Links

The LA Times reports that the citrus psyllid found in Riverside and Imperial Counties last month has now been spotted in Orange County. It’s not bad in itself, but can transmit a deadly citrus disease that is already wrecking havoc in Florida.

Meanwhile, the AP wonders whether LBAM is so bad. I really need to see more; I have heard about the Watsonville berry farmers’ being affected, but no specifics. The export restrictions, however, are very real.

On a happier note, (via the Diner’s Journal,) a WashPo profile of more small-scale distributors that are trying to bring together small farms and institutions. Interestingly, they all seem to be run as non-profits, despite the commercial nature of both buyers and sellers.

And David Mas Masumoto, everyone’s favorite peach farmer, muses about preserving fruit and extending the season.

By extending the season, I’m offered a reprieve, a second and third chance to do right. It’s like planting and harvesting a “winter crop” in August. Preserves seize the season — time in a bottle — and inspire creativity and poetry. During a school visit, I once asked sixth-graders to tell me what they saw as they examined small jars of peach jam. Most described the color and anticipated the aroma, but one bright boy, holding the jar up in the light, said, “I see summer.”