Friday, January 26, 2007

Weed spray time for peaches.. Really? Again?

Weed spray will be applied in strips along each side of row of trees here is a breakdown of cost.

ASC Plus (buffer) -- $5.00/ac
Zinc 9% Chelete (nutrient) -- $12.48/ac
Alecto (grass killer) -- $19.32/ac
Dri Clean (broad leaf killer) -- $11.02/ac
Goal (cheese weeded control) -- $4.32/ac
Surflan (residual grass killer) -- $35.70/ac

I have been told that we will continue to use spray peach orchard in bloom, post-bloom, pre-harvest and post-harvest, etc..

Some prevalent weeds in our Whitmore ranch: (Click for bigger views)

Foxtails:





White Clover:







Saturday, January 6, 2007

To fence or not to fence..

That is the question. I know it is not a common practice for california farms to put a fence around them. I get it. It is a big expense and does not translate into tangible productivity or profitability.

My personal gut feeling tells me I should go ahead and put a strong fence. The kind of fence that will not even allow small animals like dogs and rabbits to enter the farm. Here is my rationale:

  1. Helps eliminate produce contamination: Think about it. When there is no fence, animals freely trespass, leave those browny "gifts"  wherever they please. Most of the time, it won't pose a problem. But, there is a possibility that harmful bacteria may make the journey into produce on the ground, causing e.coli and such stuff. Having a strong fence minimizes this risk.
  2. Politely keeps those horseback riders away: Farms and orchards are inviting places for gentlemen looking for a nice ground to stroll on their horses. I am sorry but I do not like it even a bit. Given ours is an almond orchard, there is a great hazard of them bumping into tree branches and injuring themselves and their horses. And, yes, I don't like strangers walking into my house without knocking first either.
  3. Stops illegal trash dumping on farm grounds: Sure, they can still dump it along the fence. Still, it is likely that they will go someplace else to dump their century old sofas and old rags.

I hope I made my case..