LAKE COUNTY
Lake County CWA presents session 3 of AgVenture
On October 27 Lake County’s AgVenture class experienced a day of learning and discovery highlighted by a visit to a walnut orchard during harvest, expert presentations on the walnut industry, food safety, modern pest control, regulatory and legislative affairs, and ag education in Lake County.
Shannon Douglas, Vice President of the California Farm Bureau Federation, opened the day with an overview of current issues facing farmers today and the Farm Bureau’s role in educating and advocating for its members.
Fidel Perez, Lake County native and Environmental Program Manager of the Enforcement Branch, Northern Region, of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) gave an in-depth presentation of how the DPR monitors, tests, and enforces safety standards in the food chain, from farm to retail outlet.
A Pest Control Advisor (PCA) panel followed. PCA’s Steve Thomas, Nick Sysock, and Lake County Agricultural Biologist Janice Luke joined forces to explain federal and state pesticide and fertilizer regulations for both conventional and organic crops. They covered product development and field testing, inspecting, monitoring, and advising growers on product use according to their science-based observations, and enforcement of all regulations pertaining to pest control and fertilizer applications. A robust question and answer period followed.
Robert Verloop, Executive Director and CEO of the California Walnut Commission brought attention to the walnut industry, including marketing challenges in today’s economy and insights on new ideas for marketing the California crop in the domestic and global markets. Walnuts are particularly vulnerable to tariffs, since about 65% of the crop is exported.
The class took a break and enjoyed a lovely buffet lunch in the courtyard of the Blue Wing Saloon and Café, courtesy of Bernie and Lynn Butcher.
Colleen Rentsch and her daughter and son-in-law Jessica and Jordan Mihaelenko led a fascinating walk through their walnut orchard in the midst of harvest operations. The class witnessed machines shaking the trees, sweeping the nuts into wind rows between the trees, and picking up the nuts and blowing the leaves away. The nuts are then conveyed into a bin which is pulled out of the field by a tractor. They talked about cultivation methods, pest control, and irrigation efficiency. Soil moisture readers are placed throughout the orchard, and Jessica demonstrated the use of a pressure chamber which extracts moisture from a leaf and indicates the amount of water being used by the tree. These tools save water while providing for optimal tree health.
Erica Boomer, head of the Upper lake High School Agriculture Department and Chris Decker, Ag Mechanics Instructor, both Future Farmers of America (FFA) advisors, led a tour of Upper Lake High School’s Ag and vocational education campus, highlighting the tremendous opportunities available to ULHS students to learn practical job skills. The community passed a bond in 2018 that enabled the school to fund an impressive large modern building, and grants subsequently funded state of the art instructional equipment, including a blueprint design program accessible to every student, massive workbenches built by the students themselves, and numerous welding stations where students can become efficient in both MIG and TIG welding.
The campus also boasts a garden, soon to be enhanced with raised beds donated by Bernie and Lynn Butcher, and space for members to raise their FFA project animals.
Two-thirds of the ULHS students are enrolled in Ag related classes, and 80% are involved in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program.
The AgVenture Program in presented by the Lake County Chapter of California Women for Agriculture (CWA), and is guided by a steering committee of seven CWA members, including Rebecca Harper, Colleen Rentsch, Toni Scully, Bonnie Sears, Debra Sommerfield, Katherine VanDerWall, and Sharron Zoller.
CWA is the most active all-volunteer agricultural organization in the state, with 20 chapters and more than 1,300 members. Sharron Zoller is the current state president. To become a member, please visit www.lakecountycwa.org.
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LAKE COUNTY
Something to be thankful for: A lift for Alyssa
14-year-old Alyssa Arledge has lived in a wheelchair her entire life.
Born with spina bifida, a condition doctors warned her mother would offer little or no quality of life, Alyssa has defied the odds to become a vibrant, outgoing young woman eager for independence. The home she lives in with her parents and younger brother, however, provides little opportunity for that. As she is unable to easily leave the house without assistance, and had difficulty maneuvering her wheelchair around the home, Alyssa’s mother Sarah reached out to Habitat for Humanity Lake County to learn if there was any way they could help.
After a thorough evaluation of the home and discussing Alyssa’s needs with Sarah, Habitat for Humanity Lake County, as part of their Critical Home Repair Brush of Kindness Program, was happy to come to be able to come to their aid. The Program provides an array of repairs to low-income households throughout Lake County; to date, they have assisted more than 300 households with health and safety and accessibility-related repairs In addition to providing qualified families with homeownership opportunities, helping families like the Arledges is one of Habitat for Humanity Lake County’s primary missions and goals.
A new sink was installed to accommodate Alyssa’s wheelchair and the bathtub has been adapted for accessibility. One interior doorway was widened to provide access to the rear entrance where a handicap ramp was installed to give Alyssa access to the garden she has planted and loves to tend. Best of all, a wheelchair lift has been installed at the main entrance of the home so that Alyssa can come and go as she pleases without relying on someone else to carry her chair up and down the stairs.
On the day the lift was installed, Habitat staff was present when Alyssa arrived home from school to see it and use it for the first time. The delight on her face as she maneuvered into the lift and rode it up to the front door on her own, without needing the aid of family to do so, was a joy to behold.
“You guys have helped me so much,” Alyssa expressed to Habitat’s staff. “You were always rushing to help and I am so thankful for all you have done. It has changed my life so much and I will be forever thankful. Thanks to you, I can be more independent and can go outside without needing help. I hope other people find you guys and see how wonderful you are. Knowing you were there to help me makes me very happy.”
Alyssa and her family expressed their ongoing gratitude throughout the entire process. It is that gratitude, and the happiness on Alyssa’s face, that fuels Habitat’s commitment to continuing their efforts in bettering the lives of Lake County’s families.
For a short video of the celebration and unveiling of the lift, or for more information about the work Habitat for Humanity Lake County offers, please visit http://www.lakehabitat.org. If you or someone you know might benefit from Habitat for Humanity’s home repair services or are in need of housing, please contact the office at 707-994-1100 x108 or stop by and talk with us about your needs and to pick up an application.
Additionally, there is an ongoing need for buildable property and for wheelchair ramps and lifts to assist people like Alyssa. If you or someone you know are able to help, please contact Habitat for Humanity to discuss how you can help.
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LAKEPORT
Mendo-Lake Singers Chorus seeks Holiday singers
The Mendo-Lake Singers chorus invites women who like to sing to join them for their holiday show. No experience is necessary.
Rehearsals are held from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm every Tuesday at 1125 Martin Street, Lakeport.
The holiday show will be on Tuesday, December 12, at 7 PM at the above location.
Mendo-Lake Singers is a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, the world’s largest women’s barbershop and a cappella singing organization.
For more information or to hire the Mendo-Lake Singers to sing at a holiday event, contact Director Pam Klier, 707-400-8380 or President Donna Bowen, 707-350-0644.
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