“Blessed be agriculture! If one does not have too much of it.” – Charles Dudley Warner in 1870
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – What's not to like about eating local? A century ago it was the only way to dine. Before petroleum power, a person had no other choice than to eat local.
We are fortunate here in Lake County to live in a landscape rich in agriculture, with many of us tending home gardens and frequenting local farm stands, along with farmer's markets.
As “locavores” we can enjoy the benefits of good health by eating fresh and local, as well as take pleasure in supporting our community's economy.
Now is the time of harvest for our county's famous pear crop, wine grapes and walnuts.
Everyone loves Lake County's famous walnuts. When I was a kid, my grandmother sent two milk cartons full-to-the-brim with shelled walnuts from her Upper Lake orchard to Southern California each winter. What a treat!
The humble walnut, that crunchy, mild-flavored, versatile seed of a drupe, has been farmed in Lake County since the 1870s.
It is typical for Lake County's English walnut varieties to by grafted onto black walnut root stock for a more robust tree. Shelling of English walnuts is much easier than that of the black walnut, as well.
If you want to see fall color, take a motor-tour around the county for some eye-popping color.
Walnuts are not only prized for their flavor and texture, but are powerhouses of nutrition. The benefits of eating walnuts are many, and include their healthy high-protein content. Walnuts are packed with B vitamins, fiber, magnesium and vitamin E among many other virtues.
Walnuts are a favorite in holiday cooking and make a great addition to any salad, cereal or stuffing year-round. Keep them stored in a cool, dry place and you can munch on them for months to come.
A favored way to enhance their flavor is to lightly sauté them with a dollop of olive oil in a pan on the stove for a minute or so, then add a dash of salt, or your favorite condiment.
According to the Lake County Department of Agriculture's 2015 Crop Report there are 3,750 bearing acres of walnuts in Lake County. The report stated, “ The gross value of walnuts was $5,383,560, a decrease of 25 percent and production slightly decreased.”
The report continued, “There was a big difference in the price per pound for conventional growers. ($.65) and organic growers ($3.00).”
Local walnut farmer Jeff Mannisto, who is also a resource teacher at Coyote Valley Elementary School, is the owner of “Sky Diamond Ranch.” He has been farming walnuts for 44 years and has 40 acres. I asked him some questions about walnut farming in Lake County.
Question: What is one of the joys, or positives about farming walnuts in Lake County? What is the hardest, most difficult part?
Answer: Knowing that I provide quality, certified organic walnuts for the market and receive a fair price for my walnuts. The most difficult time is if our machinery breaks down during the harvest which can delay our harvest. Early rains and falling leaves can also be troublesome.
Question: What does a typical year of walnut orchard operations entail, and are you able to do most of it yourself?
Answer: Winter, pruning; spring, planting new trees, mowing the orchard floor, selective tilling around the buildings for fire prevention; summer, cutting suckers, machinery repair if needed; fall, harvesting. Yes, my two sons and I do most of the work along with hired labor for picking and sacking the walnuts.
Question: During fall, one of the last steps you take is to send walnut to a dryer, correct?
Answer: Yes, to Ellis Ranch Hulling and Drying which has dried and shipped our nuts since the early 70s. After hulling and drying, our nuts are shipped to Dixon Ridge Farms for marketing.
Question: I have seen Lake County walnuts in the Canary Islands, where my family resides. Do you know where yours end up?
Answer: Yes, Europe, Germany, Spain, Japan, China, South Korea, India and Turkey. TV and magazine ads by the California Walnut Commission/Walnut Board have promoted significant demand for California walnuts.
Question: Did the drought have a big impact on your crops, or other walnut farmer's crop yield?
Answer: My orchard is dry farmed so my trees are not dependent upon water allocations as some of the Sacramento Valley walnut growers are dependent. My trees have had stress from less rainfall over the course of the drought causing limb die back and death to some whole trees. I estimate my yield has declined about 10 percent for each year of the drought.
Question: Even though we had a pretty typical rain year, we are still, technically in the drought. What precautions do you take to ensure a good yield?
Answer: For one precaution, using the mowed clippings as mulch tends to preserve moisture in the ground and helps ease soil erosion. For another precaution, keeping the harvested nuts as dry as possible to prevent mold prior to sending them to the huller and dryer.
Question: Is this an early year for the walnut harvest in Lake County?
Answer: The earliest that I have seen my walnuts mature was mid-September-however the usual maturity time is between mid to late October for my variety which tends to follow the grape harvest. This has been good timing in the past as harvesting labor is more readily available after the grapes have been harvested.
Question: What happens on the farm after the fall?
Answer: Walnut sacks, pails and machinery are put away for the winter and a completed harvest dinner is enjoyed!
Thank you, Jeff!
For information on where to buy local foods visit the Lake County Local Food Guide at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Assets/Administration/Docs/EatFresh.pdf .
For a video on budding, grafting and planting, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQv65gYTtNU&feature=youtu.be .
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.