California Diary
WEBextra October/November 2007
Charles and Laurie Vanoni grow lemons and avocados on Rancho Bella Vista in Somis, California a little east of Ventura. Each year, they also volunteer at the Ventura County Fair. They believe the fair is a unique opportunity to educate their more urban neighbors about farming, attempting to re-forge the link between agriculture and consumer.
The ranch has about 100 acres of lemons and 21 acres of avocados. There’s also a 3-acre test plot for blueberries. For the first time, they are leasing 44 acres to a strawberry grower.
Their diary ran from July 10 to Aug. 10. The following entries did not appear in the Oct/Nov issue of Farm & Ranch Living.
• JULY 11—Wednesday. Sergio, one of our ranch hands, hoed weeds in our experimental plot of blueberries. Then he irrigated them. They get water every other day.
Charles checked on a crew putting blacktop on one of the roads by the equipment shed. If we get rain this winter, it will really help because the clay soil here makes a mess when it gets wet.
When I came home from my job as a library technician, I worked on fair plans. Some exhibitors left messages that they’ve found old vehicles they’d like to use in their displays and want more space. Now we need to find the space to help them out.
After dinner Charles helped do the dishes while I washed and ironed altar linens for our church.
• JULY 12—Thursday. Charles was up early to get the well started for Manuel. Normally, Manuel is able to start the water for the whole orchard in one set, but there wasn’t enough water today. As the summer progresses, the water table drops and pumps less water.
After he finished the thrip treatment in the avocados, Charles went to Santa Paula for some supplies and got a new hat with a wider brim. I’m happy about that. The old one was very battered and worn and didn’t offer much protection from the sun.
• JULY 13—Friday. We started the other pump and put water in the reservoir for the strawberries. We’ve rented out this ground for the first time. It is a little strange to have others farming on the land after being the only ones all these years, but it has also been very interesting working with them and getting to know them. They are watering a cover crop getting ready to plant on some land that is open.
On the rest of the thirty-four acres, the strawberries are finished. So, they are removing plastic bed coverings, drip tape for irrigation and getting ready to disk the plants under. Then the whole cycle will begin again. They’ll have the new fields planted in late September and there will be fresh strawberries for Christmas dinner.
Our daughter, Michaela, and husband, Michael, came to dinner. They are going to make us grandparents in February, and she’s been craving Mom’s macaroni and cheese. So, Mom did what moms do, and she got her macaroni and cheese plus some to take home.
It was nice to visit with them. We still miss having everyone at home. Over dinner we discussed fair plans.
• JULY 14—Saturday. After mass, we met my brother Bill and his family for an outdoor music event at the Olivas Adobe Historical Park in Ventura. The night was beautiful after the heat today. Docents opened the museum for people to enjoy while the music, dancing and food were on the courtyard. It was easy to imagine how the place must have looked during fiestas hosted by the original family so many years ago.
• JULY 17—I worked on semi-annual water reports for Fox Canyon Aquifer and United Water Conservation District. Each well has to report how much water has been pumped then pay a fee for every acre-foot. The money collected goes to maintain and operate the spreading grounds where water is collected to percolate into the aquifer.
• JULY 18—The new owners of the ranch next door came over and asked if they could trim down part of the eucalyptus windbreak. The trees were fine for the lemons that used to be there, but will create too much shade for their new berry crops. Charles agreed.
• JULY 19—Thursday. The renters have finished picking up the plastic mulch and irrigation lines in the strawberries and are beginning to prepare the ground for next year’s crop. They’ll be deep sub-soiling so Charles had to mark all the water and gas lines to protect them.
The fairgrounds asked us to come in to take a look at a banner we’ve requested for the Fire Department’s booth. The department has been named the Grand Marshall of
this year’s fair, in honor of all the hard work they do for the community. Last year was an especially challenging one for brush fires.
• JULY 20—Friday. Charles finally started the last of the water in the lemons today. This irrigation will be finished tomorrow. There’s enough water in the reservoir, so Charles shut down one of the wells.
Sergio and Manuel are beginning a round of herbicide application; it takes about two days to spot treat the orchards.
Charles got a phone call about the well on acreage he manages in Saticoy. It’s malfunctioning and will have to be pulled out and repaired. He needs to go and meet with the man who’s trying to determine what the problem is and estimate repairs.
When Charles went to the fairgrounds, he met with Miguel in maintenance to show him what needed to be done so that we can begin setting up pens for animals in Uncle Leo’s Barn this weekend. The building we use is actually a storage area most of the year. The pens we use to make Uncle Leo’s barn take shape must be put up and configured to meet the needs of each year’s exhibit. This year we hope to make the sow’s pen a bit larger.
When Charles got home this afternoon, he checked on the pickers and finally had time to take a look at the backhoe to determine what had broken. It was one of the hydraulic lines, and he arranged for the part to be ordered.
I finished up at 5:30 p.m. and Charles came in to get me so that we could go to Holy Hour at church this evening. After church we quickly picked up some groceries and hurried home. The kids came by to visit, have dinner and make plans for setting up Uncle Leo’s Barn
tomorrow. We barbequed out on the patio and enjoyed the sunset together.
• JULY 26—Thursday. This was “banner hanging day” at the fair. A few glitches put us behind, causing anxiety for some of our exhibitors. But my sister-in-law Cheryl is great at deciding on placement and making sure the banners are centered, straight and looking good. Eighteen banners in 4-1/2 hours—not bad!
• JULY 29—Sunday. At the fair, the first panel for judging beers was the first to arrive. Then the wine judges came. This is the first year our little fair has had a commercial division. I’ve spent a lot of hours at the computer researching judging methods and criteria in order to make this event happen. I know so little about wines and wine competitions, but the judges are all very qualified and have freely shared their knowledge with me. And I have the best clerks and volunteer stewards to help me. For the first time things went well.
I clerked for a photography contest by one of our building sponsors, the University of California Hansen Trust Agricultural Learning Center. They asked children to submit pictures of agriculture through their eyes. The manager of the local farm credit, local photographer and the fair’s Superintendent of Photography judged for us. Some of the pictures were amazing.
Then it was time to transfer results for wines and beers from the judging books to the entry forms and balance. The premium amount in both records must balance.
Charles went over to judge the produce plate displays for the 4-H/Grange section. He gets a little frustrated when the kids have good fruits and veggies, but don’t read the directions and their plate display is incorrect, but that is part of the learning process, and he tries to encourage them.
• AUG. 1—Wednesday. When their work schedules allow, our kids sleep in the barn during the fair to keep an eye on things and muck out the stalls first thing in the morning. As we arrived to be ready for the judges at 8:30 a.m., our daughter-in-law Gwyn was just heading off to work—son Mark had already gone.
I set up a hospitality area so the judges and clerks could grab a bite if they needed it. Then I did a final check of the feature exhibits. All the animals—including the ducks and the goose, which are new roommates—seem to be adjusting to the new surroundings.
In the Ag Building, we were judging exhibits until 1 p.m. We have more feature exhibits than ever before. As soon as the judges placed the last class—and while we finished paperwork, hung awards and arranged the displays to make it pretty—we opened the doors, and a crowd rushed in. They were excited to see all the exhibits and who won the ribbons.
There’s a pumpkin patch around one of the tractors. We used a clothesline to display dried herbs.
Charles got things ready for the kids’ tractor pull outside the barn. Kids were excited to give it a try. We try to throw in some information about the history of tractor pulls and how a sled works. Then the pull began and everyone was cheering up a storm for all the drivers.
About 5 p.m., Richard came in to take the late shift in the building and close up. First, I had a few things to complete and I warmed up some tri-tip, baked potatoes and made a salad. We had to celebrate the first day of the fair.
• AUG. 3—Friday. This evening, Charles and I celebrated our anniversary by going to a restaurant on the beach. While waiting for a table, we sat on a bench and watched the waves and sunset.
• AUG. 10—Friday. This was Junior Livestock Auction Day. Grandma was in her seat in the buyers’ section…Glenn helped with the tasting barbeque where buyers sample varied meats. Cheryl used the golf cart to drive buyers into the arena from the parking lot…and Grandpa and Charles greeted friends and neighbors who stopped by the barn.
Years ago when our kids were teens and the fair’s Livestock Office was shorthanded on Auction Day, they often called us for help. One year Charles and the kids each took a station in the chutes to help all the young swine exhibitors get their nerves under control and their pigs into the ring on time and in order. This job has since become a family tradition, and we look forward to it.
Today, Jewelyn and Melynda changed into grubbies and went down to help. They came back a few hours later a little beat-up and smelling awful. But they were laughing and telling stories. Then they hit the showers.
