Ag Harvest 2022

Adding Chickens to Your Farm

regulations that restrict the location and quantity of poultry on residential prop erties including prohibiting roosters, roaming poultry and breed. For instance, chickens may be allowed, but not ducks or turkeys.

SET UP SHOP

Having a few hens around can be a great way to connect with how food is produced. Here are some tips for adding a few chickens from the University of Florida.

OBEY LOCAL LAWS

Before you fly out to buy a coop, check the rules and regulations for your neighborhood (especially if you have a homeowners association), your city and your county. Some municipalities have

Chicken coops, as you’ve probably seen online, come in all shapes and sizes. You can get kits, preassembled coops or really branch out and design and build your own. Generally, chickens need a fenced yard to protect your chicks from predators; a house with three square feet of floor space per bird, at a minimum; and a top to prevent flying and climbing predators from breaking in.

Nesting boxes should measure a foot square and be half filled with straw or

wood shavings. You should have one nesting box for every five hens, and they should sit about two feet above the ground.

You can put a perch in front of each box to give your hens a spot to rest. Some ideas for nesting boxes include repurposed buckets or milk crates.

IT’S CHICKEN FEED

And it can get really complicated. Only a small portion of the bird’s nu tritional needs may be met by foraging, so picking the right feed will be critical in managing a successful flock. Com mercial chicken feed comes in mash, crumble or pellets. Find the right size of feed that works for you. Pellets may reduce waste, but may not be suitable for chicks. Experiment to see what your

flock likes the best.

Starter and grower feeds contain a higher percentage of protein to meet the growth needs of young birds. Layer feeds contain enough calcium to en sure healthy egg production. You can’t interchange these, as starter feeds is too rich for full-grown birds and layer feed can cause kidney problems in chicks. All-flock feed is available for flocks that contain different kinds of birds and stages of life.

Don’t feed your chickens raw green potato peels; plants from the night shade family such as pepper, potato, eggplant or tomato leaves; raw, dried or undercooked beans; the skin and pit of avocados; candy, chocolate or sugar; or alcohol or tobacco.

Almonds remain county’s top crop, despite challenges Top 10 Commodities

BY JOE CORTEZ Turlock Journal

Stanislaus County’s agricultural report for 2021 was released this week, and for the ninth consecutive year almonds rank as the No. 1 commodity, making up nearly a third of the county’s entire ag production.

The total value of almonds in 2021 was $1,084,744,000 — or 32 percent of the county’s ag production. That figure was down about $39 million from the previous year.

But, considering that the nation still was dealing with the coronavirus pandemic for much of 2021, that number isn’t too disappointing.

“It’s been one thing after another,” said local grower Chris tine Gemperle, co-owner of Gemperle Orchards and a member of the Almond Board of California. “Back in 2017, we started the trade wars, then there was COVID, supply chain issues, then a giant crop in 2020 followed by a crop we couldn’t get out of the country. There have been lots of challenges.”

Milk, which was the county’s No. 1 commodity for more than 50 years until almonds took over in 2013, accounted for 24 percent of commodities in the county with a gross value of just over $800 million. That’s up from $736 million in 2020.

Poultry, which accounts for 10 percent of all ag commodi ties, was down slightly, from about $343 million in 2020 to $334 million last year.

Rounding out the Top 10 were cattle and calves (5 percent), nursery fruit and nut trees and vines (4 percent), silage (4 percent), walnuts (3 percent), almond pollination (3 percent), cherries (2 percent) and hay (1 percent).

Stanislaus County Supervisor Vito Chiesa, himself an almond grower, wasn’t surprised that almond production dipped for a second consecutive year. But he warned that next year could look much different.

“I don’t want to sound too whiny … 2022 is going to be much worse,” said Chiesa. “Ag is cyclical, and nuts tend to do better with a weak dollar and in a weaker economy. But with inflation and interest rates rising, your guess is as good as mine as to what it will look like. I’ve never been as uncertain. Do I think it will work itself out? Hopefully. But it’s an uncertain world right now, that’s for sure.”

While almonds were down slightly, overall, fruit and nut crops increased their combined value in 2021, with walnuts, cherries, apricots and wine grapes all on the upswing.

Total field crops also increased value, going from $172.8 million in 2020 to $219.5 million in 2021.

Apiary products — honey jumped from $15 million to almost $19 million — increased total value to nearly $112 mil lion, a bump of $6 million from the previous year.

Total livestock and poultry were down more than $100 mil lion, from about $609 million to $503 million.

The Stanislaus County Farm Bureau gave its Distinguished Service Award to Wayne Zipser, who retired in March after 35 years with the SCFB and nearly 20 as its executive director.

For the second consecutive year, an award for Farmworker of the Year was handed out. Sponsored by AgSafe, Modesto Rotary and the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau, the 2021 award was given to Gonzalo Torres, a labor and field safety supervisor at Braden Farms in Hughson.

Percents are portion of total County Ag Value

Putting Up Summer’s Bounty

A GARDEN FULL OF GOODIES IS THE BEST WAY TO END YOUR SUMMER. THIS IS WHERE THE WORK OF GROWING ENDS AND THE WORK OF EATING BEGINS.

Some of your bounty you’ll eat imme diately, served fresh or cooked, but other produce you can put up for the long winter ahead. Here are some tips for enjoying your garden’s treasures all year round.

WHAT IS CANNING?

Canning homegrown food, the National Center for Home Food Preservation at the University of Georgia says, can cost you

about half of what it canned food costs in the store. By canning fresh foods properly, you remove the oxygen from the food environment, meaning bacteria, yeasts and molds can’t grow on the food and it stays fresh longer.

HOW TO CHOOSE FOOD TO CAN

There are different methods to can different types of food safely. All of your food should be fresh-picked, washed and peeled. Most foods you can should be hot packed, and many should also have an acid, such as lemon juice, added. Foods with a higher acid content, such as berries, apples, cucumbers and more, can be canned in a water bath or pressure canner. Low-acid foods, such as corn, peas, onions, carrots

and squashes, mush be canned in a pressure canner to be safe.

HOT WATER VS. PRESSURE CANNING

Hot water canning means you immerse the jars in boiling water for an allotted time. The water, which should be at least an inch over the top of the jar, will seal the lids and force out oxygen. This method is preferred for high acid foods and recipes. Pressure canning involves using a large pot with a clamp-on or screw-on lid. The pressure that builds up inside the canner doesn’t kill the harmful beasties in the food, but it does allow for the food to reach higher tempera tures, which does kill the microorganisms. At sea level, the NCHFP says, a pressure

canner at 10.5 lbs. provides an internal temperature of 240 degrees.

STORING CANNED FOODS

Home canned foods should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place. Exposure to temperatures more than 95 degrees or direct sunlight will cause the food to lose quality or spoil. Moisture can wear at metal lids and rings, breaking seals and allowing contamination and spoilage. Signs of spoil age in home-canned foods include growth of bacteria and the presence of gas which swells the lids and breaks the jar seals. The food may change color or you may see air bubbles rising through it. Smell for bad odors when you open the food and look for cotton-like mold growth.

Growing Drake’s Greens

BY CHRISTOPHER CORREA

NAME OF BUSINESS: Drake’s Greens

TYPE OF BUSINESS: Food

LOCATION: Turlock

CONTACT INFORMATION: drakesgreens@gmail.com or (209) 650-3590

SPECIALTY: Microgreens

HISTORY OF BUSINESS:

Michelle and Sedric Drake married and moved to Turlock in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The couple made themselves at home in a way that most people do, by maintaining their own garden. Earlier this year, they decided to turn their hobby into a business with the creation of Drake’s Greens.

“We were kind of going down a YouTube rabbit hole looking for something extra to do, so we ended up with our own garden and wondered if we could sell,” Michelle said.

But the couple’s garden wasn’t a tradi tional one. Michelle explained that she has a number of allergies, which led her to have a unique approach to gardening.

“I’m allergic to so many things, so I was hoping to see if homemade, homegrown foods would be better against pesticides and things like that,” she said. “We decided to do microgreens.”

Microgreens are essentially infant plants, or plants before they arrive to the true leaf stage. The Drakes garden a number of veg etables — such as broccoli, kale, leaks, peas, radish and arugula — in 10 by 20-inch trays and only allow them to grow anywhere from one to four weeks, depending on the plant. Most microgreens are up to 40 times more nutritious than their adult-size plant.

“They are delicious and tasty. What blows people’s minds the most is that every time they taste them, they’re shocked because it actually tastes like the plant,” Michelle said.”

It may not look like a broccoli, so it’s hard to tell the difference when you’re just visually looking at them, but when you taste them, they’re like flavor bombs.”

Most customers use microgreens as toppings, but the couple explained that the possibilities with them can be endless.

“If you’re having toast in the morning, put some spreadable cheese or some avocado on top and then include your microgreens and you’re going to get a major nutrition punch with your food,” Michelle said. “We toss it on our pasta. We have a couple of customers who love to take the leeks of the red onions and put them in mashed potatoes. We also use the leeks on eggs, which is super good. We grow cilantro, basil, fennel and dill and I’ll take those in the microgreen form and chop them up and use them as a fresh herb mix in my meatball mix or in my potatoes or in my soups and things like that.”

Sedric believes that the extra flavor that comes from the infant plants can be a game changer as they can put regular meals over the top.

“With the microgreens, they pop imme diately, a lot of them do,” Sedric said. “And some of them do have a lingering taste to them that a lot of people like.”

Months after launching their business, the couple took their packaged microgreens to Downtown Turlock at the Turlock Certified Farmers’ Market. They have found plenty of success selling their microgreen salad mixes and individual toppings to community members.

Nick Schuller is the TCFM marketing director. This year’s market has been held every Saturday morning since early May, and Schuller believes that Drake’s Greens has been one of the most popular new vendors.

Aside from their growing number of customers at the market, Michelle explained that the downtown vending experience has made them feel a stronger connection to the community.

“We love the farmer’s market. It’s what’s helped us kind of fall in love with Turlock, so it’s been cool,” she said.

At the time of this publication, there are two markets left in the 2022 season. As microgreens are grown by the Drakes year-round, the business will continue to sell their products online at www.drakesgreens.

com through their SaladShare program. Additionally, community members can find their unique flavors at several Turlock-area businesses. Their microgreens can be found in meals at places like 10 East, Café Rome, Ohana Seafood, Roth Social House and Sanctuary Pizza. Their packaged products

can also be found at J&J Ramos Farms in Hughson.

“Our motto is ‘From us to your door in less than 24,’” Michelle said. “Freshness is a major, major thing for us. We’re working on lots of new things to come for next season, so there’s lots to look forward to.”

Turlock Journal

Photo contributed Sedric and Michelle Drake of Drake’s Greens have seen their new business bloom while selling their microgreens at the Turlock Certified Farmers Market.

Adopt or Buy a Mustang or Burro

THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, PART OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ADOPTS OUT WILD HORSES AND BURROS EACH YEAR.

Since 1971, more than 240,000 mustangs and burros have gone to private homes to become pleasure, show or work animals. Each mustang carries a freeze mark on the left side of the neck that identifies it as a registered wild horse or burro. It also de

notes the animal’s birth year and registra tion number.

You must first fill out an application and be approved to adopt or purchase a horse.

In adoptions, the BLM retains owner ship of the animal until you are granted the title, usually about a year after the adoption date. Purchasing means you own the animal immediately, but only certain mustangs and burros are available for im mediate purchase.

Fees for mustangs or burros range from $25 to more than $125. If you have to re turn your animal, the fee is nonrefundable.

Adopted animals must remain in the U.S. until titled, and no adopters with past con victions of inhumane treatment of animals or violations of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act will be considered.

Adopters must have a facility with access to food, water and shelter, and they must provide a stock or horse trailer with a rear swing gate and a covered top. Slant trailers are acceptable if the dividers are removed or folded back, and drop-ramps are OK if there is additional back gate. No one-horse trailers will be approved. Applicants must also be 18 years or older.

By facility, the BLM means that you have a minimum of 400 square feet of corral space per animal made with suitable ma terials, including pipe panels, wood posts, planks or horse fence. Fences must be at least five feet high for yearlings or gentled horses and 6 feet high for ungentle horses two years or older. Burros require fences four and a half feet or taller. The definition of shelter varies from region to region, so check your local requirements. Of course, you’ll need to abide by any local require ments for keeping livestock as well.

Leading the Way

in Business Banking

For more than a century and a half, Bank of Stockton has been leading the way in business banking. We have helped generations of families and businesses prosper. As a local community bank, we are proud to have the business community count on us. Whether you need business loans, agricultural credit, commercial banking or cash management services, we are here to help you achieve your goals.

Teresa Vines Assistant Vice President Community Branch Manager 209-669-4508

John Vercammen Vice President

Business Banking O cer 209-669-4510

IN TURLOCK 134 S. Golden State Blvd.

TUSD Farm grows bigger

BY CHRISTOPHER CORREA

It’s been nearly 10 years since the Turlock Unified School District Farm officially opened to serve local students. As the harvest season has come to an end, there is plenty of excitement as it heads to another year.

Some of the crops that are grown at the farm are peaches, almonds, walnuts, plums, broccoli, carrots and more. The produce from the farm is sent to TUSD school sites to be served as part of daily school lunches. Hali Bream is the coordinator of the TUSD Farm and explained how the farm’s production.

“Now that students are fully back in school, we send all our food out through Child Nutrition so kids can eat them at lunchtime. This year, we sent the schools over 4,000 pounds of fruit,” Bream said.

Throughout the year, elementary students are invited to the farm to plant fruits and vegetables. Students and their classes tend to return later in the year to be the first ones to try out the produce, which is maintained by members of local FFA clubs.

“They love to come here because there are so many different ag experiences in on

place… The kids always have such a fun time being around the animals and being able to get involved in the farming we do,” Bream said. “They always seem to look forward to it.”

FFA has used the farm since its establish ment in 2013, as it is a place where their animals like cows and pigs, and other yearly SAE projects are housed. In the coming weeks, new panels will be in installed around the pastures so that new animals can welcomed.

“We’re putting up the panels right now and it should be done within a week or two,” Bream said. “We want our ag students to be able to come and bring their own sheep and goats. The students will be bringing in their cows and steers in the next couple weeks and the pigs will come over after that.”

This year, Bream also noticed an increase in students taking advantage of the farm’s planter boxes, which allows individuals to grow whatever they choose to.

“It’s really student focused,” Bream said. “They get to learn about agriculture and really try out all the aspects of ag and see what they like best… It’s a true learning experience.”

Photos contributed

The TUSD Farm hosts first grader with a little help from Pitman High FFA students.

Photo contributed

Photos contributed