Several times during the field trip I was asked questions that I was unable
to finish answering either because of lack of time or because I didn't
know
the answer. I want to try to respond to some of those. I realize many people
won't even remember the question, much less care about the answer. However,
it is part of my nature to be complete. If you think it is appropriate,
please pass along this information.
In no particular order:
1. How much mint did it take to make the oil in the jar? The student can
do
the math. What I know is that it takes four acres of mint to make one
barrel. A barrel of mint weights 400 pounds. (Information from notes I
took
during my tour of the mint distillery.)
2. A mint distillery is used for both peppermint and spearmint. Steam flows
from the boiler, through the steam line into pipes in the bottom of the
tub.
The steam moves up through the mint hay, taking the mint oil off as a vapor,
and moves into the condenser. In the condenser the steam and mint oil vapor
are cooled and then they flow into the separating can. The oil rises to
the
top and flows into the drum.
Pictures:
http://www.beloit.edu/~chem/Chem230/mintfarm/
Diagram and text (part quoted above)
http://www.montanamint.addr.com/w2distil.htm
3. I've always heard and believed that Washington's asparagus production
was
second to California. However, in the list I found on the USDA site, it
shows Washington ranked as first in asparagus. As I said it was confusing
but I think because the USDA site ranks crops by value not quantity,
Washington comes out on top since most of Washington's asparagus is sold
to
the fresh market that brings a higher price than processing. Since most
of
the California crop is sold into processing, even though they produce more,
the value is less.
4. The mural office web page: www.toppenishmurals.org
5. The railroad museum web page: www.nprymuseum.org
6. The web page for Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District is www.svid.org
.The pictures of the turbidity levels are on this page.
http://www.svid.org/rsbojc_water_quality_program.htm .It relates to the
one
student's question about pesticides in runoff.
7. One of the students asked about enclosing the laterals. The Roza district
is piping all their laterals. Information from the web page
http://www.roza.org/current_projects.htm
8. I believe it was you who asked about the canal surface. I don't know
how
much of the SVID is lined and how much isn't. There is no impermeable layer
under the earthen part of either canal. They lose water through seepage.
The
information about the Roza is here. http://www.roza.org/geograph.htm .
This
page lists the number of siphons and tunnels used to move the water under
ridges and rivers.
9. A question was asked about rainfall. I don't remember it exactly. Yakima
averages approximately 8 inches of rain a year. The last measurable rain
was
.09 inches on October 2. Since January 1 we've had 3.89 inches of rain.
In
the prior 12 months we've had 6.97. The most one-day rainfall in the prior
12 months was .98 inches on November 28. Weather statistics:
http://www.accuweather.com/adcbin/climo_local?month=oct&metric=0&record=&year=&cdd=
10. The return stack heaters are the most polluting method of frost
protection still in use and are often called smudge pots. The return stack
heater re-burns the exhaust and cuts down the emissions. They still make
a
visible haze, but nothing like it used to be. Forty years ago smudge pots
were an open tub of oil that was set afire. As the oil burned, it produced
a
thick black smoke that coated your nose and mouth when you walked through
it. Aside from the obvious environmental problem, the layer of smoke
prevented the rising sun from warming the ground and the crops. On really
heavy protection nights, it would be mid-morning or later before the sun
broke through. The heavy smoke was actually counter-productive to the need
to warm the crops.
11. I didn't get a chance to fully explain how the overhead sprinklers
work
for frost protection. The critical temperature that will kill fruit buds
is
somewhere below 32 degrees. The actual temperature varies by variety. By
sprinkling water above the tree and letting it freeze, the buds are kept
at
32 degrees and they are safe. This method of frost protection can only
be
used on trees that will support the weight of the ice.
12. Wind machines work for frost protection because of the principle that
warm air rises. During the day soil and trees are heated by the sun. They
store the heat that in turn warms the surrounding air. A sudden drop in
temperature creates a rapid cooling effect of the air surrounding the trees
and soil. At a height of 50 feet above the trees, the temperature of the
air
can be as much as 10 degrees higher than at ground level. Wind machines
force the warmer air from above downward and mix it with the colder air
surrounding trees and soil. Wind machines are sometime used in conjunction
with ground level heaters if the temperature aloft isn't great enough to
project the crop.
13. One of the students asked how long frost projection lasts. I was unsure
if she meant on a given night or in the season. When protection starts
will
vary depending upon crop maturity and temperature. Typically in early to
mid-March trees have started to bud and once that happens, the protection
must be provided whenever the temperature falls below a critical level.
The
season can last into late April and even occasionally early May. Frost
protection is also used in the fall if temperatures get too cold before
crops are harvested or trees have gone dormant. Just this morning (October
25) several wind machines were running in apple orchards.
14. Orchardists use alarms that will awaken them when the temperature falls
below the critical level. At that point they begin the all night task of
trying to save their crop. Every heater, whether oil or propane, must be
lit
by hand. Each wind machine must be started individually. Oil heaters must
be
monitored to make sure they don't run out of oil. They must be filled if
they do. Propane is drawn from a central tank, but if it begins to run
low,
delivery trucks have to be called before the tank runs dry.
15. One of the students asked if fuel was spilled when the heaters are
filled. Of course there might be some spilling, but it wouldn't be
widespread. Aside from the obvious that if you put the oil on the ground
you're wasting money, it also wouldn't be good for the trees. Keeping the
trees healthy is the growers livelihood. He's not going to damage his land.
16. One of the students asked about the wax put on apples. Freshly harvested
apples have their own waxy coating that protects them from shriveling and
weight loss. Apples are washed at the fruit packing sheds to remove dust
and
chemical residues. This washing removes about half of the original apple
wax
that is then replaced by a natural coating. The natural wax added to protect
Washington apples is usually carnauba or shellac. The above quoted from:
http://www.bestapples.com/facts/waxing.html
17. There are numerous commissions in this state specifically chartered
to
focus on individual crops. I know for sure some are funded by assessments
on
their members, and I think all are industry funded. While a few are only
for
marketing, most also have a research aspect. There are government agencies
that do research, especially on fruit trees, but some of the other crops
must take care of themselves. Both these pages have lists of them.
http://www.wnpa.com/foodsafetyforum/ag_c_c/index.html
http://foodfarm.wsu.edu/CommodityCom.htm
18. At the very start of the write-up, I said the Toppenish National
Wildlife Refuge was a natural wetland. It's not. It's a manmade wetland.
Details here: http://www.recreation.gov/detail.cfm?ID=(1646)
19. A student asked about native American agriculture. I know very little
about their culture, but I believe they were hunter/gathers. More
information can be found here:
http://www.tcfn.org/tctour/museums/Yakama.html
20. I wish I could do a better job of explaining how the diversion dam
works. It doesn't block the river as does a storage dam. It simply raises
the water a few feet. The water has to be pushed into the head gates of
the
canal since there is no pumping involved, just gravity. In order to get
the
water to go where it is needed it has to be bunched up. The diversion dam
across the river pools the water so it will run down hill into the start
of
the canal.
21. One of the students asked about subsidies for water. Reclamation project
water is paid for by the one who benefits from it. The color brochure from
the USBR discusses this. I have never heard of any kind of subsidy to
farmers for payment of water. The users of the water pay for the water.
The
farmers are repaying the cost of construction of the irrigation system.
22. The rates on the SVID and Roza districts vary from approximately $50
per
acre to $90 per acre for "the right to use the water". Every landowner
must
pay the assessment regardless of whether they use the water. If you don't
pay it, it becomes a lien on your land and in three years the district
can
foreclose and take the property. It's like a tax. It's not like a domestic
water bill where you pay for what you use.
23. There are crop subsidies that are paid to farmers to take commodities
off the market. There isn't nearly as much of those kinds of payments in
the
Yakima valley as there are in other growing regions since we have so many
perennial crops.
24. As you left Toppenish, your route passed a large plant with concrete
towers. In case someone asked what it was, this was a processing plant
for
making sugar out of beets. It has been closed since 1979. It started
operation sometime in the 1920's.
25. I don't know a lot about the Yakama Nation. One of the students asked
about farming practices among the native peoples. They were/are a
hunter/gatherer/fishing society. For the most part even today, if land
on
the reservation is developed for farming, it has been sold and is no longer
native owned. There is also information on the following pages about size
of
the reservation that will answer another question. The Yakama reservation
is half again as big as Rhode Island!
http://www.critfc.org/text/yakama.html
http://www.tcfn.org/tctour/museums/Yakama.html
26. Heritage College offers courses in the Sahaptin language. This is one
of
the native languages of the Yakama people.
www.heritage.edu
27. I hope some of you noticed Rimrock Lake as you passed it on your way
home over Highway 12. I was going to mention it before you left. Rimrock
is
one of the reservoirs that irrigates the Yakima Valley. It's a man-made
lake
backed up by the Tieton Dam. It's a major recreation area in addition to
providing irrigation water and fish habitat.