By Anonymous — Thursday, December 9th, 2010
Award From Ventura County Resource Conservation District
SANTA PAULA, CA. - Limoneira Company (NASDAQ: LMNR), a leading agribusiness with prime agricultural land and operations, real estate and water rights throughout California, was awarded the first-ever Annual Excellence in Agricultural Stewardship and Sustainability Award by the Ventura County Resource Conservation District (RCD). The award was presented at a November 19 meeting of the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts in Ventura. Award criteria were developed by the Ventura County RCD in collaboration with the Ventura County Farm Bureau, the Ventura County Ag Futures Alliance and the Ventura County Cattlemen’s Association. It included responsible and sustainable land management, economics, innovation, conservation excellence, overall land health, community outreach and industry leadership. The Ventura County RCD also looked for landowners, ag operators and producers engaged in and committed to management practices that increase conservation, demonstrate stewardship of the environment and sustain agriculture. "It is our hope that this annual award will be another way to honor the great contribution agriculture makes to Ventura County, our people, our unique heritage, our economy and our community," says Marty Melvin, Ventura County RCD executive officer. "Limoneira Company admirably demonstrates all the qualities we were looking for in our establishment of this Annual Award for Excellence. In addition, its commitment to giving back to the community in both services and financial support provides another example of why it was selected to receive this award." "Limoneira is honored to receive the first Excellence in Agricultural Stewardship and Sustainability Award from the Ventura County RCD," says Harold Edwards, Limoneira's president and CEO. "The roots of our company's sustainability and conservation philosophy go back over 100 years. We believe that incorporating these sound practices not only makes good business sense, but is critical for our industry's future success and for the health of our planet." Nominations for the 2011 award will be available in February 2011. For more information about the Ventura County RCD, visit www.conserveventura.org. For more about Limoneira and its sustainability efforts, go to www.limoneira.com. |
By Tim Hagel — Monday, November 15th, 2010
Greetings Farm Watch. In addition, we would like to welcome our 23 new Farm Watch members. It is amazing, we have just grown to over 600 Ventura County Farms, Nurseries, Ranchers, Packing - Supply Houses and Oil Operations. Lets get started. First the good news. BOOK A CROOK: Sheriff Detective Ray Dominguez and his partner Sergeant Steve Rhods have been the Sheriff's lead agents in our Rural Crime Task Force. For the last 10 months, their mission and passion has been to catch these connex-shed thugs. I mention "passion," because these two detectives were and are "motivated and driven," 24 hours a day, to stop this organized crime ring. Time and time again those bandits have been using the cover of darkness to break into your storage sheds on rural properties. They have plundered over $100,000 in loot. Ray and Steve were not alone and have been supported by their Captain, Rick Barrios and an army of crime analysts, crime scene scientists, technical surveillance units and 12 detectives from Major Crimes, Camarillo, Fillmore, Ojai, El Rio and Moorpark. In addition, their task force worked regularly with Santa Barbara, Monterey, Riverside and Los Angeles Sheriff detectives. It has been hard during the last 3 months to not brag to you about their hours and hours of surveillance work. The tide changed and on November 8, 2010, Ray and Steve were deep into Los Angeles and Riverside working yet another surveillance on our primary theft suspects. They were side by side with an CONTINUED » |
By Anonymous — Monday, October 18th, 2010
Welcome to Farm Watch. We have 19 new members. Please forward the Sheriff's E-Newsletter to your rural friends and encourage them to join by simply sending an email to crime.watch@ventura.org Don't forget the dot between "crime and watch" on the address. At Farm Watch, we all share a goal to keep our agricultural, ranching, nursery and oil industries free from crime. Lets get started, You know, once in a while we use a police word in our Farm Watch Alerts and forget it may be foreign to some. "Casing" is cop talk for a shady person trying to act normal and blend in the surroundings while really up to no good. Bank Robbers, Burglars and even Terrorist often "Case' before they strike. It is important for you to learn to detect this behavior in your rural environment and contact us. We have made so many arrests in our farms, oilfields and nurseries by employees detecting persons casing the property. Even a license plate simply emailed to us at Farm Watch can help solve a crime. Windy Crooks: The next time CONTINUED » |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, September 15th, 2010
September 25th
Join us for another Saturday at the Farm. UC Hansen Agricultural Center (UCHAC) will host a water wise gardening workshop. September 25th—Low Water Landscape Design—Focus on Hardscape, 10 a.m. to noon. Combine beauty and efficient water use in your home garden. Gain appreciation for where our water comes from, how it is used, and opportunities to conserve this precious resource. Learn basic principles of water wise hardscape and irrigation choices. Free Workshop will be held at the UCHAC located at the corner or Telegraph and Briggs Rd. in Santa Paula. Registration required. Call 805-525-9293 ext. 214 or email: sbmiller@ucdavis.edu. UC Master Gardener plant sale and tours of the Faulkner farm house and gardens will be available. Visit our website at www.uchansentrust.org for more information on our programs. |
By Tim Hagel — Monday, September 13th, 2010
Welcome to Farm Watch. We have 14 new members. Welcome aboard.... Please forward the E-Newsletter to your friends and encourage them to join by simply sending an email to crime.watch@ventura.org Don't forget the dot between "crime and watch" on the address. Joining us, is a new representative from Naval Base Ventura County and the Oxnard Police Department. Oxnard has plenty of rural farm-land within the city-limits. Oxnard Police have just linked into Farm Watch to share farm-theft prevention and apprehension efforts. Officer Marty Ennis is our Farm contact with Oxnard P.D. If you have a farm in that area, give Marty a call and introduce yourself. His number is 805-385-8349. Marty is currently working on some serious fertilizer-theft issues within Oxnard. He would like our Farm Watch help. If you have any unreported fertilizer thefts contact me at tim.hagel@ventura.org Santa Paula: South Mountain: |
By Tim Hagel — Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
Farm Watch is all about keeping our rural community safe. It's a nice cool Saturday morning and a perfect time to catch up on what's happening in our rural community. Burglars Return: Listen to a story about a man named Jed...Oil, Oil, Oil: |
By Tim Hagel — Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
Ventura County Sheriff Farm Watch. We are joined by 19 new members, including UC Davis Ext and our local Ventura County Citrus Nursery supplier. Well it is a scorcher out there as I type this Saturday afternoon. Get those drippers going, stay cool and take a break to read "FARM WATCH" Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties have been plagued with by a criminal ring who for the last 4 months have used our rural farms and ranches in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties as targets. Farm Watch is also CONTINUED » |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
July 21, 2010 - Citrus growers in California and Arizona hope to get a helping hand from recently introduced federal legislation intended to aid, through research, the citrus industry's battle against invasive pests and diseases. The bill would divert a portion of federal tariff revenue derived from imported citrus products, including fresh fruit and frozen concentrate citrus juice products, to finance the Citrus Disease Research and Development Trust Fund. California industry groups including the Citrus Research Board, California Citrus Mutual, the California Citrus Quality Council and Sunkist Growers joined in expressing their appreciation for the sponsors' efforts and encouraging the rapid passage of the legislation by Congress. "The citrus industry owes a debt of gratitude to the sponsors of the bill including Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)," said Claire Smith of Sunkist. "We are grateful to the bill's sponsors for their bipartisan efforts to protect the nation's major citrus-producing states." The most recent, and most deadly, threat on the horizon comes from Huanglongbing (HLB), a devastating disease for which there is no known remedy. The disease is spread by an otherwise harmless vector - a small imported pest known as the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). HLB, which is CONTINUED » |
By Tim Hagel — Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
Hello Farm Watch members. Lets get you an update so you are in the know... It started at 303 P.m and the brush fire is in the Camarillo Heights area near Ocean View Drive. This 50 acre fire s primary the south facing hill sides of the heights. Farm Watch has attached a photo of the area for reference. Currently there are 250 firefighters, VCFD hand crews, fire trucks, 2 helicopters and 2 air tankers on scene. The Ventura County Fire Department and Sheriff's Department have set up a Unified Command to deal with the fire. Residents are encouraged to stay in their homes and let fire equipment into the area. Large animal owners in the Groves Pl.area of Somis should begin preparations in the event that evacuations are ordered. Closures: West and East Loop Drives are closed, Mesa Rd. is open to residents only. You can check Ventura County Fire (VCFD) updated web site at http://www.fire.countyofventura.org/ for more info. be safe Farm Watch... Your friend Tim Tim Hagel Ventura Sheriff Department |
By Tim Hagel — Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
Welcome to Farm Watch. |
DIESEL THEFT: Two weeks ago Farm Watch reported a large quantity diesel theft from a farm located on Stockton Road. In response, your deputies hand delivered warning fliers at nearby farms and nurseries. This crook is bold. He drove right up to the farmer's elevated bulk diesel tank and sucked 400 gallons into his Ful-Size, white colored, 4 door Dodge pickup. Take a look at the attached 2 page photos of our suspect truck. The crook has a large white metal fuel tank hidden in the bed. Its large enough to handle bulk theft of diesel. It is a very unique truck that has an amber highway warning light on top. There are no company logos on the side of the truck. This white Dodge truck is used by the crooks because they can blend in while sneaking around farms and ranches unchallenged. We have attached two surveillance pictures of the suspect's actual truck. Let's help find this truck. Your farm, nursery or ranch could be next. Call my cell or text me at 805-947-8189 if you see this truck. Jot down the license plate but do not confront the driver. Enlarge Photo By Tim Hagel — Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010
Rural communities helping one another
CRIME MAP: Sheriff's Crime Analyst Karen Brown has produced a great map (attached in PDF) of our last few weeks rural crime. A picture is worth a thousand words and her crime fighting maps help us keep track of rural crime countywide. Take a peak at the map. Enlarge Photo For our newest members, Once again, : We send out a Farm Watch email newsletter about once every 3 weeks. We will also send out Farm Watch Alerts as needed. The alerts are important communications about Disaster, Fire and Theft warnings. We gained 12 new members this week. Sign up your friends by forwarding this Sheriff's Newsletter to them. ASPHALT THEFT; PICKER BAGS: SANTA ROSA VALLEY: WOOLEY ROAD SYPHON: |
By Tim Hagel — Thursday, May 6th, 2010
Welcome to Farm Watch! You are one of our 500 rural and agricultural partners linked together, preventing crime and maintaining safe farming, ranching and nursery communities. Lets get started. This was an exciting three weeks for new members. We just added 15 farms and nurseries to our group. Can you believe May is already here. Woof Woof: Every day I leave for work from my farm at about 6:00 in the morning. Our Lab-Shepard Mutt is always waiting on the porch, ready to be petted, but sleepy after a long night of chasing raccoons, coyotes and the occasional orchard bear (Another story). A Farm Watch Member on Bradley Road in Somis has a more dramatic story of his farm dog which recently saved his family’s life. Last month, a gang member went on a rampage and car jacked a driver at gunpoint on Bradley Road. The suspect set up a make shift roadblock to steal the car. After a large dragnet by Sheriffs and CHP he was quickly caught on a nearby farm. In the past, we talked about the extraordinary help that a local farm worker contributed in leading to a suspect’s capture. What we did not expand on was the fact that it was a Farm Watch member’s dog, which attempted to stop or dissuade the armed suspect. During the encounter, the farm dog was shot. In piecing the scenario together it appears the dog interrupted the armed assailant as he hopped a fence and entered the ranch area. The family was sound to sleep. The suspect proved he could easily have assaulted the family had the dog not protected them. We have seen this situation numerous times in the past and it really lends credence to “a dog really is our best friend.” Our hero, has now fully recovered from the life threatening wounds. On his farm, he is king. Any biscuits for our hero Farm Watch K-9 can be dropped off at the Fillmore Sheriff/Police Station, 524 Sespe Avenue, Fillmore. Avocados: We are in our prime 87 million CONTINUED » |
By Tim Hagel — Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
On behalf of Sheriff Brooks, welcome to our April 2010 Farm Watch Newsletter. |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
Behind the Scenes: Today we’d like to thank the Sheriff’s Special Services Crime Analyst Unit. Karen Brown supplies Farm Watch with all our crime data. Karen and others in the Unit work hard to keep our rural community safe. The Unit has included some new farm maps and charts in this email that include the entire county. Farm Worker Alert: This just happen last week: A group of four criminals stole money from Ventura County farm workers and Spanish speaking residents in a California lottery scam. Theses criminals single out Ventura County residents who use Spanish as their strongest language. They prefer female victims of adult or elderly age, but on occasion will prey on males. They are excellent actors and you will never know that all four are connected. When you read the story, remember they change it up once a while mixing in fictitious IRS Agents, Fictitious Notaries and Fictitious Attorneys. On occasion they use a male. The male or females are actors, and will tell the farm worker that he or she just found a State Lottery ticket and that they think it was the winning number. Next, a passerby will approach as a random person and unknown to your farm worker. Usually the passerby will be well dressed as a businessman or woman. They will speak in Spanish to make the victim comfortable. The two actor-criminals will CONTINUED » |
By Tim Hagel — Monday, March 22nd, 2010
Behind the Scenes: Today we’d like to thank the Sheriff’s Special Services Crime Analyst Unit. Karen Brown supplies Farm Watch with all our crime data. Karen and others in the Unit work hard to keep our rural community safe. The Unit has included some new farm maps and charts in this email that include the entire county. Farm Worker Alert: This just happen last week: A group of four criminals stole money from Ventura County farm workers and Spanish speaking residents in a California lottery scam. Theses criminals single out Ventura County residents who use Spanish as their strongest language. They prefer female victims of adult or elderly age, but on occasion will prey on males. They are excellent actors and you will never know that all four are connected. When you read the story, remember they change it up once a while mixing in fictitious IRS Agents, Fictitious Notaries and Fictitious Attorneys. Here is the scene: They hit while your farm workers are in a shopping center, parking lot, picking up kids from school or public building, they are approached by a Spanish-speaking female. On occasion they use a male. The male or females are actors, and will tell the farm worker that he or she just found a State Lottery ticket and that they think it was the winning number. Next, a passerby will approach as a random person and CONTINUED » |
Beverly Haase with her gardener, Arnaldo Salazar receiving the Otto & Sons Gift certificate award from Committee member, Linda Nunes. Enlarge Photo By Anonymous — Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
Beverly Haase was pleased to receive the Vision 2020 Civic Pride Committee “Yard of the Month” award for March from Linda Nunes, committee member. She has lived in her home on Mallard for 10 years and only began removing the front yard and side yard grass two years ago with the help of her gardener, Arnaldo Salazar of Arnaldo Salazar Landscaping. Mature White Birch trees, a fruitless pear, pink & yellow mature hibiscus were left to frame the xeriscape design and then the earth was mounded and surrounded with a mixture of fake boulders along with real river rock from a friend’s ranch to form a dry stream bed. A bridge over the “stream” was built by Arnaldo. Decomposed granite with a barrier underneath covers the exposed areas and flagstone forms a small patio with inviting wooden bench to observe birds visiting a birdbath nearby. Large and small cacti specimens were obtained from a grower on Grand Avenue. Bronze flax, purple Dutch Iris, pink & purple marguerites and lavender plants add bright touches of color. Otto & Sons Nursery has generously donated a $25 gift certificate to be enjoyed by the award recipient. |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
Seabright Laboratories’ Yellow Panel Traps (shown attached to an Orange tree at the El Dorado) are used by the California Department of Food & Agriculture, the US Department of Food & Agriculture, and numerous universities, researchers, and commercial growers to monitor for the glassy-winged sharpshooter. The Sharpshooter is native to North America (northeastern Mexico), but has spread into the United States, where it has become an agricultural pest, laying a mass of eggs on the underside of leaves. They feed on a wide variety of plants. Scientists estimate that host plants for this sharpshooter include over 70 different plant species. Among the hosts are grapes, citrus, almond, stone fruit, and oleanders. Because of the large number of hosts, glassy-winged sharpshooter populations are able to flourish in both agricultural and urban areas. They likely were introduced from the southeastern U.S. as eggs on nursery stock, and were first observed in Orange and Ventura counties in 1989. It has a large plant-host range and is especially abundant on citrus. Oleander is found in 20% of all home gardens in California, and is a mainstay of landscapes in shopping centers, parks and golf courses. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) maintains oleander in over 2,100 miles of freeway median. It is estimated that Caltrans alone stands to suffer at least a $52 million loss if oleander on highway plantings is lost. Enlarge Photo |
By Tim Hagel — Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Welcome to the second February 2010 Ventura County Sheriff Farm Watch. |