We have been in a class for the last 2 years called Beef SD. Its a group of young beef producers from South Dakota that are being exposed to every aspect of the beef industry. We just got back from California to explore their agriculture. First stop San Francisco.
We landed around noon, ran to check into our hotel and headed down to the Fisherman's Warf. Its a bit touristy, but for good reason it has a beautiful view of the bay, Alcatraz, the Bay and Golden gate bridges when the fog rolls out. We had a wonderful afternoon on the bay a perfect way to unwind after two planes and five hours of flight.(I do not fly well)
McShane's Nursery in the Salinas Valley was kind of an eye opener for me. I have been to a lot of nurseries, but I never really thought about at what goes into that kind of operation. It seems to me that the owner Steve McShane is on the front lines of Agriculture. Think about it, your local nursery is the place so many people go to learn how to grow things. Most people don't have a yard big enough for a cow but most people have a space big enough for a strawberry plant. If I lived anywhere near this place, I would be there all the time.
Monterey, CA: Well, the only time I get to see sand is usually in someone's roping arena and the Pacific is something kind of foreign to me. Its the tide, it rolls in and out, its hypnotic. I looked all over for sea shells and with the help of some good friends we found some. I don't think a parent should go to the ocean and not bring back some shells for the kids.
Turlock Livestock Exchange: Back to something I am familiar with, sale barns. This barn was very different than the ones we have back home. Turlock is located in a valley with a heavy dairy population as well as a good beef cow population in the mountains around it, so they have sales three times a weak. The ring was very small compared to the Dakotas but these people sell dairy cow one at a time where we tend to sell cattle a pot load at a time.
The California State Fair: Everywhere I go I usually wear a hat, now most places I have been to I will here "cowboy" or "are you from Texas". The whole time in California I was only called "cowboy" once fallowed up by "Clint Black" from a gentleman who genuinely seemed excited to see a "cowboy" at a fair. The State fair was immense, To me the best part of the fair was seeing each counties booth describing what they contribute to California's agriculture.
Wine Country: To see these vines growing everywhere along the hillsides and valleys blew my mind. Its beautiful, not just aesthetic, but something else. That which has been cultivated by the hands of men has something special about it . Some of these vines have been growing since the sixties. Between California's regulations, fungus, frost, deer, and birds I think the wine growers of California have the toughest job in agriculture. I am not much of a wine person, usually I stick to whiskey and scotch. However after seeing the process along with the trials and tribulations of the vineyards I hold a new found respect for wine.
Feeding Crane Farms: Organic farming is something I read about from time to time, so it was something to see in person. We have a good size garden every year and its beyond me how to keep it organic, with all the weeds and bugs. It turns out all it takes is man power and a good hoe (the tool, not the other one). This fella was interesting, trying to make a living growing organic produce on eight acres of land was inspiring, it seemed crazy but inspiring all the same. At the state fair I ran into the PETA booth and a very nice woman started up a conversation with me. We had a nice conversation about the food industry, she told me "cows can't eat corn", which was news to me because a cow has four chambers in its stomach and I eat corn with my one chamber stomach. At the end of it all we agreed to disagree, but I had one last thought. "Do you eat organic produce?" PETA gal "Yes I only eat organic, no GMO's" me " That's cool, I just visited an organic farm today and you will never guess what they use for fertilizer." PETA gal "what?" me "Fish meal and chicken meal, you know ground up fish and ground up chicken" I shook her hand and went on my way. All in all a wonderful trip.
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