Agave studied as a potential crop for parched state A fledgling industry focused on growing and distilling agave plants, used to produce tequila and mezcal in Mexico, is being ex- plored as a potential farming option to counter drought, fallowed fields and water shortages in California. to site planning and processes. It ended with a tasting and sensory analysis of California products.
UC Davis hosted the event to introduce attendees to what the university could offer in research, training and outreach, Runnebaum said. “I think there’s a lot of promise in this potentially being a drought-tolerant crop in California,” he added. “UC Davis can help organize and research.” The Woolfs say they would like their gift to be used to answer early research ques- tions about growing sites, plant attributes and possible funding agencies, as well as gathering harvest data and producing a database with that information, according to the gift agreement. For researchers, key areas to study are whether the frost risk in California is too high for growing agave and whether the state can produce a fast-growing, high-sug- ar, disease-resistant crop. In addition to developing best agricul- tural practices for the crop and doing eco- nomic analysis, Stuart Woolf said UC Davis could serve as a training ground, much as it does for brewing and winemaking. He said the university “has the potential to train future leaders for this industry.” (This story is adapted from an arti- cle originally published by the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis.)
Central Valley farmers Stuart and Lisa Woolf have a test plot of 900 agave plants on 1.5 acres. It is a step toward learning whether the crop could have a promising future in California. Stuart Woolf said he believes California producers could grow larger plants with higher sugar content than their counter- parts south of the border. “I really believe we could be very com- petitive with Mexico,” he said. Earlier this year, a group of growers, dis- tillers and retailers formed the California Agave Council to foster collaboration and share knowledge among members. The University of California, Davis, has estab- lished the Stuart and Lisa Woolf Fund for Agave Research to focus on outreach and research into the plants and their viability as a low-water crop in the state. The Woolfs contributed $100,000 to jump- start fundraising for researching agave. “The rainfall patterns and growing con- ditions in California are different from those where tequila is made,” said Ron Runnebaum, an assistant professor of vi- ticulture and enology. “It is exciting to be- gin to harness the capabilities at UC Davis to determine which agave varieties can be grown commercially in California and what flavors can be captured by distillation to make unique California agave spirits.” The gift was focused on optimizing pro- duction in California relative to Mexico, where labor costs are lower and where farmers rely on rain rather than irrigation. The research seeks to better understand the impact of location on the growth of the plant, which can be a source of fiber and al- ternative sweetener as well as the distilled spirits it can produce. “As a drought-tolerant plant, agave
Central Valley farmers Lisa and Stuart Woolf created a test plot for 900 agave plants. They are supporting University of California, Davis, research into agave’s agricultural viability for the state.
holds great potential in water-stressed California,” Stuart Woolf said. “It’s a crop that could get by with little to no water during periods of extreme drought.” Mezcal can be made from any agave va- riety in Mexico while tequila comes solely from the blue agave plant grown within the geographically defined Mexican region of Tequila, which includes Pacific states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan and neighboring Guanajuato. In California, blue agave plants can weigh 110 pounds or more, and it takes about 11 pounds of agave to produce one bottle of tequila. Agave plants require minimal watering, can serve as firebreaks from wildfires and offer a chance for farmers to plant crops on land that would otherwise have to be fallowed or abandoned because of a lack of water. It takes roughly six to eight years for the plants to mature. “If we enter a severe drought, this is a crop I think we can avoid watering total- ly,” Woolf said. “For me, this plant is kind of coming around at the right time.”
Craig Reynolds, the California Agave Council founding director, said the in- dustry is in “an embryo stage” and orga- nizing can help the crop expand. He op- erates California Agave Ventures, which grows blue agave and sells starter plants to growers. “It’s really taking off,” said Reynolds, who grows a few thousand plants. About 40 growers and distillers gath- ered for a symposium in May to talk about the crop, from economics and logistics
Agricultural Market Review
Quotations are the latest available for the week ending August 19, 2022 Year Ago Week Ago Latest Week Livestock Slaughter Steers – 5-Area Average Select & Choice, 1050–1150 lbs., $ per cwt. 121 135-136 138-140 Hogs – Average hog, 51-52% lean, Iowa-Minn. market, $ per cwt. 106.13 119.20 116.95 Slaughter Lambs – $ per cwt. 125–175 lbs. National weekly live sales 215-273.50 98.76-161.72 85-161.22 Field crops – basis prompt shipment Barley – U.S. No. 2, $ per cwt. Truck, Stockton-Modesto-Oakdale-Turlock No Quote No Quote No Quote Cotton – ¢ per lb., Middling 1 3/32” Fresno spot market 82.97 89.49 88.81 Corn – U.S. No. 2 yellow $ per bu. trucked 8.06 9.36 9.03 Alfalfa Hay – $ per ton, quality*, FOB Region 1, Northern Inter-mountain 230-315 (S) No Quote 350-360 (P/S) Region 2, Sacramento Valley No Quote No Quote No Quote Region 3, Northern San Joaquin Valley 250-305 (P/S) 390-450 (F/S) 245 (wheat) Region 4, Central San Joaquin Valley 295-305 (P) 360-475 (F/G/S) 475 (P/S) Region 5, Southern California No Quote 20-22.50 (per bale) 20-22.50 (per bale) Region 6, Southeast Interior 200-230 (P) 340-390 (G/P) 390-400 (P) Oat Hay – $ per ton, quality*, FOB Northern California, dairy No Quote No Quote No Quote Oats – U.S. No. 2 white, $ per cwt. Statewide, trucked price No Quote No Quote No Quote
FOR WORK AND PLAY, MULE ™ SIDE X SIDES ARE BUILT STRONG AND BUILT TO LAST. FOR WORK AND PLAY, MULE ™ SIDE X SIDES ARE BUILT STRONG AND BUILT TO LAST. Assembled in the U.S.A. badge does not apply to MULE PRO-MX ™ models"
Dry Beans – Grower FOB prices Baby Limas, $ per cwt, (sacked) Large Limas, $ per cwt. (sacked) Blackeye, $ per cwt. (sacked)
No Quote No Quote No Quote
No Quote No Quote No Quote
No Quote No Quote No Quote
Assembled in the U.S.A. badge does not apply to MULE PRO-MX ™ models"
FRESNO CLAWSON MOTORSPORTS 559-435-5020 www.clawsonmotorsports.com
MODESTO KAWASAKI OF MODESTO 209-529-5424 www.hkmodesto.com
SACRAMENTO PCP MOTORSPORTS 916-428-4040 pcpmotorsports.com
Rice – Milled No. 1 Head, FOB No. Calif. mills Medium grain, $ per cwt. Wheat – U.S. No. 2 or better, winter, $ per cwt. 13% protein, Los Angeles, trucked price
42-44
58-62
58-62
No Quote No Quote Provided by the California Farm Bureau as a service to Farm Bureau members. Information supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Market News Branch. * ADF=Acid detergent fiber; (S) = Supreme/<27%ADF; (P) = Premium/27-29; (G) = Good/29-32; (F) = Fair/32-35. No Quote
KAWASAKI CARES: Read Owner’s Manual and all on-product warnings. Always wear protective gear appropriate for the use of this ʽơǠǫƃȍơࡳ¥ơʽơɭȶɢơɭŔʋơʠȥƎơɭʋǠơǫȥ˫ʠơȥƃơȶljƎɭʠnjɽȶɭŔȍƃȶǠȶȍࡳáɭȶʋơƃʋʋǠơơȥʽǫɭȶȥȟơȥʋࡳþǠơŔˁŔɽŔȇǫ¡čFॾɽǫƎơˉɽǫƎơǫɽŔȥȶljlj࢛ ǠǫnjǠˁŔˊʽơǠǫƃȍơȶȥȍˊŔȥƎǫɽȥȶʋƎơɽǫnjȥơƎơɩʠǫɢɢơƎȶɭȟŔȥʠljŔƃʋʠɭơƎljȶɭʠɽơȶȥɢʠŹȍǫƃɽʋɭơơʋɽɭȶŔƎɽȶɭǠǫnjǠˁŔˊɽࡳ¶ŹơˊʋǠơȍŔˁɽ ŔȥƎɭơnjʠȍŔʋǫȶȥɽʋǠŔʋƃȶȥʋɭȶȍʋǠơʠɽơȶljˊȶʠɭʽơǠǫƃȍơࡳॼ ࠁ ߿ ࠀࠁ ŔˁŔɽŔȇǫ¡ȶʋȶɭɽ-ȶɭɢࡳčࡳòࡳࡳ KAWASAKI CARES: Read Owner’s Manual and all on-product warnings. Always wear protective gear appropriate for the use of this ʽơǠǫƃȍơࡳ¥ơʽơɭȶɢơɭŔʋơʠȥƎơɭʋǠơǫȥ˫ʠơȥƃơȶljƎɭʠnjɽȶɭŔȍƃȶǠȶȍࡳáɭȶʋơƃʋʋǠơơȥʽǫɭȶȥȟơȥʋࡳþǠơŔˁŔɽŔȇǫ¡čFॾɽǫƎơˉɽǫƎơǫɽŔȥȶljlj࢛ ǠǫnjǠˁŔˊʽơǠǫƃȍơȶȥȍˊŔȥƎǫɽȥȶʋƎơɽǫnjȥơƎơɩʠǫɢɢơƎȶɭȟŔȥʠljŔƃʋʠɭơƎljȶɭʠɽơȶȥɢʠŹȍǫƃɽʋɭơơʋɽɭȶŔƎɽȶɭǠǫnjǠˁŔˊɽࡳ¶ŹơˊʋǠơȍŔˁɽ ŔȥƎɭơnjʠȍŔʋǫȶȥɽʋǠŔʋƃȶȥʋɭȶȍʋǠơʠɽơȶljˊȶʠɭʽơǠǫƃȍơࡳॼ ࠁ ߿ ࠀࠁ ŔˁŔɽŔȇǫ¡ȶʋȶɭɽ-ȶɭɢࡳčࡳòࡳࡳ
Scan with camera to view videos, key features and more. Scan with camera to view videos, key features and more.
16 Ag Alert August 24, 2022
Powered by FlippingBook