Celeste Alonzo RiversideCounty vegetable grower The COVID
clouds are finally, slowly starting to dissipate in the Coachella Valley. We were lucky to be one of the first places in the state to vacci-
THE NEXT DROUGHT IS COMING, PROTECT YOUR WATER SUPPLY…
DEMAND A 100 YEAR WELL.
nate farm employees. With all the COVID measures in place, plus vaccinations, our employees feel more comfortable and at ease going to work. The weather really affected some crops this season. We had record winds. This led to stressed plants, fruit fall and a delayed harvest. Labor has been an issue as well; labor costs are very high. The markets have been hit or miss. Regardless of those obstacles, spring harvest is underway in the Coachella Valley. Junior Enterprises is currently harvesting sweet corn, eggplant and bell peppers. Colby Pereira MontereyCounty vegetable grower With the re-
Roscoe Moss Well Screen • STRONGEST COLLAPSE STRENGTH • LEAST LIKELY TO CLOG • CORROSION RESISTANT STEEL OPTIONS • HIGHEST EFFICIENCY FOR MAX WATER • STOCK READILY AVAILABLE • MADE IN CALIFORNIA SINCE 1926
turn of row crop vegetables from the desert region during winter, Salinas Valley is in full swing this spring. The approximate 90
PVC Screen History of Cracking
miles of valley floor are now a picturesque landscape of varying shades of greens, reds and purples—a wonderful depiction of the incredible variety of crops produced in this region. Colder weather and lack of rain had crops taking their time in maturing, but a stretch of warmer days has things picking up quickly. Pest and disease issues con- tinue to be on growers’ radar, particularly Pythium, thrips and INSV, which have unfor- tunately continued to appear widely here on the Central Coast. Coming off a dry winter certainly begs the question of whether or not it will be a “buggy” year. Speaking of a dry winter, water remains a hot topic. With the two large reservoirs at the south end of the valley and the Salinas River exhibiting marginal storage, producers will continue to monitor water supply and practice efficient irrigation, which is common practice already. As the day-to-day continues, our Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin is in the final stages of preparing a groundwater sustainability plan for the majority of our sub-basins that will be submitted prior to next January’s dead- line. The process has been a heavy lift and has certainly presented challenges, but is a work product our region can be proud of, having brought together various stakehold-
Vertical Mill Slot Screen Prone to Clogging
LOS ANGELES 323.263.4111 • ROSCOEMOSS.COM • BAKERSFIELD 661.747.6908
4 Ag Alert May 19, 2021
Powered by FlippingBook