From the Fields - Jay Ruskey

By Jay Ruskey, Santa Barbara County farmer

When you farm on hillsides and get the rains like we have had in the last four months, the running water moves roads and soil, so it’s all about storm repairs. We’re getting irrigation up and running, checking soil moisture and working on weed control. We started fertilizing because a lot of nitrogen left the soil from copious amounts of rain. A lot of times, long periods of no nutrition and lots of rain mean there’s not a lot of nitrogen, so we are assessing how this long winter has impacted soil fertility.

Avocados are in full bloom. With a strong set on the trees, it looks like we’re coming into an “on” year for the crop. We’ve had some cool nights, but we finally had some warm evenings, which will help with the avocado set. The ideal world for avocados is mildly warm days with mild nights and no wind, which help promote bee activity and fertilization of the flowers. Those are the conditions we’re all looking for, and it looks like a good, strong bloom.

With avocados, it is harvest time for us. A lot of Southern California growers are trying to balance the prices that are different than last year with what is happening this year. I see a lot of avocado trucks moving around. Growers are working with their grower-packer-shippers to formulate a plan moving forward, while conversations center around imports this year.

Six months ago, we were worried about the availability of water this year, so the worries have definitely shifted. All of us are resting easier and assessing wells. As we turn on irrigation, we are measuring well performance.

A lot of larger meteorological organizations are setting their eyes on the potential for a super El Niño. Are we going to get some extreme heat or extreme cold? I’m personally preparing for unpredictability. We’re some of the most resilient farmers on the planet in California.