http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201201050850/b
Scientists from the University of California are releasting minute, stingerless wasps in Los Angeles to counter the spread of the Asian citrus psyllid, a pest that carries a disease that threatens California’s citrus farmers. UC Riverside entomologist and researcher Mark Hoddle was a guest recently on public radio’s the California Report to discuss the effort.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/25/MNK81MDGNQ.DTL
Stacy Finz, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, December 25, 2011
The average age of a farmer in California is creeping toward 60, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture is trying to attract newcomers to work the land.
The need is especially acute, given that experts are forecasting that the world will have to double its food supply to keep up with a booming population – growing from 7 billion people to 9 billion by 2050. California is a significant player in feeding the globe, providing 12 percent of the nation’s agriculture exports.
Farming also is a $37.5 billion business in California, employing 800,000 people. With the average age of the primary farm operator now 58 – nearly 20 percent are 70 or older – it’s crucial that the state’s farms and ranches get fresh blood, said Karen Ross, California’s agriculture secretary.
“We are leaders,” she said. “Being one of only five Mediterranean climates in the world, we produce the food – fruits, vegetables and nuts – that have the greatest health benefits.”
But how do you convince people that back-breaking work, risky conditions and low profit yields are a good career move?
Oddly enough, Ross said, there’s a whole crop of greenhorns willing to take the reins. But they’re decidedly different from the face of the traditional farmer or rancher. And their methods – everything from urban rooftop gardening to the latest in conservation and sustainability practices – buck the old norm.
“We’re seeing an interest from young people who don’t come from farming families,” Ross said, adding that last year a record-breaking 70,000 students enrolled in their high school Future Farmers of America program.
Craig McNamara, an organic walnut and olive grower and president of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture, knows the difficulties of farming and is concerned.
“Our nation needs 100,000 new farmers in a short amount of time,” he said.
The 61-year-old doesn’t know if his own three children will take over his farm, Sierra Orchards in Winters (Yolo County), when he retires. So he and his wife founded the Center for Land-Based Learning. The nonprofit is an incubator in which young people study the rudiments of agriculture and the importance of watershed conservation. McNamara hopes the program inspires others to start their own farms or take over existing ones.
Poppy Davis, the USDA’s national program leader for small farms and beginning farmers and ranchers, said California might hold more advantages for the new farmer than any other state. It’s not just the temperate climate. Unlike other states, where future generations are expected to take over the land and outsiders aren’t always welcome, the agriculture community here has more tolerance for change and few preconceived notions, she said. Almost anything goes.
“The next generation doesn’t have to be lineal descendants,” she said. “While it might be good public policy to say this land needs to stay in farming or ranching, who are we to say, ‘This land needs to stay in the same family.’ ”
While California is looking for fresh young faces to till the ground and drive the cattle, Davis said youth is in the eye of the beholder.
“There are lots of people starting whole different lives in their 50s,” she said. “And for a lot of the new farmers in California, this is a second career. Some of these people can be very successful. While they may not know much about farming, they are seasoned in life and make really good business people.”
There are other changes, too. It used to be that farming and ranching required large swaths of land and expensive equipment. Not anymore.
“A young man came to me four years ago and said he wanted to farm,” McNamara said. “He was a graduate from UC Santa Cruz. To this day, he’s farming without owning land or a tractor.” McNamara leases the young farmer some of his Winters land. As for the tractor, McNamara pitches in with his.
Marisa Alcorta, 34, of Davis has wanted to farm for the past 10 years. She did her undergraduate studies at Cornell and spent three months in Costa Rica examining the farming methods of a small mountain village.
“I came back completely inspired,” she said.
Getting the capital to start a farm was overwhelming, but when she met three women with a similar goal, they joined forces. The owner of Bridgeway Farms in Winters leased them 16 open acres and 4 acres of peach, nectarine and apricot trees at a very low price, Alcorta said. The women plan to pitch in about $5,000 each to start a community-supported agriculture business. They will sell 20 to 30 public shares in Cloverleaf Farm at Bridgeway in the form of weekly or monthly produce boxes.
“It’s the first farming opportunity that I’ve come across that feels doable,” she said.
There are even smaller operations taking root across the state, including public vegetable gardens in city vacant lots, rooftop gardens and urban farms, said Ross, the agriculture secretary.
“Eighteen to 20 percent of California is food insecure,” she said. “So farmers of the future won’t necessarily be just in the (rural areas). We need big and large to sustain the world’s need for food.”
E-mail Stacy Finz at sfinz@sfchronicle.com.
The Rose Parade in Pasadena is a unique California experience. I was thrilled to be part of pre-parade festivities on Sunday, January 1st, when I made presentations to the first two floats to be certified California Grown for using all California-grown products. Over the years, floats have featured more imported flowers. But this year the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Buy California Marketing Agreement partnered with the California Cut Flower Commission to put California Grown back in the spotlight! This effort was highlighted in the Los Angeles Times. What better way to remind people about California’s glorious climate that produces so much agricultural bounty!
I was very impressed by the stories behind the two floats we certified. The first one, Cal Poly Universities to the Rescue, was by students of Cal Poly Pomona and San Luis Obispo. This was their 64th consecutive float in the Rose Parade. The program gives students and volunteers a hands-on learning experience by designing, engineering, building and operating their own float. I loved meeting the students and witnessing first-hand their enthusiasm, knowledge, commitment and leadership. California flower farmers donated many of the materials used on the float, which was amazing. It was fun to learn Cal Poly students helped the float win a popular viewer vote!
The second float to be certified California Grown was sponsored by the Kit-Cat Clock Company, www.kit-cat.com. The float, Timeless Fun for Everyone, featured a three-foot tall iconic Kit-Cat to celebrate the company’s 80th anniversary. Wally Young, the company CEO, has a strong commitment to California and using local products whenever possible. I commend him for seeking out California flower farmers to make his float a true California production!
Seems like the current interest in locally grown products makes this the perfect time to set a goal to double the number of floats to be certified California Grown every year. It was wonderful to partner with the California Cut Flower Commission to set us on the path to achieving this goal!
California flower farmers showing the colors.
Over the years, growers—particularly those who farm in the arid West—have
gotten a bad rap as water-wasters. Nowhere are the voices louder than in
California, which has faced droughts over the past three decades as well as
escalating competition among water users.
Many environmental groups criticize the state’s agriculture for using what
they perceive as wasteful irrigation practices. Many of these same groups
contend that if the state’s farmers would just conserve a tad more, it would
free up a lot more water for environmental or municipal uses.
A new report counters most of those critics by finding that by and large,
California agriculture is efficient in its use of irrigation. It also finds that
even if growers adopt the latest technology, it would free up little additional
water.
The report was prepared by California State University, Fresno’s Center for
Irrigation Technology. It was reviewed by a list of California Department of
Water Resources and University of California water experts and updates a similar document written in 1982.
The authors of the report found that growers could improve water use
efficiency by only 1.3 percent, which would free up 330,000 acre-feet. That
amounts to less than 0.5 percent of the state’s total water use of 62.66 million
acre-feet.
Critics point out that agriculture consumes 80 percent of the state’s
developed water. But when you look at how much water is dedicated to different
uses, such as wildlife, municipalities and industries, that figure drops to 40
percent for agriculture.
The public also may not realize that agriculture has given up 5 percent of
its surface water supply to environmental uses since the 1982 document was
written.
Sure, agriculture can always do a better job irrigating. Growers can avoid
irrigating during the heat of the day when evapotranspiration rates are the
highest, and they can regularly inspect irrigation systems to ensure nozzles
aren’t plugged or worn.
But with every change in irrigation practices comes a consequence—either
desirable or undesirable.
If growers, for example, installed tailwater return systems to catch runoff
that would otherwise return to nearby waterways, users downstream would be
affected by the reduced flows. So would wildlife.
Other critics have suggested that farmers take marginal ground out of
production, thus freeing up water for other uses.
But the reports’ authors say that shouldn’t be viewed as conservation but
instead a transfer of water out of agriculture. In addition, what happens to the
jobs that were tied to those irrigated fields?
In 2010, California’s farmers and ranchers received nearly $41 billion for
their production. Using an economic multiplier of 2.1, that means ag contributed nearly $86 billion to the state’s economy. Directly and indirectly, the industry was responsible for more than 1.3 million jobs.
Despite this latest evidence supporting agricultural irrigation efficiency,
you can bet that at least some criticism will continue to flow.
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/egov/Press_Releases/Press_Release.asp?PRnum=12-001
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is announcing a vacancy on the Pierce’s Disease/Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board. The board includes representatives from each of the major grape growing regions in the state; the current vacancy must be filled by a winegrape producer from the North Valley area who is not also a winegrape processor.
The North Valley region includes the counties of Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo, and Yuba.
The board was established in July 2001 to support scientific research to find a cure for Pierce’s disease, which affects grape vines and other plants. An annual assessment paid by winegrape growers supports its research efforts. The board advises the CDFA secretary on a variety of issues pertaining to Pierce’s disease and the glassy-winged sharpshooter. Board members receive no compensation, but are entitled to payment of necessary traveling expenses in accordance with the rules of the Department of Personnel Administration.
Individuals interested in being considered for an appointment to the committee should send a brief resume by Friday, January 20, 2012 to the CDFA Pierce’s Disease Control Program, Attention: Kapua Kahumoku, 2800 Gateway Oaks, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95833.
http://www.gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=17366
12-29-2011
SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments.
Angel Barajas, 29, of Woodland, has been appointed to the 40th District Agricultural Association, Yolo County Fair Board. Barajas has served as a labor representative at the Service Employees International Union Local 1000 since 2007. He was an assistant deputy supervisor for Yolo County Supervisor Frank Siefman from 2006 to 2007. Barajas is currently president of the Woodland Joint Unified School District, where he has been a member since 2010. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Barajas is a Democrat.
Glenna Blake, 70, of Ukiah, has been appointed to the 12th District Agricultural Association, Redwood Empire Fair Board. She has been the marketing and planning manager at the Mendocino Transit Authority since 1994. Blake was co-manager of Willits Fitness World from 1986 to 1994. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Blake is a Democrat.
Ashley Boren, 50, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the California State Board of Food and Agriculture, where she has been a member since 2008. Boren has served as executive director at Sustainable Conservation since 1997. She worked at Smith and Hawken from 1989 to 1997, serving in multiple positions, including director of retail merchandising. She earned a Master of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Boren is a Democrat.
Casey Burris, 36, of Ukiah, has been appointed to the 12th District Agricultural Association, Redwood Empire Fair Board. He has been vice president of operations for J.A. Sutherland, Inc. since 2000. He worked at Savings Bank of Mendocino County from 1991 to 2000, serving in multiple positions, including information technology specialist. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Burris is registered decline-to-state.
Grace Calderon, 65, of Tulare, has been appointed to the 24th District Agricultural Association, Tulare County Fair Board. She was a family service worker at the Tulare County Office of Education from 1970 to 2006. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Calderon is a Democrat.
Charles Coleman, 55, of Redwood Valley, has been appointed to the 12th District Agricultural Association, Redwood Empire Fair Board. He is a retired fire captain at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, where he served from 1973 to 2006. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Coleman is a Democrat.
Pablo Contreras, 63, of Dinuba, has been appointed to the 24th District Agricultural Association, Tulare County Fair Board. He has been an enrolled agent and owner of PM Contreras since 1976. Contreras has been chair of the Dinuba Police Commission since 2000. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Contreras is a Democrat.
Eric Crawford, 43, of Ukiah, has been appointed to the 12th District Agricultural Association, Redwood Empire Fair Board. He has been an agriculture science instructor with the Mendocino County Office of Education since 1997. Crawford was an agriculture science instructor with the Santa Cruz County Office of Education from 1995 to 1997. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Crawford is registered decline-to-state.
Samuel Fant, 23, of Stockton, has been appointed to the 2nd District Agricultural Association, San Joaquin County Fair Board. Fant has been director of Sierra Vista Community Center since 2010. He held multiple positions at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Stockton from 2007 to 2010, including director of the Gary and Janice Podesto Impact Team Center. He is currently chair of the Stockton City Planning Commission, where he has been a member since 2009. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Fant is a Democrat.
Christopher Flaherty, 43, of Stockton, has been appointed to the 2nd District Agricultural Association, San Joaquin County Fair Board. Flaherty has been the president and chief executive officer of Trinity Development and Construction, Inc. since 2003. He was managing officer at the Vineyard Development and Management Company from 1999 to 2003. Flaherty was the owner of Flaherty Farms and Livestock from 1994 to 2000. He has been a founding member of the Stockton Olive Oil Project Charitable Organization since 2003. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Flaherty is a Republican.
Don Huffman, 48, of Napa, has been appointed to the 25th District Agricultural Association, Napa Town and Country Fair. He has been a consultant for Huffman Communications and owner of Mediabend since 1999. Huffman currently serves as vice president for the Napa County Office of Education, where he has been a trustee since 2009. He was vice president of client services for Elliott Dickens from 1996 to 1998. Huffman was an account director at Kraigie Newell from 1990 to 1996. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Huffman is a Democrat.
Roberto Muniz, 41, of Redwood Valley, has been appointed to the 12th District Agricultural Association, Redwood Empire Fair Board, where he has been a member since 2003. He has been a claims representative at the U.S. Social Security Administration since 2003. Muniz held multiple positions at the Mendocino County Welfare Office from 1993 to 2004, including employment representative. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Muniz is a Democrat.
Darren Parker, 51, of Lancaster, has been appointed to the 50th District Agricultural Association, Antelope Valley Fair Board. He has been a partner at the Parker Group since 2009. Parker worked at AT&T from 1979 to 2009, serving in multiple positions, including network operations manager. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Parker is a Democrat.
Ginger Pohlson, 69, of Willits, has been appointed to the 12th District Agricultural Association, Redwood Empire Fair Board. She was a recreation employee at the Brooktrails Community Services District from 1990 to 2000. Pohlson is a member of the Ukiah Civic Light Opera and secretary of the Willits Police Activities League. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Pohlson is a Democrat.
Miles Reiter, 62, of Aptos, has been appointed to the California State Board of Food and Agriculture. Reiter has been chairman at Driscoll Strawberry Associates, Inc. since 1988, where he has served as chief executive officer since 2000. He was president at Aptos Berry Farms, Inc. from 1977 to 2000. He served on the board of directors for the Produce Marketing Association from 2007 to 2010 and its retail board from 2003 to 2006. Reiter served on the board of directors for the Western Growers Association from 2002 to 2009. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Reiter is a Republican.
Laurie Schuler-Flynn, 49, of Woodland, has been appointed to the 40th District Agricultural Association, Yolo County Fair Board. Schuler-Flynn has been an agricultural and standards specialist for the Yolo County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office since 1988. She has been a co-owner of Hill Stone Olive Oil since 2004. Schuler-Flynn has been a member of the California Olive Oil Council since 2006. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Schuler-Flynn is a Democrat.
Bart Vanucci, 47, of Brooks, has been appointed to the 40th District Agricultural Association, Yolo County Fair Board. He has served as a financial advisor for Primerica Financial Services since 1987. Vanucci has been a volunteer with the Yolo County Future Farmers of America Leadership Council since 1997. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Vanucci is a Republican.
Katie Villegas, 45, of West Sacramento, has been appointed to the 40th District Agricultural Association, Yolo County Fair Board, where she has been a member since 2009. She has served as executive director of the Yolo County Children’s Alliance since 2006. Villegas was an analyst at the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs in 2005 and an analyst at the Department of Public Health from 1991 to 2005. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Villegas is a Democrat.
David Whaley, 55, of Visalia, has been appointed to the 24th District Agricultural Association, Tulare County Fair Board. He is a retired undersheriff with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department, where he served from 1974 to 2009. Whaley has owned and operated a family ranch since 1985. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Whaley is a Republican.
Elaine Yamaguchi, 47, of Woodland, has been appointed to the 40th District Agricultural Association, Yolo County Fair Board. She has served as a legislative analyst at the California Public Employees Retirement System since 2007. Yamaguchi was the director of the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program at the California State Library from 2005 to 2006. She served as special assistant in the Office of the Speaker of the Assembly from 1998 to 2005. Yamaguchi held multiple positions at the Center for Asian American Media from 1993 to 1997, including managing director. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Yamaguchi is a Democrat.
As many of you may have seen in the news, the Governor’s Conference on Extreme Climate Risks and California’s Future, held on December 15 at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, brought together leaders on environmental issues, business, public health and public safety to focus on the risks of unpredictable and extreme weather events caused by climate change. I had the honor of opening the event, welcoming attendees and introducing Governor Brown, who participated in a panel that included Sir Richard Branson.
I found it significant (not to mention humbling) that the Secretary of Agriculture was invited to give opening remarks at this landmark event. Farms may not be the first thing to come to mind when you consider extreme climate risks, but this subject is certainly a major concern to all of us who have helped make California the nation’s leading agricultural producer and provider. Farmers and the work they do are interwoven with environmental stewardship, habitat issues, and a host of other subjects that are central to the theme of climate change. It is particularly important that we remain engaged in this discussion.
The event was a few weeks ago, but I thought it was worth mentioning that the governor’s office has provided several video segments online. I encourage you to take a look:
Part 1 <http://www.gov.ca.gov/video.php?id=48> (79 mins) – Opening remarks, Scty Karen Ross; Cal Academy Dr. Farrington; Gov. Brown; DISCUSSION: Gov Brown, Dr. Pachuari, Sir Richard Branson
Part 2 <http://www.gov.ca.gov/video.php?id=49> (80 mins) — Exec. Scty Nancy McFadden; VIDEO: Human Impacts; PANEL: Bryan Murphy; Dr. Susan Moser; Dr. Max Auffhammer; Dr. Mark Keim
Part 3 <http://www.gov.ca.gov/video.php?id=50> (103 mins) — Scty Matt Rodriguez; Nancy Sutley; VIDEO: Adaptation examples; PANEL: Heidi Cullen; Patrick Lavin, Adjutant General David Baldwin; Steve Frisch; Paul Wenger; Martha Davis; Ed Moreno; Nancy Pfund; Beth Jines
Part 4 <http://www.gov.ca.gov/video.php?id=51> (54 mins) — Chair Mary Nichols; DISCUSSION: Matt Peterson; Former Gov. Schwarzenegger
The winter holidays are a special time. I find myself reflecting in astonishment about the abundance of food in California and the resilient and innovative nature of our farmers and ranchers who produce it. Food is key to the celebrations many of us will enjoy over the next couple of weeks. We are fortunate to have so many choices to share with family and friends, and I hope each of you has the opportunity to partake in the bounty and spirit of the holiday season.
I am also thinking back several years, to the time I was serving on the California State Board of Food and Agriculture and was honored to help establish Ag Vision, which is a plan to address future challenges and opportunities for farmers and ranchers and, in the process, maintain a sustainable food system. Ag Vision has 12 strategies for sustainability. The first is improving access to safe, healthy food for all Californians. Doing so would help solve an immediate concern. (AgVision is online at http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/agvision/)
Food insecurity is an alarming problem in our state. Estimates are that nearly 15 percent of California households don’t always know where their next meal is coming from, and that more than one in 10 children are food insecure. In this state, the largest food producer of them all, that is simply untenable.
That’s why we worked to establish December as “Farm to Food Bank Month” in California. This is our inaugural year, and we’re off to a promising start. At an event last week at the Community Food Bank in Fresno, the locals told us there was a 40 percent increase in produce donations, for a total of 10 million pounds. Statewide, farmers have donated more than 100 million pounds of food to food banks and other charities.
I’m not surprised. We know farmers take pride in feeding people and are more than willing to help the needy. So we’re on our way. But there’s so much more we can do. My longtime friend and colleague Craig McNamara, president of the State Board and a farmer, summed it up perfectly last week when he urged farmers throughout California to “give us a row” to help fight food insecurity. That level of commitment would pay enormous benefits as we work to bring happy holidays to as many people as possible, and then provide consistent access to healthy food all year-round.
May you and your families enjoy all the best this holiday season. I look forward to sharing much more with you in 2012.
Read the original story from Modesto Bee
When Manuel Jimenez first set eyes on the land below a levee, thick with brush and weeds, the one-time field worker envisioned a place where youngsters could escape the temptations of gang life and learn about the San Joaquin Valley’s most vital industry.
But, like many places in California’s farming belt, this Tulare County town of 7,280 flanked by citrus groves had few resources. Best known for its annual rodeo, Woodlake has been devastated by gangs. More than 40 percent of its families, many poor Latino immigrant farmworkers, live in poverty.
Over the past seven years, Jimenez found a way to teach hundreds of young volunteers farming techniques, work habits and communication skills to prepare them for jobs or college.
With creativity and help from the community, they turned 14 desolate acres into lush gardens of vines, vegetables and fruit trees. The local police chief credits the program, Woodlake Pride, with helping fight local gang crime.
“We want to grow kids in our gardens, because we’ve seen what violence, drugs and alcohol can do,” said Jimenez, a lifetime resident who works as a small farm adviser with the University of California Cooperative Extension.
For years, Jimenez had gathered children and planted flowers and vegetables in vacant lots. When the city purchased a railroad right-of-way on the northern flank of Bravo Lake, he offered to convert it into permanent gardens. The city provided land, water and insurance.
A local farmer donated money for irrigation and snacks. Area companies donated tubing, fertilizer and plants. And Jimenez took a sabbatical while his wife Olga, a retired packing house worker, organized the children.
The youngsters and Jimenez laid irrigation pipes in a mile-long trench. They designed a walking path and spread mounds of mulch with wheelbarrows. Then they planted banana trees and 1,600 roses.
Many stayed day after day, year after year. Jimenez brought doughnuts and hot chocolate. He joked and had long conversations with the children. He took them to dinner, the zoo and hiking.
Each plant Jimenez chose told a story; it was unique in smell, flavor, appearance or history.
“Everything Manuel did was interesting to me,” said Walter Martinez, who worked in the gardens during middle and high school and is now a field assistant with UC Cooperative Extension.
One year, the kids planted 20,000 zinnias to spell ‘Woodlake’ on the levee. Another year, they designed gardens encircled with sunflowers containing such dazzling plants that some visitors cried on seeing them.
The gardens became a community gathering space. The fruit is not picked and visitors can sample ripe produce right off the branch.
On a recent November morning, the gardens burst with 130 varieties of roses, 60 types of grapes, 200 varieties of stone fruit, a cactus collection, rows of guava, mango and papaya trees and rare purple walnuts.
Jimenez and 10-year-old Roman Ramirez huddled next to tomato plants.
“Mijo, you need to cut here,” Jimenez said, demonstrating the use of pruning shears and referring to the boy as his son. Then he let Roman clip the plants.
The children — some as young as 8, though most are high school age — find the gardens through word of mouth. Even on gray winter weekends, they call Jimenez, asking: “Manuel, are we working today?” Jimenez and his wife, who have four grown children, spend every free hour in the gardens.
“This is a great project, because it engages kids so they don’t have time to walk on the streets,” said Carmen Perez, whose 15-year-old son Gerardo spends nearly every day with the program.
Gerardo’s parents already work in agriculture, his mother in a packing plant, his father in the fields. Gerardo says he plans to go to college to become an agricultural engineer, like Jimenez.
Though there are only 12 documented gang members in Woodlake, Police Chief John Zapalac said loosely affiliated groups of Sureños and Norteños clash here. Many kids lack stability in their home life, he said, so they become “wanna-be members,” sucked into the violence.
Although a few of the youth previously involved in the gardens are in jail and one was killed in October, the chief credits the gardens in part with the town’s decline in youth violence in recent years.
The program has helped steer many youngsters away from that path, the chief said. Children wearing gang colors are sent home to change. The Jimenezes counsel them against the gang lifestyle and encourage them to pursue higher education. “They’re surrogate parents, they really are,” said Zapalac.
The children gain skills and confidence by giving presentations and serving as garden tour guides. This year, 800 visitors attended the berry tasting.
The majority of the teens make it to college, Jimenez said. Garden kids have become car salesmen, farm managers, teachers and engineers.
Jimenez continues to dream big. He’s already applying for grants to plant larger gardens and open a U-pick and interpretive center, so that he can involve even more kids.
“You can’t wait for somebody else, like the government, to do things for you,” Jimenez said. “You need to get up and fix the community yourself.”
