Kevin Merrill/On the Farm | Posted: Sunday, October 7, 2007 12:00 am
The warm Indian summer days the first part of last week were just enough to push the sugar content in our chardonnay high enough for the winemakers to give us the green light to pick.
Low-bed trucks became busy hauling mechanical harvesters, tractors and gondolas into the ranch. Empty sets of trailers with their fiberglass tubs began appearing along the driveway waiting to transport the golden Chardonnay fruit to its final destination.
It is an exciting time of year that exemplifies the spirit of fall and harvest. My two harvest helpers, Kathleen and Clayton, have been patiently waiting for weeks for the massive machines to arrive and begin picking.
Just as in years past, my wife, Karen, and the kids jump in my pickup around 7:30 p.m. and head out with me to get the crews started and meet the truck drivers.
Kathleen likes to help me get the license plate numbers for the load tickets, while Clayton is ready to climb up inside the harvesters and help drive.
Mom reluctantly lets each of the kids ride on the machines as long as it is with dad and the terrain is nice and even.
My helpers usually stay with me until the first five-ton gondola is filled and they watch it dump into the waiting empty trailers. Then, despite their requests to stay out a little longer and watch them dump again, we make our way back to the house where they head off to bed and rest up, ready for school in the morning and another night of helping dad with this year/s grape harvest.
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It seems like it is the time of year for celebrations along the Central Coast. Danish Days is always the third weekend in September. Los Alamos celebrated its 61st annual Old Days celebration last weekend featuring this year/s theme “Honoring Our Ranchers 7 A Los Alamos Tradition.C
A little further north, the Arroyo Grande Valley Harvest Festival took place the same weekend, with this year/s theme “Harvesting Family and Friends.C
All these events remind us how important agriculture is to the economy and lifestyle we all cherish as residents of the Central Coast.
Agriculture not only provides the bountiful array of fresh vegetables, fruits and meat we are all accustomed to, but it also provides us with a working landscape beyond compare.
We can thank the generations of farmers, ranchers and the organizations that represent them for the hard work and tenacity it takes to remain in agriculture today.
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Many of you know I have volunteered my time on the behalf of the wine industry for many years through the Central Coast Wine Growers/ Association.
While I continue to do that, I have also become a board member for the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau.
When you think of an organization that has represented farmers, ranching families and their interests over the years, you automatically think of the Farm Bureau.
Our Farm Bureau was formed in 1921 with the mission of representing its grass-roots membership by protecting and promoting the social and economic interests of the farming community in Santa Barbara County.
I have a card that belonged to my grandfather stating, “This Certifies That Sam de la Cuesta, Gaviota, Calif., is a member of the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau Exchange.C It is signed by Alex Main, secretary. The card does not have a date on it; it may well be from 1921.
Our Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau continues to protect and promote the social and economic interests of the agricultural community in Santa Barbara County.
On Oct. 20, our Farm Bureau will celebrate this year/s harvest with its annual meeting and fundraising event at Joe Carrari/s historic Rancho Alamo on Highway 135 just west of Los Alamos.
I hope you can come out and mingle through the barns that once were home to the beautiful teams of horses used to pull farming equipment of a different era.
Come and enjoy the panoramic views of the fertile Los Alamos Valley. Round out the evening with a great barbecue, live auction and barn dance.
Remember, the farmers and ranchers of Santa Barbara County own and continue to maintain vast tracts of open space; protect the ambiance that is Santa Barbara County; plant trees, vines and crops that help improve air quality; and provide a sumptuous harvest of locally grown products.
Farm Bureau members and nonmembers alike are welcome. Call the Farm Bureau office in Buellton today and reserve your tickets for the first annual Celebrate Harvest 2007 in Los Alamos on Oct. 20. I guarantee a great time.
Kevin Merrill is a vineyard manager for Mesa Vineyard Management in Santa Maria. He is president for the Central Coast Wine Growers Association Foundation. He is a board member for the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau. He can be reached at kmerrill@mesavineyard.com.
October 7, 2007