LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – State and federal agricultural officials are lifting the European grapevine moth (EGVM) quarantine in Lake County, California.

A small portion of southern Lake County was included in the quarantine area after several moths were detected in nearby northern Napa County in the spring of 2010.

No moths have been detected in Lake County.

Based on an extensive review of quarantine and eradication efforts by the EGVM International Technical Working Group (TWG), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) have determined that Lake County meets the criteria for lifting the quarantine.

In making its recommendations for determining quarantine boundaries, the TWG considered the presence of broad areas with no “host plants” to harbor the pest, as well as geophysical features such as a mountain range and other potential barriers to the spread of the infestation.

“Quarantines are a necessary step in controlling and eradicating pest infestations,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “This quarantine has helped us substantially reduce the infestation in California’s Wine Country region in recent months, and removing Lake County from the regulated area is further evidence of that progress.”

The quarantine continues in nearby portions of Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties.

More isolated infestations have triggered smaller quarantines in portions of Mendocino, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Merced and Fresno counties over the past year.

The quarantine areas cover a total of approximately 2,000 square miles.

Maps of the quarantine and related information may be found online at:

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/PE/InteriorExclusion/egvm_quarantine.html .

The quarantine primarily affects farmers as well as those who harvest, transport and otherwise process or handle grapes and other crops.

These growers and business people generally sign compliance agreements that indicate how crops, vehicles, equipment and related articles are to be handled and tracked during the quarantine.

Residents are also affected by the quarantine. Those who have grapes, stone fruit trees (peaches, plums, etc.) and other host plants for this pest in their yards are asked to harvest and consume their fruit on-site to further limit the risk of spreading the pest.

EGVM, or Lobesia botrana, is found in southern Asia, Japan, Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, the Caucasus and in South America. The pest primarily damages grapes, but has also been known to feed on other crops and plants.

The EGVM larvae, not the adult moths, are responsible for the damage to grapes. Larvae that emerge early in the spring feed on grape bud clusters or flowers and spin webbing around them before pupating inside the web or under a rolled leaf.

If heavy flower damage occurs during this first generation, the affected flowers will fail to develop and yield will be reduced.

Second-generation larvae enter the grapes to feed before pupating in the clusters or in leaves.

Larvae of the third generation – the most damaging – feed on multiple ripening grapes and expose them to further damage from fungal development and rot.

These larvae overwinter as pupae in protected areas such as under bark, and emerge as adults the following spring.

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UKIAH, Calif. – Growers and others involved in the North Coast pear industry are invited and encouraged to attend the 2011 North Coast Pear Research meeting to be held Monday, Feb. 7.

The event will be held at the U.C. Cooperative Extension Conference Room, 890 N. Bush St., Ukiah, a wheelchair-accessible facility.

Topics will include research in entomology, plant pathology and horticulture, including codling moth mating disruption, pest management issues surrounding unmanaged apple and pear trees, fire blight and post-harvest disease management, nitrogen fertilization, rootstocks and organic weed control.

The meeting is sponsored by University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), California Pear Advisory Board, Pear Pest Management Research Fund and the Mendocino County Department of Agriculture.

Refreshments will be sponsored by the California Pear Advisory Board and the Pear Pest Management Research Fund.

There is no charge for the meeting, however, please RSVP by Feb. 1 to U.C. Cooperative Extension at 707-263-6838 to plan for refreshments.

WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA) reintroduced legislation that would bring tax relief to the owners of family farms and open spaces.

The “Family Farm Preservation and Conservation Estate Tax” bill would defer the payment of the estate tax for families as long as the land remains in agriculture or open space.

“The current estate tax unfairly burdens family farmers who are typically land-rich but cash-poor. The estate tax forces these families to sell off their land to pay the tax,” said Thompson. “The breakup of family farms in many places means selling to developers, which causes a loss of key agricultural land and open space. By easing this tax burden on families they can keep their livelihoods.”

Congressman Thompson has introduced similar estate tax legislation in previous Congresses to aid family farms.

The estate tax was reinstated at the end of last year and applies to estates in excess of $5 million.

In 2013, the estate tax will apply to estates more than $1 million, meaning even more family farms will be forced to sell their farms to pay the estate tax.

The legislation introduced by Congressman Thompson would allow owners of a family farm to defer payment of any estate tax as long as the property remains in farming.

If the heir decides to take the property out of agriculture, they will pay the estate tax at the current appraised value of the land.

“I’m happy to hear that Congressman Thompson is re-introducing his estate tax proposal, which is extremely important to helping farmers and ranchers maintain ownership of their farms, which are often times owned or operated by several generations of family members,” said Paul Wenger, president of the California Farm Bureau. “This proposal will help producers who make their livelihood from farming and ranching to pass the ownership of the farm to the next generation without the onerous, costly and complicated challenges of the estate tax.”

Congressman Thompson is a senior member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee which has jurisdiction over federal tax matters, including estate tax policy.

During a Ways and Means Committee hearing today on fundamental tax reform, Congressman Thompson spoke of the need to find a way to enact his legislation and provide a permanent estate tax solution to protect family farmers in his district and throughout the country.

If a respirator is required to be worn during any type of work being performed, the person must be tested on an annual basis.

Tests will be either qualitative or quantitative depending upon the respirator being worn.

Certificates will be issued upon completion of the test. The test takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. Tests will be done by pre-scheduled appointment only.

The person being tested: 1) must have passed their medical questionnaire/exam and bring proof of this to the fit test; 2) know the manufacturer and model number of the respirator in advance so Farm Bureau can order the correct adaptors; 3) need to bring their own respirator to the fit testing; and 4) need to be clean shaven (free of facial hair) in order to do the fit tests.

The cost for the test is $25 per person; Farm Bureau members receive a $15 discount.

This is a service sponsored by Lake County Farm Bureau and State Compensation Insurance Fund.

Please call the Farm Bureau office, 707-263-0911, to make an appointment or for more information.

Lake County Farm Bureau works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of 600+ members countywide and as part of a state and nationwide network of more than 6.2 million Farm Bureau members.

Robby Alan Beasley, 30, and Elijah Bae McKay, 28, appeared in Lake County Superior Court before Judge Andrew Blum.

The men are accused of the January murders of Yvette and Frank Maddox of Maine.

On Wednesday Senior Deputy District Attorney Art Grothe filed murder charges against Beasley and McKay, along with special allegations of committing multiple murders in the first or second degree, committing the offenses with the intent to inflict great bodily injury on the victims and using a 9 millimeter firearm.

Beasley also is alleged to have a prior felony conviction from 2007 for criminal threatening with a firearm, according to the charging document.

The bodies of the Maddoxes were found near Lower Lake in March. An autopsy of the pair revealed they had suffered gunshot wounds.

The couple had reportedly come to California to work for Beasley in a marijuana operation, Lake County Sheriff's officials reported.

Beasley and McKay were previously in court on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, as Lake County News has reported.

As the case currently is charged, if convicted the men could face life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. However, Grothe said earlier this week that the final charging decision will come later, after District Attorney-elect Don Anderson takes office and has time to consider the case.

On Friday, the men were accompanied by their attorneys. Stephen Carter is representing Beasley and Richard Petersen of Ukiah is representing McKay.

“Neither one actually entered a plea yet,” said Grothe.

Grothe said the men are set to return for plea entry on Jan. 4 in Judge Stephen Hedstrom's Department 4 courtroom in the Lake County Superior Court's Southlake division in Clearlake.

Jail records indicate both are being held without bail.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

The advisory committee has a total of 15 members and 15 alternate members. The current vacancies are the result of expiring terms.

The Certified Farmers’ Market Advisory Committee makes recommendations to the department concerning legislation, regulations, enforcement and administrative policies and procedures pertaining to the direct marketing of agriculture products at certified farmers’ markets.

Positions are available in the following categories: certified producer representatives, certified farmers’ market manager representatives, major direct marketing representatives, and public member representatives.

All certified producer representatives must be active in the direct sales or marketing of certified agricultural products at certified farmers’ markets.

Terms will commence on January 23, 2011.

California has more than 2,200 certified agricultural producers participating in approximately 700 certified farmers’ markets within the state.

The Certified Farmers’ Market Advisory Committee recommends the annual budget and fees to provide enforcement services for the program.

The committee generally meets twice a year in Northern California. Members receive no compensation, but are entitled to receive reimbursement of necessary travel expenses.

The term of office for a committee member is two years.

Individuals interested in being considered for an appointment should send a letter of consideration and include letters of recommendation from individuals involved with California’s certified farmers’ markets.

Nominations will be accepted until positions are filled.

Nominations can be sent to Maria Hicks, California Department of Food and Agriculture, Inspection Services Division, 1220 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 or emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For further information on the California’s Certified Farmers’ Market Program and available vacancies, please contact Steve Patton at 916-445-2180.