Ag Alert September 9, 2020

Fire Continued from Page 1

burned cables connected to soil moisture andtemperatureprobesatBlueOakRanch Reserve inSanJose, severingconnectionto the data logger/transmitter, Wong said. In that case, experiments related to the UC CaliforniaHeartbeat Initiative,whichstud- ies the availability of water in the state’s ecosystems, suffered a temporary loss of data fromthose instruments, she said. The cables can be replaced, she added, noting that the sensors themselves seem to have survived largely unscathed. Other researchershavenot beenable to visit burned sites tomonitor their experi- ments, due either to ongoing live fires or safetyconcerns, includingdamagedroads and facilities that were surrounded by fire and hadn’t yet been certified as safe for use, Wong said. She said some UC scientists are eager to begin post-fire assessments on topics such as how fire has affected assemblag- es of aquatic invertebrates and anadro- mous fish populations andmovements at Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve in Big Sur. OtherUCscientistswant todocument the acres andvegetation that burned, to study post-fire regeneration, she added. As for UC Cooperative Extension, Pam Kan-Rice, spokeswoman for UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, said farmadvisorsandother extensionspecial- ists continue to provide service to farmers and other Californians. No UCCE offices had toevacuateor sufferedpropertydam- age due to fire. (ChingLeeisanassistanteditorofAgAlert. Shemaybe contactedat clee@cfbf.com.)

The CZU Lightning Complex fire destroyed buildings at Swanton Pacific Ranch, operated by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

ed high-speed internet to the ranch, were completely lost.Dietterick said theuniver- sity is initially looking to restorephone ser- vice and then internet to at least a portion of the ranch. “There are a lot of things that are being thought about right now,” he said, not- ing that cleanup at each facility is “not as straightforward as it might seem,” due to potential hazardous waste and protocols thatmust be followed. Thoughmost of the ranch’s apple trees survived the fire,Dietterick saidhedoubts the orchard will open for U-pick, which typically starts around Labor Day week- end. Some of the cropmay be recovered, he added, “but some of those decisions have yet to bemade.” Fewer than 50 head of cattle remained ontheranchat the timeof the fireandwere safety transported to the main campus; some of the animals have since been sold. The ranch typically runs about 300headof cattle fromJanuary through Juneaspart of its grass-fedbeef program. Becausemuch of the rangeland and water infrastructure for livestockburned,Diettericksaid, it’syet to be determined where the ranch’s resi- dent herdwill be housed in the long term. “We’re currently assessing all the work needs and the ability to bring people back ina temporary-housing situation,” so they canworkonprojects suchas restoring live-

stockwater and tending to crops, he said. One initial priority is to salvage the ex- istingwater systemthat deliveredwater to about 75% of the ranch for more than 10 years. Even though there is a well on the property, lack of power and destruction of several backup generators have made distributionof thatwater limited toone lo- cation initially. Dietterick said that means the ranch’s operations and educational programs would be “significantly scaled back for some time.” Salvaging timber from the site will also need to occur within the first year, to en- sure wood quality is not compromised, he added. Research related to watershed and for- estryafter a firewill alsobe initiated“pretty quickly,”Dietterick said. Classes that study fire ecology and watershedmanagement for erosion “will want to come here,” he

said, though it’s unclear how soon the ranch will be able to accommodate that type of usage and learning, for safety rea- sons. It’salsouncertainhowsoontheranch will be able to host field trips, which are normal activitiesduring theacademicyear. Dietterick said campus officials have made clear they intend to rebuild the ranch, a large part of which is covered by insurance. Wildfires in the UC Natural Reserve Systemconsumedninebuildings, avehicle andacresofgrassland, forest,chaparraland other natural habitat, saidKathleenWong, spokeswomanfor thesystem.Thoughthere has not yet been official tabulation of set- backs toresearchprojectsconductedat the reserves, she said there could be “many” that havebeen interruptedor lost. “Our severely understaffed reserves are literally still sweeping up the ashes and conducting safety checks,” she said. The SCU Lightning Complex fires

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Agricultural Market Review

Quotations are the latest available for the week ending September 4, 2020 Year Ago Week Ago Latest Week Livestock Slaughter Steers – 5-Area Average Select & Choice, 1050–1150 lbs., $ per cwt. 100-108 106-106.50 105 Hogs – Average hog, 51-52% lean, Iowa-Minn. market, $ per cwt. 62.13 54.97 57.90 Slaughter Lambs – $ per cwt. 125–175 lbs. National weekly live sales 140-170 No Quote No Quote Field crops – basis prompt shipment Barley – U.S. No. 2, $ per cwt. Truck, Stockton-Modesto-Oakdale-Turlock No Quote No Quote 9.00 Cotton – ¢ per lb., Middling 1 3/32” Fresno spot market 62.81 66.30 66.68 Corn – U.S. No. 2 yellow $ per cwt. trucked 9.39 4.88 4.80 Alfalfa Hay – $ per ton, quality*, FOB Region 1, Northern Inter-mountain 165-185 (P/S) 190-240 (S) 180-200 (P/S) Region 2, Sacramento Valley 180-200 (G/P) No Quote 220-268 (P/S) Region 3, Northern San Joaquin Valley 220-230 (P/S) 240 (S) 230-245 (P/S) Region 4, Central San Joaquin Valley 190-225 (F/G) 180 (F/G) 200-220 (P/S) Region 5, Southern California 270 (P) 255 (P) 255 (P) Region 6, Southeast Interior 195 (P) 135-195 (G/P) 255 (F/G) 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

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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

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

36-39

38-41

No Quote

RADIO NETWORK

No Quote No Quote Provided by the California Farm Bureau Federation 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

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18 Ag Alert September 9, 2020