I visited the Merced and Mariposa offices on Friday. It was a casual day without much of a schedule to be particular places at specific times. It was great! I learned so many things about the state, agriculture, and our work in those counties. Here are a few items I can't resist sharing. Perhaps some of these tidbits are new to even some long time residents, and will make for conversation at holiday gatherings.
- California produces a third of the world's tomato paste, that is then processed for ketchup (or catsup), pasta sauce, and pizza sauce.
- Grafting is not just for perennial crops and is now used in greenhouse production of annual crops with interest in exploring the economics of using grafting in outdoor production. UCCE County Director in Merced County, Scott Stoddard, can fill you in on the drivers behind this interest.
- California almonds have a soft shell whereas almonds from other places have a hard shell. David Doll @thealmonddoctor gave me a run down on the 8 different varieties and Cameron prepared some samples to help me better understand the intricacies.
- Merced County has one of the best places to grow sweet potatoes in California, due to the sandy soil. We didn't get into the finer distinction between sweet potatoes and yams. The Master Gardeners hooked me up with samples of the 4 different varieties of sweet potatoes that are most popular for the area.
- Persimmons just grow; we don't have CE Specialists or Advisors who are focused on increasing production and profitability of persimmon production. I find persimmons to be a bit bland but plan to try a persimmon and apple salad over the upcoming weekend based on a hunch that blue cheese and tart apples can carry the persimmons to a successful combination. Russ Hill tells me that a bit of lime or lemon juice helps as well.
- Mariposa County is one of the counties that has achieved parity in its 4-H program. When the President's Advisory Commission (PAC) for Agriculture and Natural Resources met on December 13, President Napolitano shared with her PAC how proud we are that, statewide, the 4-H program has achieved parity.
- In Mariposa County, Native American participation in 4-H is as important at Latino participation with respect to achieving parity.
- 65 Master Gardener volunteers in Mariposa County provide the education for what seems like it must take hundreds of volunteers! They have a large focus on use of native plants and include 3 additional modules in their training program in addition to the modules taught in Merced, making it a 17-week training. Lawns are not part of the Master Gardener program.
- Fadzayi Mashiri oversees a small but mighty team in Mariposa County who remain responsive to the aftermath of the Detwiler Fire, as evidenced by the UCCE Mariposa County homepage.
- Merced County is home to the tallest monument in the state. The facts surrounding the purpose of the monument were a bit sketchy but interesting to note nonetheless. However, no need to look up too far as it is a far cry from the scale of the Washington monument.
I can't thank everyone enough for their time and the conversations. And it was nice to see those I hadn't seen in some time (since Crucial Conversations for some) and meet many for the first time, including those that keep the research programs running.
It is very disappointing to hear that the fires are still raging in Ventura County. This won't make for a restful break for so many. And for Laurent Ahiablame, who will be starting December 18, 2017 as Water Quality and Management Advisor and San Diego County CE Director, it will no doubt be a bit of a whirlwind for the first few months. Please welcome Laurent and offer assistance where you can to help him settle into his new position.