Bloom and Weather

Well bloom has started. I could do without the high winds this weekend. Bees don't fly in 20mph winds.

Other wise the weather this week has been perfect for almond bloom. You can see how the tree protects the overall bloom. Can you see some of flowers are wide open and some of the buds are closed? That way if the blossoms open now don't get  pollinated because of bad weather there is a chance others will open later when the weather is better. Nature is amazingly fertile.

  We got the water and fertilizer on this week, so the trees should be happy and ready to push. It is truly amazing; the trees will from dormant to fully leafed out during the next month. It is an explosion of growth.

Weather is not a Casual Conversation for a Farmer

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright February, 2012

                Weather is not a casual conversation for a farmer. I make my living out in the natural world. If you work in an office or a shop rain can be inconvenient, but you can still get your job done.

            On the farm we need the rain, but if it comes at the wrong time it can be devastating. Do you remember the scene in the movie “War Horse” where the rain ruins the cabbage crop? I have had that happen to me. We had three inches of rain one afternoon in a freak tropical storm while we were harvesting cantaloupes. Melon harvest was over right then. We still had over 10,000 cartons of melons in the field. I got back in the next morning and I could already smell the fruit rotting in the sun.

            I constantly keep an eye on the horizon and checking long and short term weather forecasts. We are fortunate in the Internet Age. I can access things like satellite maps and Doppler radar images to see where the storms are. Grandpa couldn’t do that.

            On the farm weather is a fact of life that affects what I do. The weather can make or break a crop. So you can see why weather is not a casual conversation on the farm.

Almost here...

Well, I didn't make it to the farm show after all. The rain delayed work and just when I was ready to go to the farm show on Thursday things got busy. It took three and a half hours to set up the satellite for a three hour job. That was frustrating. Then the fertilizer I had ordered fro Monday arrived. OK. We took the first lap and then the drive chain broke. Arrrrgh. Some days are like that on the farm. I hadn't had a like that for a few months so I guess I was over due.

As you can see bloom is beginning to start. Some of the early varieties are blooming. The orchards in the south end of the Valley are blooming also. It's a little warmer down there.
   The ten day forecast is clear for the moment. So, we won't bloom spray for now. No need. But, I will keep an eye one the forecast and one the sky.

Even though I didn't make it to the Farm Show I will share one of my memories from Farm Shows past. This piece has been running on the radio this past week.

Food at the Farm Show

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright February 2012

This may come as a surprise to you, but some farmers don’t go the farm show for the tractors and equipment displays. One year I went to the farm show with some neighbors who had to get there by 10am. When I asked why, they said 10 o’clock was time for coffee and cinnamon rolls. OK, that makes sense.

            They had the day mapped out for food. Coffee and cinnamon rolls at 10 am. Look at a few tractors. Then lunch.

            That was difficult because there are some great food booths. Local organizations run food booths at the farm show as fundraisers and let me tell you, those folks can cook. Personally I look for anything with linguica or lamb, but that’s me. There are great tri-tip sandwiches and chili beans. You know, maybe my neighbors are on to something… tractors come and go, but a good meal is something to remember.

            To top off the day we stopped off in Selma for pie and coffee on the way home. The best part? I did so much walking at the Farm Show that all those calories were not only tasty, but guilt free. So, if you make it to the farm show don’t forget, there is some seriously good food in those food booths- and you will be supporting a good cause.

You can find the recording at-

http://www.940kyno.com/index.php?c=68

OK, I confess, I don't always go to the Farm Show to see the tractors.

I hope Y'all have a great week.

P

Do You Want to Know What Keeps Me Up This Time of Year?

Almond Bloom

By Paul H. Betancourt
Copyright February, 2012

Let me tell you what keeps me up at night and gives me heartburn.

The weather during almond bloom.

During the next few weeks the almond trees start blooming. It is a beautiful sight. Sheryl thinks that being in the trees during bloom on a sunny day is like being in a fairyland. We have even had picnic lunches out in the trees during bloom on nice days. When the petals start to fall it looks like it is snowing gently. It can be fabulous.

BUT-during the few weeks of bloom we set our crop for the year. This is crunch time in the orchard. Almond blossoms are very tender. Each individual blossom only lasts three days. If the bees don’t pollinate it in those three days-it is lost. Rain causes mold. Wind causes the bees to stay safe and snug in their boxes. It’s not just the blossoms. Too much rain on the young shoots can cause a disease called ‘shot gun’ where the leaves are peppered with little holes.

So, you can see what keeps me tossing and turning this time of year. Farmers need perfect weather to set a crop. This is the one chance to make a crop for this year. There are no ‘do-overs’. If the blossoms do not set-we are done for the year. So, farmers watch the sky and the weather reports. We do what we can to prepare and we say a prayer.

There's a 70% chance of rain forecast tonight.
I'll keep you posted.
I hope Y'all have a great week.
 
P

Seasonal Food

Another busy week on the farm. We have started watering the wheat again. As dry as this winter has been it does need water. The brush in the almond orchard is shredded and the acid has been applied to the field that will get planted to almonds next month.

Seasonal Food

By Paul H. Betancourt
February 2012

I wait all year long for the Naval Oranges to come in. Harvest starts in November but I wait until December when they are that much sweeter. Then it is fresh squeezed orange juice almost every morning until March. After that I really don’t drink much orange juice until the following December. There just is nothing like fresh squeezed orange juice and I am willing to wait.

We have gotten kind of spoiled that last thirty years or so. We are used to having everything available all the time. When I was a kid we had to wait all year for fresh strawberries in the Spring. Now we can get strawberries all year long. I think we have lost something in the process.

There are some foods I just eat at certain times of the year. For example, I eat a lot of soup in December, not so much in July. I eat a lot of salads in July, not so much in December. It’s kind of like Christmas baking. I only make fudge during the holidays.

It is said, ‘variety is the spice of life.’ Well, seasonal variety spices up my life.

I hope Y'all have a great week.
 
P