How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
Opinion
- Details
- Written by: Margaret Eutenier
One might think that there's nothing to do on the local farms and ranches during the winter, and it's true that it's a relatively quiet time.
But there are important activities to be done: maintenance and repairs of equipment; searching catalogs for vegetable and flower seeds and plants for the upcoming season; pruning and shaping of trees and vines; attending numerous educational forums to keep informed of industry changes and research findings; filling out sustainability surveys to evaluate and improve practices; maybe fingering checks for payments from previous years' crops. Tax planning and filing is compressed for the March 1 deadline for farmers and fishermen.
The one activity that captures attention annually is the application of various materials by spraying. Somehow that bold and visible mechanism stirs concerns in the community.
We may use cleaning sprays in our kitchens, hair sprays in the bath, degunkers and starting fluids in our shops; but the sight of powerful tractors pulling tanks of material through acres of orchards or vineyards causes alarm to many.
But the concept is simple: a small amount of selected material, be it a pest suppressor, an oil, a soap (all variations of chemicals) can be distributed over a wide area by being suspended or dissolved in a large volume of water and sprayed under pressure.
Some frequently asked questions:
1. Are all sprays poisonous? No, at least not to humans in the doses applied. Some sprayed materials are intended to kill or suppress a specific insect pest known to be present in harmful numbers, but this might be accomplished by other means than poisoning it (suffocation by oil, for example). Other sprays are intended to prevent bacterial or fungal infections or to keep fruit from falling off the tree prematurely. Farmers these days use target-specific, “soft” chemicals for control because they don't want to kill beneficial predator insects that provide natural biological control.
2. Then why do the applicators wear protective gear? This is not unlike our wearing an apron in the kitchen or coveralls in the shop. The spray suit protects the applicator's clothes, it protects him from contact with concentrates when filling the sprayer, it prevents absorption of spray mist, and it keeps him warm, especially at night or in the early morning. Those are chosen times to spray because there is less likelihood of wind to blow the spray away from the intended target. Very few spray materials require the use of a mask or respirator, but many applicators like to wear them anyway as “an abundance of caution.”
3. Does every farmer have to spray? In order to avoid damage to their crops and to maintain the health of their plants, most farmers spray – organic farmers included. Spraying is the most efficient mechanism for getting materials onto the plants or trees. It is not done by either the calendar or guesswork, but when a professional pest control advisor (or trained grower) identifies a problem and selects a treatment based upon what will be both safest and most effective. The timing of treatments is usually critical.
When you see our local farmers at work, know they are using up-to-date methods to continue to grow safe, healthy food and fibers for our use.
And join us in celebrating them during National Agriculture Week March 13 through 19 and Ag Day on Tuesday, March 15.
Remember: Every day is Ag Day for us!
Margaret Eutenier is a member of the Lake County Chapter of California Women for Agriculture. She lives and farms in Kelseyville, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Jeanette Kemp
I am in favor of banning medical marijuana dispensaries in Lake County.
Jeanette Kemp lives in Lakeport, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Philip Murphy
If you're in need of comic relief I suggest you check out the www.nodispensaries.com Web site, which has been cobbled together by a local group committed to saving us from the imaginary threats posed by local medicinal marijuana dispensaries.
Of course the humor is unintentional, a byproduct of paranoia, ignorance and misinformation which quickly becomes apparent as they make their incredibly weak and weird case against common sense and reason.
The claim is made that this effort is “nonpartisan” but the truth is that this is the work of the brain-trust
of the local branch of the GOP, which has decided that the biggest problem facing Lake County is small numbers of young people standing on the sidewalk of Upper Lake waiting for the pot store or pot doctor's office to open.
Actually, there is a plethora of problems associated with pot production, sales and use but none of them are addressed by this knee-jerk reaction, in fact, many would be made even worse by banning dispensaries.
The idea that making it hard for people to legally buy pot will not be a boon for criminals is absurd, the same amount of pot will be grown, sold and used but there will be no tax revenue, no transparency
or control and more of a drain on law enforcement.
Dispensaries should be treated exactly the same as any other business, if they create genuine problems those issues should be addressed, but they should not be punished for all the other down sides of pot they are not responsible for, like the poor judgment of one local doctor who has given the business a black eye by writing prescriptions that are too conducive to facilitating criminal profiteering from medicinal marijuana.
But what is almost as bad as the simple-minded concept of fixing the pot problems by putting the business back into the hands of criminals is the sheer hypocrisy of some of those involved with this effort, as they have promoted and profited from the most destructive drug produced in Lake County – alcohol.
How many times have you seen the booking photo of some local notable person on the front page of the paper due to their booze-addled decisions, and how many times have you seen someone in that position due to pot use?
When people die because of pot it's due to it being illegal and people are stealing it, with booze it's because they drive drunk, get in fights or destroy their physical and mental health, but you don't hear any plans for dealing with those VERY real problems that these same people's activities are in part responsible for.
Another thing that needs to stop is the hijacking of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce by this group, if they want to continue functioning as an outgrowth of the GOP we need to take the public's money away from the chamber until it can refocus itself on helping local businesses instead of snuffing
them out while creating windfalls for criminals.
Philip Murphy lives in Lakeport, Calif.
- Details
- Written by: Sharon Witham
Please explain to me how moving the Mental Health Services Department from Lakeport to Lucerne will be a good thing.
Have you considered how this is going to affect the clients, many of whom don't have their own transportation and will have to rely on the bus system, which I understand is now only one trip in the morning and one trip in the afternoon.
At least now when the employees and clients are in Lakeport, there are several pharmacies, grocery stores, thrift stores, doctors, dentists, banks, and restaurants to choose from, plus Kmart, The Dollar Store, Mendo Mill, etc.
Have you run the numbers in order to determine accurately how many clients are from other areas of Lake County? The clients might like to have a say in this matter.
Surely there is an empty building somewhere in the Lakeport area that could be used for Mental Health services. This way we would be keeping money in Lakeport and not be disrupting the routine of the clients.
Perhaps after the new courthouse is built, Mental Health services could move into some of the vacated offices in the old courthouse.
Please reconsider this ill advised move.
Sharon Witham lives in Lakeport, Calif.