It's still officially winter, but the sun is out and everywhere you turn is life, and color, and the promise of spring. The bee keepers have put the hives in the orchards, the almonds are blossoming and we are getting busier every day! Sunshine Brings the Daffodils Agriculture is the heart of the valley Hey buddy, a little lost?
Return of Spring by Gary KlineI have long regarded the return of spring as being announced by the return of the swallows. Oh, what joy their gay twittering (non-electronic) brings to the otherwise bleak surrounding world of February, or sometimes, March. The swallows don’t come on a set date. I’ve seen swallows flying over the lake through snow flurries. They have their own calendar, timed to what else is going on in the progression of seasons. I think it’s [...]
More Than Snow Falls by Gary Kline We were doing just fine in the winter of 2011-2012 until the snows of mid-January. Not that they weren’t pretty and we hadn’t sort of missed the winter whiteness (just one light and fleeting snowfall back in November), but these snows brought trouble. Bush and tree limbs were bowed practically to the ground from the snowfall on the 16th. I was headed out back to put braces in [...]
My morning commute can range from forty minutes to an hour as I drive through California's rural communities. Passing through Turlock, Keyes, Gray, Westley and finally into Vernalis, each days drive is an adventure. This weekend, Central California was hit with a much needed storm, which brought rain and wind which has carried over into my Monday morning. Even in this cold and dreary morning, the sun found time time to break through and brighten the day. [...]
Can corporations and sustainable farming share a common goal? Chipotle certainly appears to be striving to promote sustainability through the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation. The Cultivate Foundation site states as their mission: The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation is committed to creating a more sustainable and healthful food supply and to raising awareness concerning food issues. This is realized through the support of family farmers and their communities, educators and programs that teach younger generations about food matters, along [...]
Wisteria Riddle Wisteria trellis at Rengeji-ike park From Wikipedia: Wisteria (also spelled Wistaria) is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae, that includes ten species of woody climbing vines native to the eastern United States and to China, Korea, and Japan. Aquarists refer to the species Hygrophila difformis, in the family Acanthaceae, as Water Wisteria. Some species are popular ornamental plants, especially in China and Japan. We have a wisteria; surely one of the largest and finest in the County. It was here when I moved in with an earlier wife and life, back [...]
Nutrition Alert - Toast and Coffee Garden Stores and Nurseries are supposed to be about growing plants and making them appealing. We do some of that at Black Lake Organic. However, we have chosen to focus on food gardening. For us this carries on through from turning and treating the soil to sowing the seeds to harvesting to what the food provides (or should provide) to make the most of it for nourishment; it’s a full [...]
Earthworms Probably one of the most easily recognized invertebrates, earthworms are of the phylum Annelida, meaning "ringed" and refers to a series of segments that make up their bodies. Varying from all brown to a pinkish colour and lengths from a few millimeters to 300mm (1ft) in some species but are usually up to 100mm (4in). There are four very common worm species - Night crawlers, as its name suggests they are more often seen at night [...]