Janet Kister
San Diego County nursery operator

Fall has finally arrived, bringing a change of temperatures and the availability of cold weather plants such as garden mums, cyclamen and pansies. This is a welcome change for the nursery industry.

This summer presented a variety of challenges, including extended heat waves that taxed our ability to meet prescribed water cutbacks and introduced invasive pests, creating a patchwork of quarantines. Our biggest challenge continues to be reduced sales and profits due to the recession and dramatic downturn in construction projects. With reported sales volumes ranging from a low of 3-7 percent down (a number we now call flat) to 40-60 percent off from last year for landscape plants, we are very ready for a strong economic recovery.

So far fall seems full of promise, with early rains, cold temperatures that reduced pest pressure, a four-month forecast predicting numerous rain events coupled with little threat of frost, and a hint of renewed interest in building projects and plants for decorating and gift giving. Can't happen too soon.

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David Schwabauer
Ventura County avocado grower

For the third time in five years, our Moorpark-area avocado and lemon ranch was threatened by wildfire. We were very fortunate; the winds weren't as strong this time as they were last. But, the big issues were instead of clearing 100 feet of brush on our north side we cleared 200 feet. We doubled the area that we had cleared and that made the fire that much farther away. When the fire got to where my guys were with the tank trucks, they were able to douse it. The flames when they were up higher were 40-foot flames. But, by the time they got down to us through that 200-foot buffer, they were only 5- to 10-foot flames and so we were able to douse them with the tank trucks.

We had one avocado tree that was singed, but other than that we were spared, all because of that 200-foot buffer plus the lower wind speeds and my guys being able to keep the fire from spreading into the grove. There is about 150 acres that were threatened. The interior of the ranch was fairly protected this time. I had lots of help. My relatives were here and 30 of my guys and we had three tank trucks.

We're not doing any harvesting right now. We're working on our fall sprays on the lemon trees. Due to the large crop of avocados, we're going to try to start size picking the new crop as soon as we can. But that probably won't be until maybe the end of November or into December. We're not picking any lemons right now.

The avocado crop is tremendous. Last year we had a really light crop. We were fortunate in that we had a little more than some growers. Some of our ranches had no fruit. That was all due to climate and how the trees had taken the hot spell that we had a year and a half ago. Since they were so light last year, they are really set up now. There's going to be a huge crop and the challenge there is a marketing issue.

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Benny Jefferson
Monterey County vegetable grower

It's been a rough year for vegetable growers. If you were lucky and hit it right, you did OK, but most people are on the slow side. The year overall has not been a positive year for most farmers. Prices have been on the lower side of the totem pole most of the year for most commodities. It's been challenging with the economy. Right now it seems to be hitting agriculture pretty hard. People aren't buying any more than they have to. I don't know where the extra dollar is going, but it doesn't seem to have been spent on getting extra groceries.

We grow a little bit of everything: artichokes, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, mixed lettuces, romaine, head lettuce, garlic, carrots, onions, lima beans, and a few cantaloupes and melons. Our commodities have been pretty good as far as growing goes. It's been a good year. On the positive side, we've had great yields.

We had some problems from the rain. The week of Oct. 13 was pretty rough. The market just before the storm really came up. Finally we were really into the game. Everybody was kind of happy as at this time of year we'll take anything we can get. And then the rain came and it hindered a lot of people in the harvesting and a lot of farmers laid out for a day or two. Then, all of a sudden we get back to work and the market goes down. The market of most commodities has dropped considerably from what it was prior to the storm. Hopefully it will jump back in and get back to the positive side of the track.

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Jeff Fowle
Siskiyou County beef producer

Northern California is finally getting some much-needed precipitation; while not in large quantities, every little bit will help. Local hay growers just wrapped up the third cutting and are now anxiously waiting to see if the market will bump up a bit. Cattlemen are busy weaning their spring calves and carrying out fall vaccinations, while the sheepherders have turned out the bucks and the horsemen of the area have weaned their foals.

Feed in some areas is in short supply due to lack of rain over the summer and many started breaking bales for the critters near the end of September. Below average hay prices are a blessing for those feeding, but a challenge for those trying to sell and pay off summer operation costs.

This fall will prove interesting, as the California Department of Fish and Game and two local Resource Conservation Districts continue the process of an incidental take permit that is to be applied to the Shasta and Scott River watersheds. Landowners are very concerned at the implications of the permit and the potential impact it will have on the rest of the state in regards to water rights and the ability to continue to use surface diversions.

As we move into the winter, we are all praying for a healthy snowpack, scour-free calving and temperatures cold enough to knock back the mistletoe.

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Martin Pozzi
Marin County livestock producer

The rain really helped start range grass. There is beautiful grass, even though sometimes we do have green grass, even in September. The feed is starting and the sheep don't even need to get feed now because it's enough that they just spread out and go on their own.

Beef cows obviously still need plenty of feed, so they're on a normal schedule. The rain caught some people off guard getting farming done because we had such nice weather. Then, not only the four and a half inches we got on the main ranch, then we had half an inch after that and then we had another half inch when they predicted only a tenth. Now people are scrambling a bit. Farmers who are putting in oat silage in our area are behind schedule.

There was some hay down and some farmers that still need hay. There are still several growers that have hay to cut. With the price issues in the hay there's still some hay that needs to get moved out of the fields.

Our lambs will be coming on by the beginning of November to the middle of November. The sheep are doing well. We keep having more and more coyotes all the time, which has just been frustrating. In our county they went to paying you for your losses so you're eventually paying to breed the coyotes, which really doesn't make a lot of sense. Our lambs could be for the Easter market, but we usually ship them in June.

I think the cattle market is basically OK. We shipped our calves in July and we were pleased with how the market went for what it is. For all of the dairy cattle that have gone on the market I think basically the beef market has stayed fairly well.