Liz Writes Life 5-6-2020

May 6, 2020

Liz Writes Life

Well – that didn’t last long!

It is confusing, but California’s Prop. 63 is again in full force. Barely two weeks ago, California Rifle & Pistol Association won a court order that stopped California’s Prop. 63 restrictions of ammunition sales and background checks.

Immediately, CA. Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed a motion to “stay” that decision. The Ninth Court of Appeals then issued the administrative stay to the federal judge’s preliminary injunction, which had allowed ammunition restrictions to be lifted. The first case was won in federal court, but all the game playing and “stays” is allowing the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals more time to argue the case.

The initial “stay” or lawsuit allowed California gun owners to purchase ammunition without a background check – for about a week! It also allowed ammo to be purchased out-of-state and on-line. But, right now, this is illegal. Sorry for the bad news.

Snow pack

I wanted to share positive info this week, but it isn’t happening. The May 1, 2020 snow survey results for the Scott River sub-basin are horrible! At the basic five areas that are monitored in the high elevations, there was an average of eight percent of normal snowpack. This is downright scary, folks.

Middle Boulder at the south-end of the valley showed the most snow with just eight-inches. Its historic average is 52-inches. Dynamite Meadow and Scott Mountain reported zero snowpack. Those areas average in at least 20-inches of snow on May 1.

So, it was with great joy, when parts of Scott Valley received rain on Saturday!

Meat packers

With the Covid-19 virus shutting-down some meat processing plants as staff become ill, there is the question of the future availability of meat. It is a somewhat complicated food-supply-chain from the growers to the consumers. But, there seems to be plenty of live cattle, hogs and even tons of frozen meat in facilities. Yet, all it takes is one cog to drop out of the process-line to cause disruption.

In a recent agricultural “Drovers Weekly” newsletter, Dale R. Woerner, Ph.D., said the impact of Covid-19 on the livestock and meat industry is “peaking, leaving livestock producers and processors on the edge of economic sustainability and the market in a complete imbalance. The greatest impacts have been on livestock producers that have seen devastating drops in the value of their animals.” Another major impact has been the loss of the food service and restaurant business.

Nationally, the cattle industry is expected to take a hit as large as $13.6 billion, according to a study released by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

To ensure the continuity of meat processing in the United States, President Trump signed an Executive Order invoking the Defense Production Act. This authorizes additional tools and resources for beef, pork and poultry facilities to allow them to remain open, even if local governments directed the facilities to close.

So, hopefully this week, as the healthier states begin to reopen from Covid-19, the economy for livestock and meat processors will improve – quickly.

Opening Siskiyou Co.

Yes, CA. Gov. Gavin Newsom has continued the statewide lockdown through May. But, apparently a significant number of north state counties state are pressing for opening businesses sooner. These counties, like Siskiyou, have had few Covid-19 virus cases and need their economies to reopen. Our county supervisors are taking up this item on their agenda, Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Sure hope we will begin reopening. For sure, most of us are frustrated by this continued lockdown.

Garden

Yep, it froze Sunday morning and frosted again on Monday. Luckily, I did not plant my tomato plants. Yay! But, I did forget to cover the eight to ten-inch tall volunteer potato plants and they were hit pretty hard. 

Luckily, they should continue to grow as the leaves near the soil looked fine. There were some little two-leaved maroon amaranth plants that had volunteered in several parts of the garden; and I wanted them to grow. I forgot about them as well, so I checked them on Sunday afternoon. Most didn’t make it, but a few in one spot did not get burned. I found a cardboard box and covered them.

I asked my teenaged grandson, Bryce, to help me dig two vegetable rows. We added manure to the soil and dug seven big, deep holes for the tomato plants. He was great help. Bryce told me he had finished his (home) school work, so I wasn’t helping him play hooky! The soil looks great. This week, I will take my time planting – cuz I am still exhausted from last week’s workout.

Last year, my tomatoes started producing early in August and kept producing, but got smaller and less abundant through September. What was wrong? Terry at Terry’s Nursery, in Yreka, has told me (for several years) that vegetable plants need fertilizer with the middle number higher. The three fertilizer nutrients are listed as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. It is phosphorus that my soil is in need of and Terry also suggested extra calcium.

So, I am listening and plan on using the right fertilizer at the right times this year. It is good to talk to our local nursery people for advice as they are full of knowledge and willing to share. Remember, gardening in Siskiyou County is always an adventure and soil quality is a major part of high-producing vegetable crops.

I also weeded the peas. They are about four-inches high. The smaller rhubarb plant needed some harvesting and I found it was growing a huge stem with a seed pod. That is not good. I searched the internet and found that this stem should be cut-out at the base of the plant before it starts diverting energy away from producing the edible stalks. Whew, that is what I did!

Happy gardening and try to keep smiling -- no matter what is happening! We still have good friends and family.

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County and lives near Callahan. Columns from the past year can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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