From the Fields - Lorna Roush

By Lorna Roush, Fresno County farmer 

As we move into summer, we are prepping almond floors and checking drip hoses for repairs needed. Coyotes tend to be harmful to the hoses year-round. The floors for the almonds are scraped, berms sprayed and ready for flood irrigation prior to harvest. This helps with dust control and leveling. Dead trees and branches are being removed for ease of harvest equipment. Harvest equipment has been gone through and is ready for final preparations before harvest.

We remain cautiously optimistic about almond prices having a slight uptick. It is definitely a waiting game. We just planted a new field of the Shasta variety, which seems to do well in our area. Our area does have fair water levels, but we are working hard at staying compliant.

Pistachios are extremely quiet right now. Prep work is complete until it is time for last-minute needs as harvest approaches. Our crop is on the mend and coming back strong with our team’s attention.

We have multiple varieties of winegrapes, including barbera, French colombard, rubired, muscat, pinot gris and primitivo. We chose not to replant chardonnay as contracts are not secure. Winegrapes are being watched closely for mildew. Water schedules and fungicide applications are critical as wineries are stringently evaluating fruit. Exact irrigation schedules are critical to make fruit as precise to the winery specifications as possible. As we work through prepping floors in the vineyards, we also go through with cane cutters to prep the plant for best possible fruit growth.

Water remains at the forefront of every farmer’s mind. We are working to remain good stewards. Our family has been farming for 138 years on the same land. If we are not doing due diligence, we would not be having productive crops. Our soil health is our main concern.

Thinking this should be a very busy time of year is an understatement. This is the calm before the storm.