawberries are not just for dessert. Even though some of our fondest memories may
be of shortcake with mounds of strawberries and whipped cream, strawberries have made
their way into salads, breakfast crepes, smoothies and almost any food you can imagine…
have you tried them on pizza yet?
Have you ever grown strawberries
in the pockets of a terracotta pot? You
can pick the fragrant, juicy berries and
pop them right into you mouth!
But what is involved in growing
large quantities of fruit commercially
and bringing it to market? Where and
how does a farmer grow strawberries?
How are they harvested and handled
to stay fresh? What gives berries a rich
redness? Just how popular are they?
Donna and Greg France of Mar
Vista Berry graciously invited San Luis
Obispo Country Magazine to their farm
to learn about the process.
“It is not easy to be a grower,
but it is challenging and rewarding,”
says Greg. “We’re passionate about
producing strawberries and the kind
of life that goes along with farming.”
Donna and Greg pursued their
agriculture interests at Cal Poly San
Luis Obispo, and later Greg worked in
agriculture production for decades. His
involvement with strawberries began
when he had the opportunity to grow
for Dole Berry Company. He and Donna established Mar
Vista Berry in 2004, and now they
oversee 445 acres, a portion of which
is in SLO County. After their first year
of production, 26 inches of rain almost
washed out their operation.Committed
to the success of their crop, Greg works
in the fields with the crew in all kinds
of weather and conditions.
4
Spring 2012 s SLO Country Magazine
Field preparation is key to great berries.
After soil is plowed and fertilized, it is
formed into beds with drip irrigation
under plastic covering. Tractor attachments punch holes in the plastic where
workers plant root stock (right). Rollers
on the tractor (below) then pass over
roots to anchor them. Unplanted bare
roots are pictured on the front cover.
On the largest fall planting day
at Mar Vista, a crew of 400 employees
is synchronized to plant 445 acres
of strawberry root stock with paced
precision. Before this transplanting
begins, a tractor punches holes in the
plastic at exact intervals on raised beds
so that the growing plants have plenty
of room. Workers place plants in the
holes, up to 20,000 per acre.
It takes skilled workers, a fast pace
and an ability to adapt to technical
changes (see “PTI” sidebar) to get the
job done. Mar Vista employees, hired
through the farm’s human resources
department at their Santa Maria
headquarters, return year after year.
The raised planting beds have drip
irrigation to feed water and fertilizer
to plants through winter. “The plants
begin to show foliage within three to
four days after they have been transplanted,” says Donna France. “There
are two major types of strawberry
plants—‘day neutral’ and ‘short day.’
“Day-neutral, such as the Albion
variety, do not require a certain amount
of day length to flower. Sometimes the
first flowers bloom with the first leaves
from the transplants. These flowers
produce small, deformed fruits that
are not harvestable. In January, the first
signs of flowers are removed, a process
called de-blooming. The first fruiting
flowers come at the end of January.
“The short-day varieties, such
as Ventana or the new Benicia variety,
require the short periods of winter
to flower,” Donna explains. “They
flower in early January and produce
fruit as early as February. The peak
season in Santa Maria is April through
June, but we produce strawberries
from February through December.”
Photo by Donna France, Mar Vista Berry
www.slofarmbureau.org
Strawberries are packed as soon as they are picked in the field. Greg France displays
a flat of “clamshell” packages ready to send to a cooler to ensure freshness before being
shipped to market. Photo by Donna France, Mar Vista Berry
And how do growing conditions
affect strawberries’ luscious scent and
taste? As you might expect, soil, water
and fertilizer all contribute. The longer
berries are on the plant, the sweeter the
taste. Warm temperatures in summer
and at other times ripen berries more
quickly, so fruits may be less sweet.
As berries grow, “anthocyanins”
in a plant’s tissues combine with sugar
molecules that become concentrated
during the ripening process. This
gives strawberries their rich redness
(blueberries their blue-ness, etc.).
When ripe, strawberries are picked
and packed right in the field. The flats
immediately go into a cooler, which
draws out heat absorbed by berries
in the field. They are loaded for shipment, usually within 24 hours, into
refrigerated trailers that maintain
32-degree Fahrenheit temperatures.
Once fruit arrives at the distribution center, pallets unloaded to the
docks are also kept cool. The correct
temperatures—from harvest to transportation to distribution centers and
storage, right up to a market’s walk-in
cooler and floor display—are key to
the best-tasting berries.
continued on page 6
Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI)
Food safety has long been practiced
in the agriculture industry. As a result of
problems with some leafy greens in 2006,
farmer organizations developed PTI to
update and standardize practices in the
U.S. and globally.
Using case barcodes, produce is
traced quickly all through the supply chain
back to the farm, field and day it was
harvested. This allows growers, packers,
processors and distributors to identify
factors that can affect quality and delivery.
California Strawberry growers were
one of the first groups to develop a comprehensive food-safety program, serving
as the model for other commodities.
New laws for strawberries and other
produce soon will require that a picker be
identified to specific produce with product
tracking systems. Even when crated,
stored and transported, an individual
picker can be traced through technologies
such as GPS, barcodes, mobile messaging
and QR (quick-response) codes.
Website sources for this sidebar
• californiastrawberries.com
• foodsafetymagazine.com
• wikipedia.org/wiki/Produce_traceability
SLO Country Magazine s Spring 2012
5
Donna and Greg France are both invested in the business of Mar Vista Berry
as well as in their community. Greg is on the California Strawberry Commission
board of directors, and is a two-year past president of the board of the Santa Maria
Valley Boys and Girls Club. Donna, too, is on the board for the Boys and Girls
Club, and is a graduate of the California Agriculture Leadership Program,
a member of California Women for Agriculture and a board director for Marian
Medical Foundation.
They know that growing food for consumption is a hard and expensive business
dominated by weather and regulations to
ensure the safety of workers and healthy
food for consumers. Farming strawberries,
for example, includes costs of land, weatherrelated losses, bare root transplants, labor,
water, fertilizer, equipment, packaging,
cooling and storage, transportation,
marketing and retail sales.
“When any portion of the chain of
events goes wrong, the farmer pays for it,”
says Greg.
Yet despite that and the long work days,
few days off or vacations, and what they call
“organized chaos” during harvest season—
employees busy filling clamshells, moving
flats, driving fork lifts and loading trucks—
Donna France offers Mar Vista
Donna and Greg France truly love what
Berry samples to visitors at 2011
they do.
Savor the Central Coast.
In the Kitchen…
Berry,
Berry
Good!
W
ho better to offer recipes for
fresh berries than the California Strawberry Commission?
Recipes for breakfasts, appetizers,
salads, main courses, beverages and
desserts are found on their website,
www.californiastrawberries.com/
recipes/most_popular_recipes.
And, if you’re an iPhone user, you
can download a free “strawberries”
app with more than 100 recipes from
top food bloggers.
It’s probably no surprise to you
that strawberries rank third in total
produce average weekly sales, ahead
of packaged salads, potatoes and
grapes (per Willard Bishop’s 2010
Total Store SuperStudy™).
Strawberry FAQs
San Luis Obispo County
Second only to wine grapes, strawberries
account for 17 percent or $123.5 million of
total crop value, according to the 2010 Crop
Report. Up from 2009 figures, an additional
525 acres were planted to total 2,418 acres,
and crop value increased by 69 percent.
Santa Maria
In 2012, strawberry acreage increased by
119 acres to 9,749 or 1.2 percent over 2011. Proprietary varieties, those grown for
specific labels, total 30.3 percent, increasing
530 acres. Albion at 3,717 acres covers 38.1
percent and San Andreas 20.4 percent of the
district.
California
Total strawberry acreage increased to 38,373
acres for 2012, an increase over 2011 of 1,036
acres or 2.8 percent.
More than 500 growers, most of them family
businesses, produce strawberries in five main
growing areas: Watsonville/Salinas, Santa
Maria, Oxnard, Orange County/San Diego.
About 41.8 percent of varieties grown in
California are proprietary, grown for specific
labels. Other popular varieties include Albion
(32 percent) and San Andreas (13 percent).
California Organic
Total organic acreage reported for
2012 is 1,951 acres, an increase of 266
acres compared with 2011. This acreage
represents 5 percent of total state acreage,
compared with 4.5 percent in 2011.
In 2012, proprietary varieties of
strawberries totaled 971 acres (49.7
percent). Albion grows on 496 acres (25.4
percent). San Andreas accounts for 10.9
percent of the state’s organic total.
California Strawberry Commission 2012 acreage
survey. Totals may reflect rounding.
Photo by Donna France, Mar Vista Berry
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 cup (147g) strawberries
Amount Per Serving
Calories 47
Calories from Fat 4
% of Daily Values*
Total Fat 0.44g 1%
Saturated fat 0.02g 0%
Trans fat
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1.47mg 0%
Potassium 224.91mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 11.29g 4%
Dietary Fiber 2.94g 12%
Sugars 7.19g
Protein 0.98g
Vitamin A 0%
Calcium 2%
Cod with Strawberry Salsa
Strawberry Salad
Ingredients
1 fillet cod (or any white fish)
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon mint, chopped
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup strawberries, trimmed
and chopped
Ingredients
1 heirloom tomato, cut into pieces
6 large strawberries, sliced
8 ounces pre-washed arugula
8 large basil leaves, chopped
1 pinch of sea salt
and freshly ground pepper
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
1 wedge aged parmesan cheese
Preparation
Season cod with salt and pepper.
Broil until cooked and flaky, about
6 to 9 minutes.
For salsa, mix mint, lime juice,
balsamic vinegar, honey and black
pepper. Toss with strawberries to
coat. Serve salsa with cod.
Preparation
Combine all ingredients except the
oil, vinegar and cheese in a large
mixing bowl. Add olive oil and toss
well to coat. Then add vinegar and
toss once more.
Serve salad immediately in bowls
with freshly grated parmesan on top.
Serves 1
Source: www.closetcooking.com
A refreshing strawberry salsa
adds a beautiful splash of color
and a slightly sweet twist to this
main entree cod dish.
Serves 2-4
Chef Tyler Stone prepared this
salad at a strawberry festival where
the crowd loved savory chunks of
parmesan cheese with the subtle
sweetness of strawberries and basil.
Vitamin C 144%
Iron
3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has
approved the following nutrient descriptions
for spinach: fat-free, saturated fat-free,
cholesterol-free, low in calories, a good source
of fiber, high in vitamin A, high in vitamin C,
high in iron, high in folate and a good source
of magnesium.
Amounts approximate. Source: NutritionData.com
6
Spring 2012 s SLO Country Magazine
www.slofarmbureau.org
The California Strawberry Commission helps keep produce in
our state on track in five major areas: food safety, production and
nutrition research, trade relations, public relations and public policy.
In 1993, the commission succeeded the CA Strawberry Advisory
Board established in 1955. The commission has members from
agriculture and the public.
SLO Country Magazine s Spring 2012
7
How to grow a farm…
Free-range chickens produce dozens of fresh eggs daily (above). Kathy and Marvin
Blackburn take a brief moment out from working HZ Harvest Farm (top right). Plantings
include barley and oats, olive and fruit trees, melons, grapes, vegetables and lavendar.
A
s Kathy Blackburn’s ATV
cruises former grazing land
within an elk’s run of Lake
Nacimiento, she points out
the animals and crops she has planned
for and nurtured since 2009.
“The main reasons we farm are for
the assurance that our food is safe and
healthy, and for the satisfaction we get
when others taste the quality of our
products,” Blackburn says. “And, of
course, for the pure joy of seeing our
hard work develop into something
that we can feel proud to show others.”
Kathy and her husband, Marvin
Blackburn, moved to HZ Harvest
Farm when landowner and philanthropist B. Wayne Hughes Jr. asked
them to help fulfill his vision to provide healthy food on a sustainable,
organically maintained property. As third generation residents
of Templeton and Paso Robles—but
not farmers—the Blackburns signed
on for a lifelong tractor ride. Drawing
on the knowledge of farmers around
them, doing their homework, heeding
their common sense and being willing
to ask questions, they began to farm.
The Blackburns knew before they
began that farming is not a simple task.
It requires equipment, physical labor,
and knowledge of soil, seeds, animals
and external conditions—especially
weather—that influence every aspect
contributing to the farm. It also takes
fortitude and a leap of faith.
8 Spring 2012 s SLO Country Magazine
So, where to start? Obviously, all
foods cannot be grown on the Central
Coast or in all locations. Keeping in
mind climate, the Blackburns followed
their initial goals of farming healthy,
safe foods to share at their farmstand
and of teaching children from the local
school about agriculture.
The couple planned early-season,
mid-season and late-season harvests
of just about any fruit you can imagine.
“We have various varieties of apples,
plums, apricots, pluots, cherries, mulberries, peaches, pears, Asian pears
and pomegranates,” Kathy says.
And if you think that is ambitious,
add 500 table grape plants of various
varieties planted in February.
Last season’s crops included
artichokes and celery. Newly plowed,
deep furrows will soon sprout with
beets, radishes, beans, corn, carrots,
tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, cabbage,
peppers, celery root, fennel and “whatever type of vegetable we run across
that sounds interesting,” Kathy says.
“Our melons will probably all be
planted closer to the road.
“This farm had not been used
for several decades to grow hay—and
never to grow the foods we currently
are producing. Because we are just
beginning, we have not yet joined
a farmers’ market; we offer food as
U-pick. We plan to expand marketing
this year, including farmers’ market,
U-pick and direct sales to restaurants.”
Kathy Blackburn (above left), pictured
with owner B. Wayne Hughes Jr., keeps
fresh eggs stocked daily at HZ Harvest
Farm roadside “honor stand.” Other crops
in season are sold there, one mile south
of Jolon Road on Nacimiento Lake Drive.
Photo courtesy of HZ Harvest Farm.
Blackburn says that all crops are
grown without use of chemicals or
non-organic fertilizers, and they use
drip irrigation to save water.
What the couple creates, furrow
by furrow and tree by tree, is a fully
productive and working farm and
ranch. HZ Harvest Farm can serve
as an example of agriculture as a
tourist destination and as a food
source through the farm stand, U-pick,
farmers’ market and restaurants.
The farm also serves as an openair classroom where students come to
plant crops, build fences, paint rocks,
feed animals and learn about many
aspects of agriculture.
When you think about what it is
like to start a farm, don’t leave out
the feeding of animals before daylight
and nightfall; the tractor work and
repairs; the hard labor of digging post
holes and stringing barbed wire; the
veterinary bills to keep the animals
healthy and free of disease; the watchful eye for pests and knowledge to
combat any blights; the costs of fuel,
transportation, labor, electricity, water;
and the various ordinances and other
requirements that must be followed.
But also factor in the quiet of evenings when work is done, the sweat of
your brow wiped away. With a cool
glass of iced tea in your hand, watch
the sun recline behind the western
mountains as the moon and the vivid
stars speak to the night. Is it worth it?
You bet it is!
Follow Kathy ’s blog at hzharvestfarm.blogspot.com
Resources to Help
Start a Farm
• San Luis Obispo County Agricultural
Commissioner — (805) 781-5910;
www.slocounty.ca.gov/agcomm
• University of California Cooperative
Extension — (805) 781-5940;
www.ucanr.org
• Small Farm Program, University
of California Davis — (805) 788-2374;
www.sfp.ucdavis.edu
• United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
provides information about which types of soils can support which crops —
www.nrcs.usda.gov
A newly born lamb receives attention from
its maamaa (second from top). A curly-coated
Mangalitsa pig is descended from Hungarian
wild boars. 4-H replacement heifers help grow
the herd. Marvin Blackburn, formerly a local
contractor, feels at home on the farm equipment.
Bottom photo courtesy of HZ Harvest Farm.
www.slofarmbureau.org
SLO Country Magazine s Spring 2012
9
In the Garden…
Help Your Veggie Garden Grow…
The Master Gardener Program, a volunteer service organization
sponsored by the University of California Cooperative Extension
(UCCE), teaches people in the community about horticulture and
shares with home gardeners research-based information from UC.
As a community “educator,” each Master Gardener completes
a comprehensive horticulture training program and donates time
on the gardening “Helpline,” writes articles, gives workshops
and attends farmers’ markets and other community events.
The Master Gardeners can help you with all aspects of home
gardening, including pest management, landscaping and
home food production. To contact the Master Gardeners,
see the sidebar, below right.
Vegetable Gardening in San Luis Obispo County
by Tami Reece, Master Gardener
F
ragrant herbs, crunchy vegetables, sweet and juicy
tomatoes-—these comprise the scents and tastes of your
own kitchen garden! You don’t need an acre to plant an
abundant garden, any sunny corner will do. San Luis
Obispo County has a multitude of microclimates, which allow
for year-round vegetable gardening. If you live in Paso Robles, the chance of a frost (falling below
32° F) historically ends around April 7. In San Luis Obispo, frost
hazard usually ends about February 15, but temperatures remain
cool enough to continue planting cool-season vegetables. If you
want early-harvest spring vegetables, Master Gardeners
have put together A Cool Season Vegetable Guide for San
Luis Obispo County, which can be found at http://ucanr.
org/sites/mgslo/. Look under Gardening Information,
Local, Vegetables and Herbs.
Why not try planting beets this year? The beet is best
known for its sweet roots, but the tender young leaves
are also tasty in salads, steamed or sautéed. Beets prefer
mild weather rather than hot, sunny days, so they are
great as an early-spring or late-fall crop for your garden. Beets can be planted in three-week intervals
throughout the season. After they are seeded, keep on
top of thinning them so that they are about three to four
inches apart. Most varieties mature within 55 to 70 days.
In the coastal areas, beets can be planted practically
year-round. In North County, the planting season is from
mid-April through mid-June and again during August
through November.
A popular summer vegetable is the tomato.
Tomatoes should be planted after the last frost and may
even need protection after the date has passed. Rotate
the location where you plant your tomatoes to reduce
plant disease problems. Giving that spot a break from
tomatoes, eggplant and potatoes for two years is a good
rule of thumb. A great way to choose your favorite varieties is to
attend a tomato-tasting event, such as the UC Master
Gardeners Tomato Extravaganza.
Tomato Extravaganza
10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Saturday, August 18
Garden of the Seven Sisters
2156 Sierra Way, San Luis Obispo
Attend a day of fun and educational
activities for people of all ages.
• Tomato tasting
• Mini-seminar sessions all day
• Activities for children
The event is free. Find details at
the SLO Master Gardener website,
ucanr.org/sites/mgslo.
Contact SLO Master Gardeners
For gardening questions, e-mail, call or go by one of the
three local offices. A sample of a pest or problem plant—
packaged in a tightly sealed container—can be brought
to an office for help.
• E-mail: mgsanluisobispo@ucdavis.edu
Two tomato photos (above) by Jim
apRoberts. “A Rainbow of Beets” photo
(top right) by Marcia Beckley Kane.
10 Spring 2012 s SLO Country Magazine
www.slofarmbureau.org
•
•
San Luis Obispo Hotline – (805) 781-5939
Monday and Thursday 1–5 p.m.
University of CA Cooperative Extension
2156 Sierra Way, Suite C
•
Templeton Hotline – (805) 434-4105
Wednesday 9 a.m.–noon
County Agriculture Commissioner’s Building
350 North Main Street, Suite B
Arroyo Grande Hotline – (805) 473-7190
Wednesday 10 a.m.–noon
County Agriculture Commissioner’s Building
810 West Branch Street
Workshops
Find details at ucanr.org/sites/mgslo
• March 17—Rodent Control & Owl Houses
• March 31—Training for School Gardens
• April 21—Plant Propagation
• May 19—Blooms–Birds–Butterflies
and Wildlife Habitat
• June 16—Summer Pruning Fruit Trees
and Grapes
• July 21—Fire-Safe Landscapes
• August 18—Tomato Extravaganza
• September 15—Turf Alternatives
and Water-Wise Gardening
• October 20—Winter Veggies and Pests
• November 17—Storing and Cleaning Tools
SLO Country Magazine s Spring 2012 11
Local Links
2012 Calendar From SLO County
Farm Bureau Women —
Enjoy a dozen of SLO County’s most
picturesque barns. $10 at the Farm Bureau;
(805) 543-3654.
Cattlemen’s Western Art Show & Sale Reception Friday, March 30;
Show Saturday–Sunday, March 31–April 1
Sixty western artists exhibit original art.
See www.cattlemenswesternartshow.com.
Central Coast Greenhouse Growers
Assn. Open House & Nursery Tour —
Saturday, April 14
Find information at www.ccgga.wordpress.com.
Arroyo Grande Strawberry Festival —
Saturday–Sunday, May 26–27
For more information about this event, go to
arroyograndevillage.org/strawberry_fest.shtml
All Types of
ELECTRICAL WORK
•
•
•
•
•
Licensed • Insured
CA State Certified
Reasonable Rates – $65/Hour
Estimates Available
Discounts for Repeat Customers
PB&B Electrical
State Lic.# 375854
12 Spring 2012 s SLO Country Magazine
(805) 481-0457
www.pbandbinc.com
Visit www.slofarmbureau.org…
• Photo Collages for These 2011 Events
• Savor the Central Coast
Local ag producers, restaurants, wineries,
demonstrations and more.
• The Great AGventure
Fourth-grade students enjoy hands-on
learning about local agriculture.
• Current Agricultural News
Sign up for Ag Update, an e-newsletter
with timely Farm Bureau information.
Did You Know?
B
y 2007, women operated more than 300,000 farms, representing
nearly 14 percent of U.S. farms, up from 5 percent in 1982.
Most of the farms operated by women are very small. Approximately
78 percent had sales less than $10,000 in 2007, compared with 57
percent of farms operated by men. Still, nearly 2,000 women operated
farms with sales of at least $1 million in 2007.
—CA Farm Bureau Federation, cfbf.org
Scene Around
SLO Country…
California Farm Bureau
Photo Contest Winner
“Kids & Critters on the Farm” category
Second Place
Jon R. Swanson
SLO County Farm Bureau member
Jon Swanson describes this photo
opportunity as “just one of those things
where you see wildlife and say, ‘Well,
everybody needs to enjoy that.’”
And who can’t help but enjoy the humor
of a wild turkey preening in front of a driveway safety mirror?
“He had a search-and-rescue mission
going on every day looking for a partner,
I think,” said Swanson, a recently retired
winegrape grower.
www.slofarmbureau.org
SLO Country Magazine s Spring 2012
13
Acquistapace Farms, Inc.
805/614-6100; jim.acqfarms@verizon.net
Adler Belmont Dye Insurance
805/540-3900;
Belmont@adlerbelmontdye.com
Ag Box Company – 805/489-0377
Business Members
See complete listings for
businesses that support San
Luis Obispo County Farm
Bureau at slofarmbureau.org
Madonna Inn – 805/543-3000
www.madonnainn.com
Nick’s Telecom – 805/441-3135
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
805/595-6340
Pacific Sun Growers, Inc. – 805/929-1986
www.pacificsungrowers.com
Blue Rooster Telecom
805/543-8700; blueroosterteleom.com
J. B. Dewar Inc. Petroleum Products
805/543-0180
Byron Grant/Century 21 Hometown
Realty – 805/441-2560
www.www.byron-grant.com
Eagle Energy, Inc. – 805/543-7090
Marcia@eagleenergyinc.com
Pat Phelan Construction – 805/929-1739
EcoSpray – 805/929-1457
Rabobank – 805/541-5500
Electricraft, Inc. – 805/544-8224
www.electricraftinc.com
Roadrunner Construction – 805/238-2500
Farm Supply Company – 805/543-3751
www.farmsupplycompany.com
San Luis Obispo Downtown Association
805/541-0286; www.downtownslo.com
Filipponi & Thompson Drilling Co.
805/466-1271; www.ftdrilling.com
Santa Maria Seeds, Inc. – 805/922-5757
www.santamariaseeds.com
Giuseppe’s Cucina Italiana – 805/773-2870
www.giuseppesrestaurant.com
Shimmin Canyon Vineyard
805/238-2562
Coast National Bank – 805/541-0400
Heritage Oaks Bank – 805/369-5203
www.heritageoaksbank.com
Taylor Frigon Capital Management
805/226-0280; www.taylorfrigon.com
Days Inn – 805/549-9911
www.daysinnsanluisobispo.com
E. C. Loomis & Son Insurance
Associates – 805/489-5594
The Thom Group – 805/546-6022
www.TheThomGroup.com
California Meridian Insurance Services
805/466-3400
ted@californiameridian.com
C&M Nursery – 805/929-1941
C&N Tractors – 805/237-3855
Central Coast Propane – 805/237-1001
www.centralcoastpropane.com
Clavo Cellars – 805/226-0174
www.clavocellars.com
14 Spring 2012 s SLO Country Magazine
Quinn Company – 805/925-8611
SLO Country Magazine s Spring 2012 15