as far as pesticides are concerned: this is a great turn off for Florida for me. Between the mega monocrop ag presence and the phosphate mining and spills... It seems the state government is more interested in development and not the environment.... but environmental pesticides and chemicals are everywhere, as long as I am not directly next to a giant sugar cane field or have a mega nursery neighbor.
I don't know if this will ease your concern or not, but a conventional sugarcane farm on muck will use only 1/2 to 1/3 of the nitrogen recommended for a lettuce farm (conventional or organic) on the same soil. Actually, the nutrient load per square foot for a sugarcane field is approximately equal to a residential St. Augustine lawn. By the time you throw in the bug sprays for ants, termites, and roaches that many homeowners deem essential, the total chemical foot print for the cane field is actually lower. I would be more concerned if the property I was looking at had neighbors with lush lawns all around me. Lol!
I don’t specifically know much about sugarcane, but this is not really correct. Homeowners use a lot of pesticides, true, but residential pesticides are all based on pyrethrum and would be applied with a hand or backpack sprayer. In the agricultural settling they can use far more toxic pesticides (organophosphates, fumigants, etc) which are banned from home use and they can be applied by huge tractor sprayers and even crop dusters (aerial spraying) for large fields which cause more drift. I think as long as you are careful about the immediate neighbors you will be ok like you said.
You make a good point about the potential for drift that I had not considered. That would be a game changer if you were adjacent to an operation that had not established good buffers and spray protocall. I would like, with your permission, to present some of the reasoning behind my statement above. My goal is not to change your mind or what you think, but to express that there is logic and direct observation/research behind what I said.
Air blast sprayers definitely create much smaller droplets that carry further. However, it is the smaller droplets that enable them to use less active ingredient per acre then the same chemical applied with a pump sprayer (which has variable pressure and often a poorly adjusted nozzle). When using a pump sprayer, many people also will mix the solution a little strong and then over apply the mixed solution (using everything in the sprayer) because there is no other way to get rid of the stuff. Interestingly enough, I am told that pyrethrins are the most common pesticide used in our local citrus groves (I think this is true for other Ag as well). Also, while it may not be the most popular homeowner pesticide, Malathion (an organophosphate) is currently available at many Home Depots for homeowner use.
Fumagants are rairly used in agriculture these days from what I have observed. When they are used, they are sprayed directly on the soil and covered immediately with an impermiable barrier for a specified amount of time. I am fairly certain that aerial application would not be allowed. The one area where strong fumigants are still in common use is the pest control industry. Virtually every house in the state has been treated with fumigants under the slab that will last in the soil for 10 years or more!
I won't hijack the thread any longer.
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Great info Galatians, while it isnt the specific topic of the post. This is very relevant information to the post. As it helps eliminate certain properties and understand pesticides better. I am far from from a purist, as I believe a lot of man made environmental toxins are pretty much unavoidable, because of the inherent nature of air and water.
I live in homestead which is a high pesticide use area and I know farmers that deal with this so I do have a lot of experience with this issue. I’m shocked that malathion is sold in Home Depot but even still the bottom line is many more toxic pesticides can be used on food when they cannot be used by homeowners (other types of organophosphates). I believe that the pesticides used under the slab of homes are organophosphates not fumigants. The chemical used to tent homes for termites is a fumigant. But the application of these in homes isn’t a daily occurrence. Fumigants are used a lot here to sterilize the soil before planting, they are used most heavily for strawberries. If you see the rows with plastic covers those are how they inject the fumigant into the soil. My main concern is getting caught in the spray drift of a more toxic pesticide. I agree with you that the homeowner situation is bad too, neither is ideal.
interesting point Julie. Though sometimes the plastic row covering is only to conserve water/prevent evaporation
I bought 13 acres in Santa Cruz, California last year and am incredibly stoked! I have done some restoration work in Hawaii and have a decent understanding of what growing in a tropical climate is like, which is largely why I have purchased land in California.
Reasons I bought land in Northern California:
I have a really good well (with old AG pump, 500 gpm) that is in a pretty reliable water table. Salt water intrusion will likely be a problem in the future, but I probably have time.
The market is completely untapped.
Importation restrictions from Florida or Hawaii leave untapped markets bare, or with subpar fruit.
There is no tropical/ few subtropical pests or diseases to fight here (hooray for winter).
Management of weeds is easy (dry summers, less weeds).
I was working part time managing the propagation and teaching an internship about grassland ecology and restoration but have gone full time into my own endeavors as of recently. I was working 7 days a week and am now really grateful to have at least a day off! haha. Utimately never could have afforded the land with my pay. My family purchased the land so pretty grateful and privileged in that way.
I am about a year or so out from getting my first production crop of Babaco papaya and will have Avocados coming online next year as well as various other grafted and non grafted subtropicals: Eugenias mainly.
I plan to implement different aspects into my farm and nursery as I progress and hope to apply for grants for some research projects I'd like to take on. Some projects are: Cultivation of CA native wildflowers for nursery stock/landscaping, studying physiological cold tolerance of these subtropical/tropical species, making subtropicals ubiquitous in peoples landscapes, maybe a landscaping business, education/tourism? I think that diversifying will certainly be important in making this a feasible enterprise.
Hey dude cool stuff! It sounds really awesome and 13 acres with a well is probably perfect. I have considered the area actually and have spent time in Santa Cruz. There are still some *semi* affordable properties up in the mountains there (compared to in Santa Cruz or SF). Though I wasn't sure how much the climate changed between the elevations. You make a good point about the untapped market and you are definitely correct about diversification. However I would dial in one or two projects first. I am also multi disciplinary in my interests and skills. I have been wanting to combine my vegetable and herb gardens, with my edible mushroom skills, as well as landscaping and installs. Going to focus on one to start however and maybe just do some landscaping on the side. Would be very cool to get more native plants and stuff in peoples yards. I got a book about the indigenous ways of tending to the land in California. Haven't gotten to start it yet though... I have about 30 ahead of it haha
I think you're on the right track. A lot of people on TFF are probably thinking of similar ideas. My big goal is to find something with multiple units which helps qualify for larger loans and also has consistent income that will be helpful to keep the project alive. When I say central california, I should be more specific when I say central COAST - interior is torched, literally.
I've spoken with a lot of people about well drilling here in CA and you really should try to find somewhere with established wells. It is the life blood of your project and a couple collapsed wells or drills in the wrong places searching for it can cost you a substantial amount of cheddar that could prevent you from getting this going.
Quality soil and sun exposure, productive well, home with extra room(s) or units, garage for tools and vehicles. Those are needs for me if I were on your path. It's helpful if those are in place so you can get to work right away.
K-rimes, Yup you are definitely right about infrastructure. A house, a well, and a garage are non negotiable for me. Luckily I know what to look for on properties in terms of water source, zoning, utilites, and even soil type and testing is something I am very familiar with. I have been stacking up this knowledge with the hopes that one day I find my home