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San Diego County Farm Bureau News
October 2009: Vol. 22. No. 10

MONTHLY COLUMNS

President's Message - Top of Page

Carrot, carat, and caret

by Michael A. Mellano

Strange title you might say, and how could this possibly have anything to do with Farm Bureau business? Well, I’ll tell you . . . they are all connected in one way or another to the University of California and me. Besides, it is a funny title and hopefully it got your attention. I’m sure that your next question probably is “OK Mike . . . how are they related?” You might be able to figure out two, but I’m betting few of you will figure out the third!

  • Somewhere in the U.C. system, I’m sure that they do research on carrots, and my grandmother makes the best sautéed carrots in the world.

  • While a graduate student at U.C. Riverside, I gave my now-wife, Val, a “leeeetle” CARAT on her engagement ring!

  • Lastly—and this is the one you probably won’t get—for the last two years, I have been one of two delegates for the University of California to CARET (the national Council for Agricultural Research, Extension & Teaching). Lucky for you, I’m not intending to bore you with details on carrot research or my engagement, but have instead chosen to broaden your horizons and educate you about CARET and what it does for U.C. and us.

CARET, like Farm Bureau, is a grassroots organization and is under the auspices of the Association of Public & Land Grant Universities (APLU), of which U.C. is a member. CARET’s mission is to “advocate for greater national support and understanding of the land grant university system’s food and agricultural research, education and teaching programs . . .” I never knew that this group existed until a few years ago, but there is definitely a lot going on. The delegates are primarily farmers and ranchers from across the country who have been appointed by their respective universities and, just like Farm Bureau, they are a great bunch of energetic, passionate and committed individuals.

Each year, one of our biggest responsibilities is the annual visit to Washington, D.C., where we have the task of making sure that our elected officials recognize the importance of agricultural research and education to our farming operations and the state’s economy. It still amazes me today how interested our Senators and members of Congress are in hearing directly from us what is happening on the front lines of production. It is also interesting how important personal experiences are in delivering that message. Each time we go, there is a large group of University officials, Deans and researchers but, in the end, it is the farmer’s story they want to hear the most and respond to! Hopefully, they hear and feel the passion, and we are able to get their continued commitment of support for the University and the Land Grant system.

These days, with the state’s budget in such a mess, federal funding of research and education is more important than ever. I am fortunate to be part of a large and organized effort, but it is time for all of us to get involved. We must get out and tell all who will listen how the University (U.C. and Cal State) has impacted our operations and our lives; how it has contributed repeatedly to the expansion of our agricultural economy; how it has fostered new technology and learning; how it has allowed us to adapt to a rapidly changing marketplace; and how important it is in keeping us competitive in the ever-shrinking world. We must find a way to keep agricultural research adequately funded so we are prepared for the future!

From the Executive Director

Public is embracing water conservation; how about pest infestations?

by Eric Larson

California’s well-publicized water problems and the need to conserve seem to be resonating with the public. Bright green lawns look a little dimmer and neighborhoods are devoid of weekend warriors washing their cars. In fact, local water districts are reporting that their customers are not only heeding mandatory use restrictions, but have gone well beyond the need for the region to cut its water use by 9 percent. The residents of the county have stepped up and dropped their water use by numbers closer to 20 percent. That’s good for storage, but tough on the bottom line for water districts. The public heard the request to act and responded. It would be great to see the public embrace another matter of equal concern to the farm community.

Reports on the discovery of dangerous exotic pests in our state have become much too common. It has come to the point where the news of a new discovery is greeted with resignation. We know that Asian citrus psyllids, Diaprepes root weevils, and Mediterranean fruit flies didn’t get here on their own. Somebody gave them a ride. Whether it’s indifference to the rules or ignorance, the ultimate cost to farmers and departments of agriculture is in the many millions of dollars each year. The public understands that they need exercise care every time they turn on the water. We need to figure out how to develop that same level of conscience among those who think it is alright to carry a potted plant across the border, put farm products in their luggage during an overseas trip, or have an acquaintance ship them a parcel of favorite fruit from a foreign country.

For a start, here are a few ideas. If we assume that travelers leaving the state are apt to return, it would seem to make sense that each be put on notice through announcements, signage, or directly handed materials that agricultural products cannot be brought with them on their return. As it is now, a decision is made on the trip to bring an item back, so it is already in their possession and unlikely to be reported upon arrival. Through the use of technology, every recipient of a package from a foreign destination should receive notice that it is illegal to receive uninspected agricultural products. That may not help with the package just received, but it just might stop them from seeking future deliveries. Also, fines and convictions for abusers should be sufficient to create a deterrent strong enough to be noticed by others.

The strategy has been to keep pests out by hardening the points of entry to the state. That has resulted in much success and should be enhanced with more internal safeguards like sniff dogs, trapping, and the use of technology. However, millions of travelers and unknown numbers of parcels arriving daily are a tough match. Without a change in public attitude, the reports of infestations will not diminish.

From the Ag Commissioner

Bob Atkins, Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures

New USDA user fees for federal phytosanitary certificates

International export is big business in San Diego County. In 2008, over 8,000 shipments of plants and produce were sent from San Diego County to 60 different countries. Each shipment was accompanied by a Federal Phytosanitary Certificate, stating that the entry requirements of the destination country were met. Most often these certificates are written by one of our inspectors, trained and licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS).

Effective Oct. 1, 2009, USDA APHIS began collecting a user fee for every federal export certificate issued. First proposed in 2007, the final rule for this requirement was published in the July 8, 2009 Federal Register (Volume 74, Number 129; 7 CFR Part 354). It is now law. The fee is intended to recover costs associated with providing export certification services, including local inspector training, updating requirements, printing forms, and records retention services.

The user fee is separate from, and in addition to, the fee we charge for federal phytosanitary certificates. The county fee for providing the certificate remains the same at $90.

The user fees for export certificates are set by federal law and are as follows:

Effective Dates
Amount per Certificate
 
PCT used
(electronic ertification)
PCT not used (4 part paper certificate)
10/30/09 - 9/30/10
$3
$6
Begining 10/1/10
$6
$12

There are two ways to pay the new fee. One way is for the person requesting the certificate to pay the user fee directly through USDA’s online Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance and Tracking System (PCIT). To do this, you need to set up an account through PCIT and fund it by a credit card or e-check. This method results in a lower fee ($3). This should be a simple step for exporters already using PCIT. 

I strongly encourage all exporters to use PCIT for their export certificates if they are not already doing so. There are many benefits associated with using PCIT. Most notable is the decreased amount of time needed in order to release plants, products, or produce from a hold order at the destination port. After the initial set up, PCIT is easy to use for issuing export certificates, resulting in time savings and increased efficiency for both the business and our inspectors. All of our county’s high-volume agricultural exporters are currently using PCIT. Last year, 90 percent of the total export certificates issued by our inspectors were issued through PCIT.

For companies not using PCIT, the user fee is doubled ($6) to discourage use of the four-part paper certificates. Even when PCIT is not used to issue the certificate, the $6 user fee can be paid directly to USDA online through a shell account in PCIT, or it can be collected by our inspector who is issuing the certificate. We will forward all USDA user fees to USDA APHIS on a monthly basis.

For exporters who ship internationally, my department is committed to working with your company to find the most cost effective and efficient way to pay the new federal user fee. Please visit our Web site at www.sdcawm.org or call (760) 752-4700 if you have questions or need more information.

San Diego: (858) 694-8988
North County: (760) 752-4700
E-mail: sdcawm@sdcounty.ca.gov
Web: www.sdcawm.org

Business Supporting Member Focus: Anderson Estate Law

by Nancy Walery
Estate planning may be a difficult topic for some to address, but it is the only way to ensure that all your plans, possessions, and the fruits of your labor during your lifetime are carried out according to your wishes when you’re gone.

Before you dismiss this subject as premature for any number of reasons (“I’m too young”; “I’ll have plenty of time to do this later;” “I don’t have much”; “I can’t afford it” . . .), it’s important to realize two things: 1) We don’t know what the future holds; and 2) We each have a responsibility to minimize the burden of handling our affairs on those we leave behind.

“We just don’t know how many days we have on this earth. We want to believe we have plenty of them,” said attorney Mark Anderson of Anderson Estate Law in Escondido. “What people don’t realize is the peace of mind they will feel once they get their estate plan completed. The sooner they take care of this, the sooner they will experience a peace of mind they don’t realize exists.”

Anderson, who has specialized in California estate law for more than 25 years and has been a Farm Bureau Business Supporting Member since 2007, recognizes that certain family dynamics can make the estate planning process so painful to confront that it’s easier to avoid, but it can also be the opportunity to break through those barriers.

“Most of us have baggage related to our family, and the idea of sitting down with a stranger and pulling all the family skeletons out of the closet is not appealing,” Anderson said. “But it’s really nothing to be afraid of. We try to demystify the process. In fact, it can be the most positive and economically rewarding thing a person can do in terms of saving time and money. It’s expensive to die, but many don’t realize just how expensive it is, especially in California, and how much money and aggravation you can save your kids and grandkids if you get it done. And if you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who will become mentally incompetent at some point in your lifetime, an estate plan specifies how your affairs are to be managed when you can no longer speak for or handle them yourself.”

Anderson Estate Law’s services cover every aspect of estate planning, starting with creating a long-range estate plan, developing trusts, wills, powers of attorney, advance health care directives, establishing guardianship, special needs, and charitable planning, as well as leaving a legacy, trust administration and probate. There isn’t much Anderson hasn’t seen or dealt with, and he has developed time-tested strategies for situations such as spendthrift kids, kids’ addictions or disabilities, parent disabilities or ongoing needs, and keeping a business funded in the midst of death or disability. Yet, each estate plan is unique, and farmers and ranchers are a case in point. For those in agriculture who want to pass their farming operation on to the next generation, Anderson prepares tailor-made trusts that are specifically intended to help farming families keep the farm going and minimize the chance of having the farm sold or broken up to satisfy beneficiary requests.

“We have a number of strategies we can employ so that nonfarmers in the family are in a position to receive from the estate while the land continues to stay in the family,” Anderson said. “And we offer a variety of partnership agreements and business entity plans that are all designed to build in protection for the ongoing needs of that farming family.”

Creating an estate plan is not a one-time event. Once you have created an estate plan with Anderson Estate Law, you have also established an ongoing relationship and line of communication (including an annual newsletter and notices when changes in the law affect your estate plan), so you can keep your documents current over the years as the laws or your life circumstances change.

You won’t get that kind of service and expertise from the plethora of discount and do-it-yourself will and trust products and services listed in the Yellow Pages, online or from a computer software program. The biggest downside to these offers, Anderson said, is they provide no education or interaction with estate planning experts to be sure you’re doing the right thing—and you won’t know until it’s too late if it was done wrong. That could result in tens of thousands of dollars in unnecessary estate taxes coming due, making Anderson’s average fee range of $1,500 and $2,500 for a living trust a more appealing and cost effective alternative. And Farm Bureau members will receive a 10 percent discount on services provided.

“The living trust is the gold standard of estate planning, and unless you’re homeless, you need an estate plan,” Anderson said. “Most people won’t be well served by a simple will unless their entire estate is worth less than $100,000. If you have minor children or own anything of substance, you have a responsibility to make sure your assets are handled in an orderly fashion. It’s an act of love and just common courtesy to make the process of caring for you, your loved ones and executing your wishes as inexpensive and easy as possible.”

Anderson Estate Law is located in Escondido at 145 S. Fig Street (92025). Visit their user-friendly Web site at www.andersonestatelaw.com to get acquainted with the staff and services available, or call (760) 489-2938 to schedule your initial free consultation.

News from the San Diego Region Irrigated Lands Group

On behalf of the San Diego Region Irrigated Lands Group, Farm Bureau staff has been meeting with representatives from the Regional Water Quality Control Board to establish the framework for the mandated monitoring of agricultural runoff. Rather than develop a stand-alone monitoring program for agriculture, there may be an opportunity to fold the monitoring for farmers into an already existing collaborative testing regime. That would have several advantages, including economies of scale that could result in a program that is more efficient than one that operates on its own.

The next contact from the San Diego Region Irrigated Lands Group to participating enrollees will be the information-gathering phase. At that time, enrollees will need to provide parcel numbers, crops grown, and best management practices used on the farm to avoid the possibility of pollutants leaving the farm in irrigation or storm water. The process for enrollees will be a simple-to-use online form or a hard-copy questionnaire for those who would prefer a non-electronic format.

The San Diego Region Irrigated Lands Group Educational Corporation (“Group”) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Periodic updates of activities going on in the Group will be published in this newsletter. For more information about the Group, visit www.sdfarmbureau.org and click on the “Irrigated Lands Group” link.

Ask the Farm and Home Advisor

by Valerie J. Mellano, Ph.D.
UC Cooperative Extension, San Diego County

Q: I understand that the state budget situation will have some effect on programs like U.C. Cooperative Extension. How are you impacted by the current budget issues?

A: The University of California overall is definitely feeling the impacts from the state budget shortfall and probably will for several years to come. There will be a big impact on county-based Cooperative Extension as part of this financial shortfall. Historically speaking, there are half as many Farm Advisors now as there were a generation ago, when there were almost 500 UC Farm Advisors statewide dedicated to finding research-based solutions to local issues and problems.

San Diego County has been fortunate to maintain a full staff while many other counties have been reduced drastically in numbers. In the past, advisors have been assigned to a single county and have dedicated their time and effort to the agricultural, natural and human resources issues in that single location. More and more, advisors are taking on additional counties, some are even regional, and have several counties to cover. As you can imagine, this makes it difficult to establish and maintain the personal relationships with growers and others that have long been the trademark of Cooperative Extension. As technology becomes more useful, Farm Advisors are naturally utilizing things like Internet- based courses, “webinars,” and blogs to get their message to growers, form discussion groups, and even hold meetings from a distance. Not all of our clientele have access to the technology, nor do they wish to use it. Others have embraced the new outreach methods and find it very useful. We are working hard to catch up with what technology has to offer, but this also takes funds which are in short supply right now.

This year, the impacts of the budget on us as Farm Advisors include 21 days of unpaid leave—approximately a month. This means that advisors will be unavailable to clientele during the leave days. Each advisor will determine at least part of their own leave schedule, and other days will be mandatory in accordance with the schedule of U.C. Davis, our home campus. Advisors will do their best to minimize the impacts on their clientele, but most are stretched pretty thin as it stands, and this will not help matters much. We appreciate your understanding of this situation, and hope that it will not negatively impact our work with clientele for too long.

The long-term impacts of these cuts are huge—the University of California is already feeling the pinch, and it is not as competitive in hiring the best people as it should be—it is very expensive to live here, and the U.C. salaries are less than in other states. Many good professors, advisors, researchers and others are choosing to take initial jobs elsewhere, or leave our system and go to other institutions, many of them private, where there is more assurance of long-term funding and a lower cost of living.

Farm Bureau has been working for you.

  • Top of PageSubmitted EIR comments on County's Tiered Winery Ordinance and General Plan Update
  • Attended meeting of Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition
  • Went on inspection tour of Otay Mesa commercial border crossing station
  • Made presentation on local agriculture to MiraCosta Ag Business class
  • Put on golf tournament for scholarship fund
  • Hosted CDFA meeting on Medfly quarantine

Pest Watch

Asian citrus psyllids detected in Orange and LA counties

Five Asian citrus psyllids were detected in traps in Santa Ana area of Orange County, and several dozen were also found in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles County. As a result, both counties are under a full quarantine. The Orange County pests tested negative for the Huanglongbing (HLB) bacteria that is deadly to citrus, and Los Angeles tests were still pending as of press time. Citrus trees and host plants at the find sites are being treated with Tempo, which will eliminate the psyllids on contact, and then each tree or plant will receive soil injections with Merit, a systemic that will remain active for an extended period of time.

Medfly found in Escondido; quarantine triggered

A mated female Mediterranean fruit fly was recently found in a trap in Escondido on N. Rose Street. One mated female triggers a quarantine. Unlike the Mexican fruit fly, Hass avocados and smooth lemons are on the host list for Medfly, and treatment before harvest will be required. Growers, harvesters and packinghouses must sign compliance agreements on the treatment protocols before moving any fruit. CDFA is conducting weekly releases of 250,000 sterile male flies per square mile over the nine square mile eradication zone, which will continue for two life cycles. It is anticipated that, providing no new flies are found, the quarantine could end in early May 2010, which would be three generations from the date of the original find. This is the fourth Medfly quarantine in San Diego County this year, and genetics indicate they are all of South American strain. A quarantine map and detailed information is available on the CDFA Web site at www.cdfa.ca.gov and the County AWM Web site at www.sdcounty.ca.gov/awm. A Mediterranean fruit fly Quarantine Project office has also been opened in San Marcos and representatives can be reached at (760) 510-4703.

Pest inspections get canine assistance

In its recently published annual report on the California Dog Team Program, CDFA’s Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services reported that “sniff” dogs are proving to be an important defense against illegal package shipments received via parcel delivery facilities and airfreight terminals into California containing uninspected plant material. From July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009, 1303 unmarked parcels were “hit” by the dogs resulting in the discovery of 17 A-rated pests (pose a known economic threat subject to state-enforced action) and 100 Q-rated pests (pose a potential economic threat subject to temporary state action until pest receives permanent rating). In addition, 191 parcels were rejected for violations of state and federal quarantine regulations. Five dog teams are active in the state, including one in San Diego County, but they are clearly overmatched by the number of parcels arriving daily through the Post Office and parcel delivery companies. In the Farm Bill, funding priorities include early pest detection for additional dog detection teams, and, as a result, in 2010, four more dogs will be put into service in California, with San Diego County getting its second.

Eye gnat solutions

Eye gnats continue to be a problem in the county, especially in Escondido and Jacumba, but they are also expanding to other areas. According to UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Val Mellano, it’s not only the heat and humidity that brings out these pesky insects that hover around the face, eyes and nose of humans and animals; the population is exacerbated by decaying organic matter that the gnats use to reproduce and feed on. Mellano added that the increase in gnats also may be associated with all the grinding of 2007 wildfire plant materials. They do not post a real health threat, but they can transmit lesser diseases like conjunctivitis (pink eye). Because their numbers are so great, spraying of large areas is not conducted. To minimize the problem, Mellano recommended removing decaying organic material from general use areas. Another method that might reduce the population locally is to create your own traps by placing a raw egg mixture in the bottom of 2-liter clear soda bottles with holes drilled in the sides (the insects are attracted to the egg material and once inside the bottle, they can’t get out). For more information, call the UCCE’s San Marcos office at (760) 752-4724.

Ag News Bites

Comments submitted

The San Diego County Farm Bureau recently submitted comments to the County of San Diego on land use planning projects that are winding their way through the approval process. One is the proposed Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Tiered Winery Ordinance. The key purpose of the ordinance is to allow small “boutique” wineries by right in the A70 and A72 zones. The essence of the Farm Bureau comments was that small wineries will be a benefit to the community with insignificant impacts. Comments were also submitted on two elements of the proposed General Plan Update. On both the Draft EIR and the Draft Plan, the Farm Bureau comments focused on the need for protection for farmers who suffer loss of property equity through down-zoning and the need for lot size flexibility that can result in the preservation of farming operations. The comment letters can be seen at www.sdfarmbureau.org on the Farm Bureau in Action tab.

Fish restoration

The National Marine Fisheries Service is making plans for the restoration of steelhead salmon runs in Southern California rivers including the Santa Margarita, San Luis Rey, and San Dieguito. Chief among the recommended actions is restoring river flows to “mimic as much as possible natural or pre-dam patterns and magnitudes of stream-flow.” Initial reaction from the farm community and water agencies is that the restoration could significantly impact water supplies to upstream users and diverters. SDCFB and Calif. Farm Bureau will be submitting comments for the draft plan on the possible impacts to farmers and regional water supply.

The Ag Crime Blotter

Jackie Cruz,
San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Agriculture Crime Prevention Specialist
Elisabeth Silva, Deputy District Attorney

Recession has ag thieves working overtime. Nursery thefts have been increasing in many locations of San Diego County, and they are getting more persistent and creative in their methods. Fertilizer, snail bait, pesticides, generators and plant materials are commonly being stolen. Thieves are cutting the chains on entry gates as well as the locks on storage units, so it is important to add more layers of security to these areas. Park locked vehicles directly in front of storage area doors and windows. Rake around gates and driveways as you leave the property so that Sheriff’s investigators can search for additional clues left behind in the dirt if you have a break-in. Other things growers should be doing: Fence your entire facility and use “Disc lock” on gate closures; install motion lights in and around the nursery; ask neighbors to call local law enforcement if they see suspicious activity after business hours; mark all equipment with an indelible identification back to you; and make sure local law enforcement has a 24/7 phone number to reach you.

Report ALL thefts to law enforcement. No matter how minor the theft may be, every incident of theft helps the Sheriff’s Department to identify trends that are used to direct manpower and law enforcement activities. If small incidents are not reported, the Sheriff is not going to be aware that a problem even exists—until the thieves pull off a significant heist. The Sheriff can only pursue comprehensive, manpower-intensive sting operations when they have a solid history of thefts and complaints that help them identify trends and the extent of the problem and that have a high likelihood of resulting in an arrest. You can also use e-Crime Online Reporting service at www.sdsheriff.net (under “Contact” column), the Sheriff Department’s online reporting feature for incidents such as theft, vandalism and burglary when there is no evidence or witnesses—and the information is added to their database of trends and incidents.

How loyal are your employees? A disturbingly familiar pattern is emerging in nursery thefts: More thefts are occurring among trusted, long-time nursery employees. It is often happening when more plants are being loaded on the truck than a customer ordered, with the excess delivered elsewhere and the employee pocketing the cash. The problem is difficult, if not impossible, to prosecute if the nursery lacks a formal inventory control process to prove items are missing. If the nursery has a computerized inventory control system using barcoded products, every potted plant can be accounted for, thus easily revealing missing items. Most nurseries have so much product turnover that there is ample opportunity for plants to move through the distribution chain with no paper trail to show for it.

Border inspections are going to the dogs. Border “sniff” dogs are having great success finding hidden illegal plant materials, fruit and meat products that the inspectors miss, significantly reducing the number of illegal products and infested plants entering California. Similar successes are occurring with the CDFA Pest Exclusion Branch’s California Dog Team Program. See PEST

Featured Articles Top of Page

Could there be a marijuana crop growing on your farm?

Sheriff Department’s ace pot spotter shares clues

by Nancy Walery

San Diego Sheriff Department’s Ag Crime Prevention Specialist Jackie Cruz knows when Detective Steve Reed is in the building even with her eyes closed: The faint scent of fresh cannabis wafts through the air, which tells her that the cross-sworn undercover DEA Agent and lead deputy of the local marijuana eradication team has arrived directly from the field, where he and his team have uprooted another drug dealer’s cache crop.

And quite often, these caches of hundreds and thousands of marijuana plants are growing in the great outdoors and in plain sight, yet hidden by the rich green foliage of a legitimate operation: Your farm. There’s even a chance that they’ve been siphoning off your precious irrigation water to grow those plants. That’s no laughing matter, especially when you consider that each pot plant requires seven gallons of water per week, and the average garden is growing between 500 and 1,000 plants—but sometimes thousands more—in any one location. Your water could literally be going to pot.

“Marijuana cultivation is a huge problem in agricultural areas,” said Reed, who is also an expert on detecting methamphetamine labs and has been on the county’s Narcotic Task Force for the past 22 years. “Production requires concealment, accessibility, growing space, and water, and that’s exactly what ag properties offer. If you don’t monitor your water usage and you have a large grove, you could be losing hundreds of gallons a day in water that is supporting marijuana production.”

Reed hones in on his targets from a birds-eye view—via Sheriff’s helicopter, where he spends about six hours a day, six days a week scouring the county’s agricultural and backcountry areas looking for signs of marijuana cultivation. And he has quite the eagle eye. From his helicopter seat, he can discern even the most subtle differences of green that distinguish the legal crop from the illegal. Later, he and members of his task force team go in on foot to the targeted growing site and, in a matter of a few hours, clear out the plants.

“With each plant producing about a pound of pot and the product’s street value running at least $3,000 per pound, it’s a lucrative business,” said Reed, who estimates that, this year, there are about 370,000 pot plants growing in about 140 gardens throughout the county that will take him until November to locate and eradicate.

It is typical for marijuana growers to tap into a reliable nearby water source located near the edge of a property line, Reed explained, where they can simply connect a flexible hose, and bury it in a shallow trench or hide it under brush. The hose then resurfaces in the brush somewhere beyond the landowner’s property and leads to the cultivation area. Aided by unwitting property owners and legitimate growers using automatic watering and battery operated timers that fertilize the plants through the irrigation system, the illegal growers need only be onsite to tend the plants during the spring planting, at mid-season in June, and at the fall harvest. And that makes catching them in the act somewhat challenging.

While the Sheriff’s Department does conduct sting operations to arrest marijuana growers, it is expensive in time and manpower, considering the duration of time required to justify an arrest and the fact that the crooks are not onsite with any regularity. In addition, stakeouts sometimes yield only small benefits, since the workers tending the plants are typically the “small fish” in the operation. And during this lengthy undercover operation, growers continue losing a lot of precious water. So it’s often more cost effective to simply go in and remove the plants and put an immediate stop to the water theft and cultivation, Reed explained.

So, how can you tell if your operation is supporting a pot farm? Reed recommends you first take a close look at your water bill history and see if there are any unexplained spikes in water consumption. It is also important to periodically walk the perimeter of your property line and look for “paths to nowhere.” Check the brush line at the edge of your grove/property and look for hoses or other evidence of a water line or trench line that may have partially buried the water line. (The water line will soon resurface beyond the brush line, because it’s too labor intensive for them to bury the entire water line.) If you notice anything unusual, call Reed—do not take the matter into your own hands.

“It can be a dangerous situation, especially if you run into anyone tending the operation, so act like you don’t know about it and just call me,” said Reed. “Don’t confront anyone, and don’t dig up anything. Let us follow it. Like a snake, don’t corner it and it won’t bite. Let us handle the pursuit.”
If you suspect your farm is a cover for a marijuana growing operation, contact Reed at (858) 616-4445, which has a secure voicemail. In an emergency, Reed can be paged 24/7 by calling the Sheriff Department’s Communication Center at (858) 565-5200.

Bill Witman named Farm Bureau’s 2009 Farmer of the Year

by Nancy Walery

If you know Bill Witman, you likely found from that first handshake with him that you had established not only a lifelong friend; you had also met a down-to-earth, trusted advisor, mentor and compassionate friend whose wisdom was borne out of a deep wellspring of life experiences. And amid the hard-earned wisdom he willingly shares with others, one hears not bragging rights for the many successes he has enjoyed throughout his farming career, but a double-dose of humility, for farmers seem to know better than most that the good times are not the norm; they only punctuate years of hard work and tumultuous challenges that are not for the risk averse. Weathering myriad highs and lows—often dictated by the whims of Mother Nature—it’s a life path they remain passionate about nonetheless. That is the essence of Bill Witman, and to recognize his lifetime of commitment to local agriculture, Henry William (“Bill”) Witman III has been selected as San Diego County Farm Bureau’s 2009 Farmer of the Year. He will be honored by family, friends and the agriculture community Wednesday, Nov. 11 at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido.

“Bill imparts such wisdom through so many interesting farmer-type adages that are humorous and self-deprecating, but the advice always rings very true,” said Wally Besuden of Three C Growers in the San Pasqual Valley and one of many longtime partnerships Witman formed over the years. “My favorite saying of Bill’s is ‘We have to be careful how proud we become of our humility.’ Whenever he was faced with a difficult challenge, I never heard him say ‘it can’t be done.’ He would make it happen.”

The early days at Santa Margarita Ranch

It was Witman’s father, Henry William (“Harry”) Witman Jr., who led his family’s foray into farming in the 1930s when he began dry farming barley and wheat on a leased piece of the sprawling Santa Margarita Ranch that is known today as Camp Pendleton. Harry’s strong work ethic soon earned him a position as a ranch manager overseeing Santa Margarita’s extensive cattle operation, and at one point he even pastured his own herd of sheep there. Harry met a number of the early pioneering farm families, such as Harry Singh and Ed Frazee “when we were all sharecroppers,” Bill said, using the outdated term that aptly described them. After abandoning dry farming and planting a 100-acre lemon orchard, Harry and fellow sharecropper Paul Sloop decided they could both improve their chances of staying in farming if they formed a partnership. Bill learned from observing this partnership that it was a common way to finance a farming operation and a mutually beneficial way to do business that he would employ in the future.

The Witman-Sloop partnership would continue and even expand under Bill’s management after returning from his stint in the Army during the Korean War, where he served stateside in Tacoma, Washington and Augusta, Georgia as a lieutenant overseeing the stockade of army prisoners. (“I’ve always been a people-person, even then,” he joked.) He returned to Oceanside with his new bride, Betty, a farmer’s daughter from Savannah, and accepted a job as a foreman of the lemon grove at the Santa Margarita Ranch. It wasn’t long before Sloop recommended a new venture growing sweet potatoes in the San Luis Rey area of Oceanside. The operation grew to 500 acres and included a partnership with a cannery facility and other crops like cauliflower, celery, bell peppers and cabbage. It proved successful and continued for 20 years, when Sloop proposed moving the sweet potato growing operation to the San Pasqual Valley where he believed the soil and climate would grow an even better crop. The City of San Diego was interested in leasing out the land on 30-year contracts, and Sloop found some investors willing to back them, including their plan to establish an orange grove.

Moving to San Pasqual Valley

In 1966, Witman leased his first 300 acres in San Pasqual Valley and planted his initial orchard of Valencias along with some lemon trees, adding Ed Backus to the Witman-Sloop partnership. Backus, a Santa Margarita Ranch grower, former marine officer, and San Diego County Farm Bureau’s President in 1973, had already partnered with Witman in running the local Santa Margarita Ranch Water District. When the Witmans found a nice piece of property for sale adjacent to the leased land in 1971, they decided it would be a great location to build a new home where their children, Karen, Amy and Matt could grow up in a rural environment and even raise a few horses.

Meanwhile, the Witman-Sloop-Backus trio had decided that, in addition to growing sweet potatoes, Valencias and lemons in the San Pasqual Valley, they would also plant many of the vegetable crops that had been successful in San Luis Rey. That latter move turned out to be a disaster. The partners discovered that, despite its generally great climate, soil and ample groundwater supply, the San Pasqual Valley could experience occasional cold snaps, and most of the vegetable and row crops they had planted were lost in a freeze. With the crop financed by the bank, Witman found himself unable to repay the loan, pay his workers, or borrow funds to plant a new crop. Thanks to a long and trustworthy track record of paying his bills and the many personal and professional relationships nurtured over the years, he was allowed to secure a new loan through the bank, repay his workers, pay off the debt over time, and move forward.

“I ate more humble pie that year than I care to remember,” Witman said, reflecting on that difficult time.

Expanding the ranch

In the years ahead, Witman took on additional partnerships, and planted more oranges and lemons in the San Pasqual Valley. He also formed a long and prosperous partnership with the Frazee family of Oceanside, growing 100 acres of gladiolus for the bulbs that were harvested specifically for the coastal flower grower. Witman and Besuden formed partnerships growing palm trees in Bandy Canyon, and an avocado and grapefruit ranch in Ramona. When his son, Matt, became a partner in 1982, he introduced an organic focus into the business and also grew watermelon, corn, and other row crops which were supplied to local stores. In recent years, the row crops have given way to growing sod and more palm trees through contract agreements with other growers.

As son Matt gradually took over the day-to-day farming operations, Witman spent more time sharing his ag knowledge with related organizations that would strengthen the local industry. Since 1988, he has been an active member (and one of the longer-standing members) of U.C. Riverside’s Chancellor’s Agricultural Advisory Council, which advises on the agricultural issues that the university should be focusing on through research and outreach. He was a founding member of the San Pasqual Agricultural Association (which became the San Pasqual Lake Hodges Planning Group). The association is made up of growers leasing land from the City of San Diego for the purpose of providing feedback to the city on land/leasing issues in which they have a mutual interest. He is also a past president of the LaVerne Coop Lemon Association.

“Farming is so rewarding,” Witman says. “When things run smoothly and happen like they’re supposed to happen—those are successes in this business. In a partnership, you need to work with people you trust. So my success really depends on the people who work with me and who are around me.”

Insights from fellow growers

It is also Witman’s experience, combined with his soft-spoken, earnest and articulate “glass half full” outlook that impresses those who know him.
Chuck Badger Sr., a longtime Farm Bureau board member and past president (1986-88) who is a past member of the San Diego Agriculture Advisory Council, recalled times Witman addressed the council on water issues, a subject on which Witman was well versed.

“It was a treat to watch him work with the council,” said Badger, Farm Bureau’s 1989 Farmer of the Year, who recalled an instance 30 years ago when the City of San Diego was pursing a plan to put meters on wells. “It’s hard to deal with people who don’t know much about what farmers actually do. But he was very astute in the way he communicated and educated them—and convinced them not to do it.”

“People look up to Bill and listen when he talks,” said Mike Mellano, Sr., Farm Bureau’s 1988 Farmer of the Year, who, like Witman, has also been a longtime member of the U.C. Riverside’s Chancellor’s Agricultural Advisory Council. “He has a very disarming personality and a unique way of saying things. He can say what people may not particularly want to hear but need to hear, and say it without causing a confrontation.”

Witman may now be 81 years old and “partially retired,” but he still stops in at the ranch every day to keep in touch with the pulse of the business, talk with the workers (some of whom are second generation employees), read the Wall Street Journal, and “generally stay out of everyone’s way,” he likes to say. But he’s also enjoying the fruits of his labor. Having deferred vacations for many years to run the ranch, he and Betty have enjoyed a number of adventurous trips around the globe, including India, China, Russia, Antarctica, and Africa, taking diving excursions at many of those destinations like the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, as well as river rafting down South Africa’s Zambezi River.

Don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate with Bill on Nov. 11. The event, which is sponsored by American AgCredit, Allied/Nationwide Insurance, State Compensation Insurance Fund, and San Diego Gas & Electric, will begin with cocktails at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets are $55 per person ($500 for a table of 10) and must be purchased through the Farm Bureau by the close of business Wednesday, Nov. 4. Call the Farm Bureau office to make your reservation to attend.

Learn how to sell at a Certified Farmers’ Market

The San Diego County Farm Bureau is offering a class to teach any interested grower how to sell produce and nursery crops at a Certified Farmers’ Market. The class will be held on Thursday, Oct. 22 and run from 3 to 5 p.m. Attendees will get comprehensive information on the rules and history of California Certified Farmers’ Markets from San Diego County Farm Bureau staff and an inspector from the County Dept. of Agriculture, Weights and Measures office will give a presentation on inspection and certification procedures. Representatives from the County Department of Environmental Health have also been invited to talk about food processing permits and requirements for those people interested in selling value added items at their farmers’ market booth.

There are 43 Certified Farmers’ Markets in San Diego County, many of which are in need of additional farm products. Attendees will learn how to sell directly to the public and make extra income at a weekly market. Space is limited to the first 45 people. When these classes were offered last March, all were sold out. Call the San Diego County Farm Bureau office at (760) 745-3023 to register. Price is $10 for Farm Bureau members, $20 for non-members, prepaid, and $15 for Farm Bureau members, $25 for non-members at the door (if space allows).

How the State’s cut in funding for the Williamson Act affects you

In California’s latest round of budget cuts, the long-protected funding for the Williamson Act subventions was stricken by Governor Schwarzenegger’s line-item veto. That veto cut the $32 million the state pays to reimburse counties for reduced property tax revenues on owners of agricultural land and open space who have agreed to the state’s preservation contracts.

Farm Bureau has received a number of calls from members asking whether this means their contracts will be cancelled. In short, the answer is no. So far, the suspension of the funding is only for 2009-2010, and California Farm Bureau is advising counties to watch and wait. If counties decide to exit the program by non-renewing all their Williamson Act contracts, they would have to take action to rescind all the contracts (and a written protest by a property owner would set aside the rescission for four more years). Each contract would then have to be reinstated on a costly contract-by-contract basis if funding is restored for 2010-2011.

So far, several counties in the state that have addressed the issue have decided to keep the contracts in force and absorb the tax loss. San Diego County has informed Farm Bureau that they will take up this issue after they have finished addressing the budget cuts they have received for social programs. Meanwhile, CFBF will be working to have the funding restored in the next budget cycle.

The Williamson Act, officially called the California Land Conservation Act, has been the state’s premier agricultural land protection program since its enactment in 1965. It was established to discourage premature and unnecessary conversion of the land to urban uses. According to the California Department of Conservation (www.conservation.ca.gov), nearly 16.9 million of the state’s 29 million acres (58 percent) of farm and ranch land are currently protected under the Williamson Act. In San Diego County, 62,054 acres are enrolled in the Williamson Act. The program is estimated to save agricultural landowners from 20 to 75 percent in property taxes each year.

While the Williamson Act subvention payments have been customary for many years, the California Department of Conservation says they have never been guaranteed. Despite the funding cut, the contracts remain in force regardless of the availability of subvention payments. While landowners and local governments can choose to non-renew the contracts, such a move is not expected.

Are you ready for fire season?

In addition to resources available from your local fire protection district, the following Web sites offer a variety of fire safety information:

www.wildfirezone.org is the site of U.C. Cooperative Extension’s Wildfire Outreach and Education program specifically for San Diego County residents, which provides a variety of wildfire safety ordinances, tips, publications and other resources specific to your zip code.

www.ANRcatalog.ucdavis.edu is the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Web site which provides a pdf document (click on Home Landscape for Fire, Publication 8228) detailing how to establish and maintain a “defensible space” around your home and areas that are susceptible to wildfire.

www.SDFireSafety.org is the Web site of the San Diego Regional Fire Safety Forum headed by retired San Diego City Fire Chief Jeff Bowman to educate the public about the threat of wildfires in San Diego County and what future changes are necessary to protect the San Diego region.

www.escondido.org/fire is the Web site of the Escondido Fire department. Click on the Wildfire Resources link, which explains how to landscape and develop properties located in the wildland/urban interface (WUI), how to improve and maintain existing homes, how to prepare for wildfires, and much more.
www.firesafesdcounty.org is the San Diego County Fire Safe Council, where you can learn about a variety of fire safe programs and workshops (including no-cost chipping services in some areas of the county), get information on disaster planning, and locate your area Fire Safe Council to find out what fire safety projects are going on.

There are also a variety of fire-retardant gels, foams, sprays and paint additives available just a Google-search away. In addition, check out the products, supplies and services at www.natfire.com, www.firebreaksystems.com, www.firesupplydepot.com, www.wildfiredirectory.com, and www.firegel.com.

Farm umbrella insurance—because accidents happen

Umbrella liability insurance protects you when accidents happen and your existing liability insurance policies cannot cover all expenses. Standard liability coverage will take care of you in most situations, but when serious situations arise, umbrella liability insurance will help ensure that your farm is protected. While no one wants accidents to happen, they do—and people sue. Here are a few possibilities:

  • An accident on your farm results in multiple injuries or deaths;
  • Someone successfully sues you for damages resulting in illness from your products.

Cover your farm with umbrella liability insurance. An umbrella policy picks up where your farm auto liability, general liability or other liability coverage stops. Umbrella insurance is an inexpensive way to provide extra coverage against bodily injury and/or property damage.

For example, if your current policy covers you for $1 million and you are successfully sued for $1.5 million, your umbrella coverage can pay the outstanding $500,000.

Umbrella liability insurance coverage tailored to your needs. How much umbrella insurance coverage does your farm need? A variety of factors goes into determining the answer, including the type of farm you own and how much coverage you already have.