California State Beekeepers Association

Extension apiculturist Elina Niño and Extension apiculturist (emeritus) Eric Mussen in front of the condition capitol. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Whenever legislators, agriculturists, and town people celebrated California Ag Day on Wednesday, March 16 on the west yard of this condition capitol reasons, every thing buzzed, including the bees inside an observance hive when you look at the California State Beekeepers' Association (CSBA) booth.

CSBA, to-draw focus on the state's littlest farming employees, yearly staffs a booth full of bees, bee information leaflets, and honey sticks. CSBA user Bill Cervenka, which has Bill Cervenka Apiaries in Half Moon Bay, offered their bee observation hive. He urged people to put a hand regarding the cup to have the temperature and an ear to hear the buzz.

CSBA secretary-treasurer Carlin Jupe, Extension apiculturist Elina Lastro Niño of UC Davis, and Extension apiculturist (emeritus) Eric Mussen of UC Davis greeted the guests and responded their concerns. Both Niño and Mussen are also members of the CSBA,

“We offered away 1800 honey sticks, ” Jupe said. The sticks, bought from Nature's Kicks, Salem, were filled with clover honey.

It had been a wonderful treat.

“Have one thing nice from the California State Beekeepers' Association, ” Cervenka told the passing crowds of people as he handed out the sticks.

Each honey stick contained a message:

• Honey bees would be the backbone of farming
• They pollinate 1/3 for the peoples diet
• They pollinate 50 varied U.S. crops worth significantly more than $20 billion
• They pollinate California's $2.5 billion almond production
• They create $150 million in U.S. honey and beeswax

Honey sticks, a nice treat from Ca State Beekeepers' Association. (Picture by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

It's time for all of us all to “come together to celebrate agriculture and express gratitude to farmers and ranchers but more importantly to state many thanks to any or all the fingers and minds and minds it takes to create food from area to the supper tables every single day, ” Ross told the group.

“If your home is and eat in Ca, guess what happens we mean—and across the nation and worldwide, whether it's on your own plate, there is a good chance we grow it right here, " she stated. "Our farmers and ranchers develop 400 crops and agricultural commodities, from fresh fruit and veggie plants to livestock, milk, eggs, fan, beans and grains. And now we never end there—we grow wood, plants and nursery flowers, seeds, cottons and much more.”

Ross stated state legislators know the importance of farming when you look at the Golden State, “just because they recognize farmers' responsibility become good stewards associated with all-natural resources under their care.”

She called Ag Day “an opportunity for those associates to shake a farmer's hand and advance our provided knowledge of the significance of our food offer.”

Visitors excitedly sampled not just honey sticks, but strawberries, almonds, dried plums, walnuts, pistachios, tangerines, apple slices, milk, ice cream, popcorn, chips, pulled pork in a glass, and tri-tip meat sliders, among other foodstuffs into the 40 farming booths. Ca's Floral business gifted each customer with blossoms. Various other booths exhibited a wide variety of various other vegetables & fruits.

Everyone from 4-H'ers, FFA'ers, alpaca owners, the horse industry, the Ca State Fair, Ca division of Food and Agriculture, additionally the U.S. Customs and Border Protection found myself in the act—just to name a few. (See selection of exhibitors at ) All were pleased to speak about what they do and why. The 2 ag detection beagles, Meyers and Floyd, turned out to be a crowd preferred while they exhibited their particular abilities in detecting "contraband" ag produce from assorted baggage.

However the bees, the bees, made the complete Cal Ag Day possible. One-third of this food we readily eat is pollinated by bees.