CALIFORNIA
RARE FRUIT GROWERS
WEST LOS ANGELES
CHAPTER
MEETING: Saturday May 8, 2004 10:00 a.m.
Topic: Growing Blueberries in Southern California
Speaker: Ben Faber
Note new meeting site address
The address for the May meeting is:
Ken Edwards Center room 104
1527 4th Street., Santa Monica
Directions: Take the 10 West to 4th/5th Street exit. Keep left at the fork in
the ramp. Turn right onto 4th Street. 1527 is between Colorado and Broadway. You
can drop off passengers and plants at the entrance and park underground.
Assigned spots are available to you outside of regular business hours. There is
an elevator to the street level rooms.
Ben Faber, the Ventura County Extension Agent on Blueberries will speak to us on
how to grow blueberries. Ben is THE renowned, California expert on blueberries
and we are very fortunate that he agreed to come and speak to us. He will cover
growing conditions, soils, watering, fertilizing, and varieties as well as
answer all our questions. Other chapters are welcome. Sites recommended by Ben
can be found on the last page.
Don't forget the Festival of Fruit scheduled for June 18, 19, and 20. Call for
more information or go back and click on the Festival of Fruit site on the Home
Page.
Chapter News:
The West LA chapter of the CRFG has our own website! Thank you very much Sam
Chong, creator and web-master! Newsletters will be posted on the site (with some
minor modifications). If you have information to share, please contact Margaret
Frane. The site is:
http://chinese-school.netfirms.com/California-rare-fruit-growers-west-los-angeles.html
You can also find the site under Local Chapters, West Los Angeles, on the parent
CRFG website.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In March, David Silber gave a very interesting talk on the use of Tanglefoot
barriers on the trunks of trees to prevent insects from climbing the trunks.
Because tanglefoot would kill the tree if placed on the bark, David suggested
covering the trunk with white paint, filling the bark irregularities with caulk,
and then wrapping an inexpensive vinyl tape around an approximately 6 inch
section of the tree. The Tangle foot is then placed on this smooth protective
surface. We have a video copy of David's talk for anyone who missed it. David is
always an exceptional speaker and we greatly appreciate him sharing his
considerable knowledge with us. Thank you David!!
We hope to have a field trip this summer to the Papaya Tree Nursery, a rare
fruit nursery in Granada Hills, founded by David Silber and wife Tina. Their
son, Alex, is now in charge of the nursery.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our April Field Trip to Soka University started out with a gloomy day that, in
spite of predicted rain, became sunny and pleasant. Our guide, Tom Hayduk,
horticulturist, and BRCN operations manager, gave up his day off to lead us. He
gave a history of the Soka area including the ownership of the ranch by the
Gillette family. He took us through the heated greenhouse where he starts
propagation of native plants by cuttings and seeds. The next step is in an
unheated greenhouse and finally out to an open area in pots. He explained the
various native trees and plants used to landscape the ranch. They have a sale of
native plants twice a year. They have a working relationship with Tree People
Nursery, Audubon Society and even CRFG Green Scene.
Participants enjoyed a lovely picnic lunch around the lake afterwards. We got to
see a mother swan sitting on her nest and then get up to turn her eggs while the
daddy swam nearby. A large heron watched the fish (including many large koi)
until he finally dove in and caught one. It was idyllic.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many thanks to Lynn Maxon, who planned and carried out our blueberry purchase.
The blueberry plants were absolutely remarkable in health and size. Lynn, your
considerable work and commitment are much appreciated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Members Bill Buchman and Ray Bourguignon have both returned home after hospital
stays. Welcome home to both of you and we hope you are well, out enjoying your
gardens, and can attend meetings very soon.
West LA Chapter in the community:
The West LA Chapter of CRFG will participate as an official Partner in ArtsDay
LA Saturday, May 22nd, 2004 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM in Young Hall Courtyard on
the UCLA campus. We will have table space to display fruit and fruit trees. We
hope to promote the CRFG, encourage new members, and strengthen ties with other
chapters of the CRFG and other related organizations. ArtsDay LA is conceived,
organized and produced by the UCLA Extension Department of the Arts, of which
Landscape Architecture is a part. The program will highlight a network of
Partners who represent 25 diverse organizations, such as CRFG, that have a
positive impact on the arts in LA. The event is free and open to all. All other
chapters are welcome to participate. We want to promote the CRFG, not just our
local chapter. This will be a highly publicized event with an extensive
promotional campaign, including exposure in the UCLA Extension catalog and
website, departmental periodicals, newsletters, etc. Anyone willing to donate
plants, pictures, trees, time or fruit, please contact Margaret Frane.
The West LA Chapter of CRFG is committed to reaching out to our Community
through a wide variety of Community Service activities. We are encouraging all
of our members to participate. We need YOUR participation. Please contact one of
your Chapter Officers with your ideas and pledge of support. The continued
success of the West LA Chapter is only possible when ALL members carry their
fair load.
Support your CRFG. Pay your national & local dues. Please recall that our parent
CRFG depends on dues to maintain our meeting site insurance, as well as to
publish the Fruit Gardener.
National dues are $30. Make checks payable to
CRFG, Inc. and mail to:
California Rare Fruit Growers
Fullerton Arboretum-CSUF
P.O. Box 6850
Fullerton, CA 92834-6850
Our local chapter depends on dues to pay for site rental, newsletters, and
purchase supplies. Local dues
are $5. Please pay at the meeting. You may pay dues for several years at a time
if you choose. Should you wish, you can pay dues for both national and local
together. Give your check for $35 made out to the West LA Chapter to Joan and
she will send in your national dues for you.
Take part in the group. We really need your ideas for speakers, field trips and
possible meeting sites. Come to the board meetings! Just tell any board member
you would be interested in attending. We would love to have you!
Sites recommended by Ben Faber:
UCCE Ventura: http://ceventura.ucdavis.edu/ contains avocado handbook
UC Cooperative Extension: http://danr.ucop.edu
UC Avocado Production Cost Data (Ventura and San Diego): http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu/cost-studies/AvoVent2001-2.pdf
http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu/cost-studies/AvoSDiego2001.pdf
UC Avocado Info: http://www.ucavo.ucr.edu
UC Fruit & Nut: http://fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu
UC Integrated Pest Management Program: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/
UC Small Farm Center: http://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/
UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Center: http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/
UC Postharvest Inform: http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu
UC Publications: http://danrcs.ucdavis.edu/
UC Library Search: http://www.melvyl.ucop.edu
UC Avocado Biocontrol: http://www.biocontrol.ucr.edu
UC Agricultural Labor Management: http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/
UC Bee News: http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/faculty/mussen/news.html
UC Ag Econ Cost Studies for various crops: http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu/
UC Gardening: http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu
UCR Subtropical Horticulture: http://library.ucr.edu/agnic/
The following links are to sites outside of the UC domain. No endorsement is
intended of products, services or information, nor is criticism implied of
similar sites that are not mentioned.
CA Cherimoya Association: http://www.cherimoyas.org
Julia Morton's Rare Fruit Descriptions: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/index.html
California Rare Fruit Growers: http://www.crfg.org/pubs/frtfacts.html
CRB and back issues of Subtropical Fruit News: http://www.citrusresearch.com/
Links to various ag suppliers: http://www.rinconpublishing.com/Directory/directorymenu.html
USDA Market News Service: http://www.ams.usda.gov/
Great Avo Info: http://www.avocadosource.com
Ventura County Ag Commissioner: http://vcag.us
ATTRA, source of diverse ag info: http://www.attra.org/
Chair: Joe Heinz 310-457-3040
email: heinnormjoe@aol.com
Vice Chairs: Norma Heinz & Margaret Frane
Secretary: Selma Seps
Treasurer: Joan Wilder
Field Trip Coordinator: Herb Lees
Plant Chair: Ray Bourguignon
Raffle: Claire Lees
Hospitality: Lily Downing
Newsletter: Hal & Cicely Golden, Janet Leigh
Membership: Margaret Frane 310-828-0092
email: m.frane@verizon.net
Back to California
Rare Fruit Growers West Los Angeles Chapter page.
Website questions or suggestions send to Samuel Chong at samuelchong719@yahoo.com.
Free hosting is provided by Los Angeles Chinese Learning
Center