From the Fields - Greg Panella

By Greg Panella, Lake County pear grower 

We started harvesting our Bartlett pears Aug. 8. We had a decent crop. The crop was lighter than last year. We knew it was going to be a lighter crop across all the pear-growing regions because pears are alternate bearing, so if you have a heavy crop one year, the next one is going to be lighter. At our farm, we had a lighter crop, but not as light as some other growing areas because we are at a higher elevation and receive more chill hours.

We had plenty of water because of the wet winter this year. The groundwater levels are better than they have been in previous years. The California State Water Resources Control Board required most farmers in our area to record water usage during a certain period because of the endangered Clear Lake hitch found in Clear Lake and its tributaries. The water board wants to see how much water we’re pulling out to see if that’s affecting this fish. The water board is not curtailing our water, but they are monitoring our use. This is the first year we’ve had to record our water usage.

We had plenty of employees for harvest. I talked to a few other people who didn’t have any issues finding labor. The economy is a little slower, and the incentives to not work aren’t as high as they used to be, so I think people need to put food on their tables, and they are working.

There has been a movement lately towards agritourism. We hope to move ahead with plans to start a fruit stand this spring. We are in a good location. We planted a test plot of several varieties of peaches, nectarines and plums to see what’s going to grow well. Our kids are getting to the age where they can work, and this is going to help put them through college. Our daughter is 11, and this was her first year working pear harvest.