Agriculture

martharosepeartacos

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Lake County is full of wonderful bakers who think about and test their recipes all year long.

This year's pear dessert contest, held in conjunction with the Kelseyville Pear Festival, had 28 entries – everything from pies, cakes, cookies, tarts, and bars to breads and tacos were represented. 

The grand winner this year was Martha Rose of Lakeport who entered five desserts, winning a gift certificate from the Saw Shop for her first place “Pear-Fectly Divine Pear Pie Tacos” and a gift certificate from Studebakers Coffee House for her fifth place “Grandma's Picnic Mini Pear Pies.”

A gift certificate from Lyndall's Sports Stop Grill went to Shirley Hunter of Clearlake for her second place pear upside down cake with salted caramel.

A third place gift certificate from Kelseyville Pizza went to Sasha Reynolds of Kelseyville for her pear festival rolls. 

Shirley Campbell won a gift certificate for Pogo's Pizza taking fourth place for her pear pockets.

In addition to the winners there were many delicious entries from many local bakers including Marisa Chilafoe, Marilyn Guenther, Nicola Selph, Elaine Tracy, April Hamile, Valicia Bartlow, Robin Applegarth, Melinda Adkins, Laila Lefort, Jamie Mandeville, Kelly Thorn, Laura Patrick, Deborah Carrillo and Katrina Carrillo. 

The winning recipes will appear on the Kelseyville Pear Festival Web site, http://www.kelseyvillepearfestival.com/ , so they can be enjoyed by all. 

Judges for the contest were Madelene Lyon, a local caterer; Marcie Cadora, local restaurateur; and Chris Mansell of Lake Parts, the local sponsor for the contest.

kingsleyposterwinner

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Each year the winning poster in the Kelseyville Pear Festival Poster Contest is sold in a live auction at the kickoff barbecue and concert held the Friday evening before festival day.

This year the winning bid for “Pear Picking Day” was made by Tina Kingsley of Bird Brain Designs in Kelseyville.

When asked why obtaining the poster was important to her, Kingsley gave two reasons.

The first reason was the design and style of the poster itself. Ruth Morgan, the painter, was inspired by the styles of Grandma Moses, a renowned American folk artist, and Charles Wysocki whose works depict a stylized version of American life of yesteryear.

Kingsley knew the piece would fit very well with other pieces she already owns.

Her second reason, and “what really sealed the deal,” was that the proceeds would go to the building fund for the new Kelseyville High School FFA barn that is due to be built this winter.

The new farm location on campus will add to the four campus greenhouses currently on site.

Kingsley feels strongly that students need a place to keep their animals where instruction and exchange of experiences with other students’ animals can take place.

The painting is already proudly displayed in Kingsley’s home.

The kickoff dinner was held for the fifth year in the courtyard of Wildhurst Vineyards and Tasting Room on Sept. 26. A barbecue dinner was catered by Bellisimo and a variety of Wildhurst wines were featured.

The painting was auctioned between dinner and the Dave Stamey performance. The Cobb Stompers opened for Stamey.

Find information about each year’s festival at www.kelseyvillepearfestival.com .

SACRAMENTO – The California State Board of Food and Agriculture will give soil health the main stage at its meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 7.

Soil health, the basis of agricultural production, has significant global implications as the world population continues to grow and food production must meet rising demand.

The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1220 N St., Main Auditorium, Sacramento.

The meeting will be followed by a brief tour of “Dig It! The Secrets of Soil,” an exhibit now on display at the California Museum.

“Continuous innovation and development in soil health practices is enhancing the strong legacy of environmental stewardship within the agricultural sector,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “Through carbon sequestration and other on-farm practices, farmers and ranchers are protecting the state’s natural resources and assisting in climate change mitigation.”

Soil health has taken a central role in global discussions on climate change, wildlife protection, and sustainable farming practices.

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recently launched a new initiative, Unlock the Secrets in the Soil, which provides regional assistance to producers who want to improve soil health on their farms and spreads awareness through fact sheets, videos, farmer profiles, and other outreach efforts.

Sustainable soil management builds the organic matter within soil, which helps maintain fertility while fostering drought resiliency through increased water retention.

California has more than 25 million acres of farmland and soil health is critical to the long term viability of these agricultural lands.

“Finding new and existing ways to foster soil health is crucial to California’s future,” said Craig McNamara, president of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture. “This is an important opportunity to examine current efforts to improve soil-based farming practices, the benefits of which will extend far beyond agriculture.”

Invited speakers include Dr. Michael Singer, University of California, Davis; Paul Muller, Full Belly Farm; Jim Boyd, Clean Tech Advocates; Jeffrey Creque, Marin Carbon Project; Sheldon Jones, Farm Foundation; Kristin Ohlson, author – The Soil Will Save Us (via Skype); and Brian Leahy, California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

The California State Board of Food and Agriculture advises the governor and the CDFA secretary on agricultural issues and consumer needs.

The state board conducts forums that bring together local, state and federal government officials, agricultural representatives and citizens to discuss current issues of concern to California agriculture.

This meeting will be streamed online at: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/LiveMediaStream.html .

Follow the board on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/Cafood_agboard .

 

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scavonerosehip

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” – Albert Camus

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Harvest-time is upon us with the bounty from our gardens, fresh eats from local farmer's markets and an abundance of grapes from Lake County's prized vineyards.

Also in season are the many wild edibles that abound in our county, such as pine nuts, chokecherry, rose hips and, of course, blackberries.

There is nothing like blackberrying on a fine autumn morning, when the newborn sun is shining and the air is still and pristine.

Sampling the jewel-toned fruit is a must while you pick. The inevitable pin-pricks and scrapes against their thorny brambles is the price you pay for a juicy bucketful of blackberry jam-to-be.

scavoneblackberry

As poet Seamus Heaney says in an excerpt from his poem, “Blackberry-Picking”:

“For a full week, the blackberries would ripen.
At first, just one, a glossy purple clot
Among others, red, green, hard as a knot.
You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet
Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it
Leaving stains upon the tongue ...”

The Yuki Indian name for blackberry was “Gol-le.” American Indians made good use of fresh blackberries in season, as well as preserving them by drying for winter use.

Quoting from my book on Anderson Marsh, “The ground creeping blackberry was indigenous to this area. The Himalayan blackberry, brought by a botanist to Massachusetts' Boston Botanical Gardens in 1870, is prevalent now, having 'escaped' from the botanical gardens. By 1900 it took over western Washington. By 1940 it had become a pest in the Clear Lake area. The coastal Pomoans, known to us as the Kashaya Pomo Indians, believed that it was important that the berries not be eaten by pregnant women or, for that matter, the fathers-to-be. The Kashaya believed that their babies would be born dusky in color if berries were consumed during pregnancy.”

Although not a staple, delicate and fragrant wild roses, rosa californica, which are found in chaparral and woodlands of Lake County, once were used by American Indians.

A tea was concocted from its roots. Its fruit, or rose hips, was used as a jelly or tea as well. Pioneers enjoyed the wild rose's beauty, and also used it for a variety of ordinary illnesses. Throughout World War II the hips were made use of due to their high vitamin C content.

scavonegraypine

Pine nuts from various conifers are plentiful. The native gray pine which grows amongst oaks and manzanita plants produces seeds, or nuts which were a staple for Native Americans. Yuki Indians called the tree “Pol-cum ol.”

The gray pine is easily discernible by its spare needles which are long and gray-green in color. The tree produces a yellow sap-like substance which was once used medicinally by chewing, or combined with other ingredients into a medication for everything from burns to rheumatism. Pioneers used the needles to concoct a tea for medicinal purposes.

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is an educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.

scavonepinecone

kvillefirepancakecooks

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Kelseyville Volunteer Fireman’s Association hosts its pancake breakfast on Pear Festival Day, Saturday, Sept. 27.

Breakfast will be served between 7 and 10 a.m. at the firehouse, 4020 Main St., Kelseyville. Included in a $7 ticket are pancakes, sausage, eggs, coffee and orange juice.

Proceeds from this event benefit our local community through scholarships granted to local high school students pursuing a career in firefighting, paramedics, or other related areas.

Funds raised from the breakfast also facilitate the purchase of new equipment to increase the effectiveness of fighting fires on rugged, steep terrain such as we have throughout our county. Proceeds from tee-shirt sales during the day will go into the same fund.

Join your neighbors and friends for a hearty meal at the fire station, grab a spot to watch the parade and then enjoy a stroll through the festival savoring our small town magic.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum, operated by the Lake County Historical Society, will be closed Saturday, Sept. 27.

Come by the Pear Pavilion at the Kelseyville Pear Festival instead that day to talk to museum docents about their current displays and activities. See our stage coach replica up close.

The museum will be open as usual on Sunday, Sept. 28.

The museum is located at 9921 Soda Bay Road (Highway 281) in Kelseyville, near the Clearlake Riviera.

Normal hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.

The contact number for questions about volunteer work, donations of old wood for barn construction, or docent applications is 707-263-4180, Extension 102.

Visit the museum Web site at www.elystagestop.com .

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