Colusa Farm Show draws thousands

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[ Photo caption: 4-H members Alex Vige (left), 11, and Clayton Beals, 13, of Orland, Calif., step off a hay baler today at the Colusa Farm Show. ]

The Colusa Farm Show got off to a running start today, as thousands flocked to the fairgrounds in Colusa, Calif., to get a look at a parking lot full of big tractors and other equipment and several exhibit booths full of smaller wares.

The farm show continues Wednesday and Thursday. Here is the schedule:

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

7:00 a.m. Ag Leadership Foundation Breakfast
Saint Bernadette's Hall
(Across from Fairgrounds)
For more info contact Sarah DeForest,
CSU Chico 530-898-3737

9:00 a.m. Colusa Farm Show Opens

10:00 a.m. Commerical Industry Vehicle Program
Sponsored by the California Highway Patrol
Located in Sheep Barn

11:00 a.m. Lubrication for the Farming Industry:
- Reduce Downtime,Lubrication Consumption
and Increase Equipment Reliability
Sponsored by ChemSearch
Located in Sheep Barn

1:00 p.m. Ag Perspectives
Sponsored by Family Water Alliance
Located in Sheep Barn

3:00 p.m. Farm & Ranch Estate Planning
Presented by New York Life
Sponsored by Community Foundation
of Colusa County
Located in Sheep Barn

5:00 p.m. Colusa Farm Show Closes

Thursday, February 3, 2011

9:00 a.m. Colusa Farm Show Opens

3:00 p.m. Exhibitor Check Out Begins

4:00 p.m. Colusa Farm Show Closes

For my coverage of the farm show's first day, check CapitalPress.com soon.

Capital Press, California Ag Ads double volume of Distribution at World Ag Expo

This year we are ready with almost twice as many Capital Press newspapers and California Ag Ads this year. In addition to the Capital Press showcase booth in Pavilion C, we have racks placed at all information booths at the World Ag Expo in Tulare. Come by and say "hello" at booth 3404. Better yet, purchase a subscription and ask about our special deal we are offering only during the show to our new subscribers here in California!

Vendors quickly make way to their locations in order to ready displays for the first day at the World's largest farm show in Tulare.

2009 World Ag Expo about to begin

The 2009 World Ag Expo kicks off tomorrow in Tulare, Calif. We have staffers en route to Tulare to cover the event, work in a Capital Press booth and talk to vendors and newsmakers over the course of the three-day show.

Reporter Cecilia Parsons, who is based nearby in Ducor, Calif., was on the grounds today for the traditional media day, in which the press get a sneak peek at the grounds before the gates open to the general public on Tuesday.

Look for coverage from Cissy in this week's California edition of the Capital Press and online at www.capitalpress.com.

So, if you are in Tulare for the World Ag Expo, stop by the Capital Press booth, No. 3404, in Pavilion C.

If you can't be there in person, check out the live webcams from the expo grounds in Tulare.

Business Crackin’ for a Record Long Time at Colusa Farm Show

Clarence and Jan Davidson were the first people to sign up for the Colusa Farm Show 44 years ago. Their marriage is going strong after 53 years. Clarence and Jan are known for being the longest attending vendors since The Colusa Farm Show's opening.

Clarence told me a couple of years ago, his wife didn't attend, so he told her, "this year I’m giving away Gideons again" (meaning New Testament bibles) in addition to his regular selling nutcrackers. "I knew that would get her to come with me again."

Clarence, owner of his privately held Davebilt Company manufactures a rotary nutcracker of sorts,and nut gleaning tools.

His rotary nutcracker is a popular novelty for youth and old alike. All day at the show people can't help but want to crank his hand built machine. "I have thirty other vendors, two of which sell these online, but I am the only builder."

A father and visiting orchardist from Butte City told me his boys (Skyler and Caleb pictured) are influencing him to make a purchase. It was clear the machine works quickly, and makes a crunchy noise that makes the activity really seem fun.

- - - - - - -

Clarence and Jan are an easy find just across from the Capital Press Booth #39 at the Colusa Farm Show.

###

Colusa Farm Show is the longest running farm show in California.

Closure Wings on Olive & Grape Harvesters are Not the Same.

Today at the Colusa Farm Show I learned a lot about precision machining from Robby Dobler. Their booth sits next to the Capital Press booth in the Main Exhibition Hall.

Robby couldn’t speak more highly of his father who started Dobler Imagineering thirty five years ago. His father, Darrell Dobler, he explained, is something of a genius when it comes to producing a final product. “If I could remember what half of what my Dad forgot, I’d be happy.”

"When you need to have a part of any kind made quickly, and for less than the price of what you might buy it new, Dobler Imagineering is all about that."

Be it plastic, metal, remakes, prototypes, metal work, farming, restaurant, and custom machine parts, conveyor parts, or even “that thing” that isn’t made anymore; they can make it. And they can make it cheaper.

I was curious to know why Dobler Imagineering was at the Colusa Farm Show. “We do the best precision machining around.” Robby said, “but these closure wings are the real reason we are here.”

So I asked, "What makes these closure wings special Robby?"

“Our product has twice the thickness on the wear strip. Closure wings are typically replaced on harvesters with an inferior product. For olive and grape harvesters, that means alot of money spent. Our harvester closure wings have twice the wear strip compared to our competitor’s. Theirs will last maybe 60-80 acres. Our product will last an entire season without changing.”

Robby Dobler shared with me he is a resident of Lodi, California and will return from the Colusa Farm Show on Thursday to his wife Carolyn, and his really “great kids”….a skateboarding 11 year old and two 8 year old gymnasts.

# # #

Truly a high precision problem solving machining firm,

Dobler Imagineering is based out of Victor, California.

Capital Press goes to Colusa

The Colusa Farm Show is under way. If you are attending the show, look for Capital Press representatives on the grounds. Stop by our booth and say hello, get a free copy of the newspaper and see for yourself how the Capital Press covers agriculture in California and the West.

We previewed the event here. Look for more in this week's paper and online at www.capitalpress.com.

Foggy road at World Ag Expo causes crashes, finds heroes

When our staff heard yesterday about a foggy 50-car pile-up north of Tulare, Calif. during the first day of the World Ag Expo, our first concern was whether our gang of staff traveling to WAE that morning were all safe.

They would have all been taking that same route, near Kingsburg, Calif., around that same time, prior to 9 a.m. Fortunately, we were relieved to hear they were all okay, although our photographer Mark Rozin did go past some vehicles on the side of the road that might have been the beginning of the mess.

According to an Associated Press story, “The chain-reaction accident Tuesday morning shut down a portion of Highway 99’s southbound lanes and scattered broken glass and mangled cars along a three-mile stretch in Kingsburg. Visibility was just 50 feet when CHP officers got to the scene.”

Later, police revised their estimate of vehicles, saying there were actually 15 — not 50 — vehicles involved, and this included three semi-trailers.

The Fresno Bee said two people were critically injured among the dozen victims from the series of crashes.

The Bee also reported yesterday that one of the vehicles involved included a busload of Canadians who were heading down to the World Ag Expo. It would be easily to assume several other people involved in the accident may also have been bound for the show.

Dense fog is nothing new to that area. There are signs warning to test distances that can be seen in fog, and anyone who has participated in an Expo or two knows to bundle warmly for those damp, dull mornings.

Unfortunately, on Highway 99, everyone always seems to be in a hurry no matter what the weather or road conditions.

A story in today’s Fresno Bee described the scene. “Truck driver Victor Dubinetskiy, who drives between Sacramento and Tulare three or four times a week, said he was stunned by how fast the thick blanket of fog dropped in front of him. He said good Samaritans may have prevented even more crashes. Dubinetskiy, 29, said several men ran along the side of the road, waving their arms at him and other approaching motorists and shouting at them to slow down.”

The Bee talked to Mike Fitzgerald, service manager at Oxbo International, a farm-equipment dealer and service shop near the freeway, who was one of the people who was trying to wave people to slow down.

“I was outside walking to another building when I heard a skid and then an impact, then a second skid and an impact, then I heard a truck crash,” Fitzgerald told the Bee, “and then after that you just continued to hear the crashes.”

The Bee added, “Fitzgerald said he and one of his employees hopped the fence and onto the freeway. While the other worker ran to help one driver who was hurt, Fitzgerald ran north along the edge of the freeway for about 200 yards, waving his jacket over his head to warn oncoming drivers of the danger ahead.

“All I could think of was trying to slow them down,” he said to the Bee. “I haven't run that hard in years.”

Talk about true heroes. How many people would run in the middle of a dangerous, foggy California highway during rush hour and put their lives on the line to save the lives of others?

Our baseball caps/cowboy hats are gratefully off to honor Fitzgerald and his employee, and are thankful nothing happened to them.

(For people who want to see what the World Ag Expo looked like in the fog, go to www.capitalpress.com and click on the tile on the homepage that links you to see photos from the Expo.)

CP will be at Willamette Valley Ag Expo

The Willamette Valley Ag Expo starts today in Albany, Ore. and during the next few days several of our staff will be visiting the show.

We have people from our editorial, advertising and circulation departments, as well as our publisher Mike O’Brien, spending some time there. People are invited to visit our booth and chat with any of our friendly staff there or if you see us wandering through the buildings.

Anyone who wishes to learn more about the show can check out stories in our special section (go to www.capitalpress.com and click on the Willamette Valley Ag Expo link on the left side menu or click here).

The organizers of the show are optimistic that there will be a good turnout of farmers, they’ll find the machinery they want, and a lot of business will be done with dealers. Fortunately, the weather has decided to cooperate today for the opening day of the show — yesterday’s storm has blown through, leaving some people in Washington and Oregon cleaning up fallen tree branches and still waiting for power to be restored.

If any of our blog readers attend the WVAE show within the next three days, let us know what you thought of it. We welcome your feedback.

Technorati tags: Agriculture

From the Big Apple to the biggest farm show

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani spoke to farmers, ranchers and agribusiness leaders today at the World Ag Expo in Tulare, Calif.

The Republican is touring California to drum up support for a run for his party's presidential nomination.

Giuliani, with an American flag pin on his lapel and an American flag on the wall, behind him, made a speech shortly after the official opening of the World Ag Expo this morning.

Giuliani's California tour begs the question, when does a presidential candidate become a presidential candidate. Giuliani said in California this week that he will enter the race, but he has not made a "formal" declaration of his candidacy.

Find out more about what Giuliani had to say to the farm crowd at the expo, and more about the farm show's opening day later today at capitalpress.com.

The photo of Giuliani was taken by Capital Press California Editor Bob Krauter, who is one of three ag journalists from our staff covering the World Ag Expo this week, which continues through Thursday.

Technorati tags: Agriculture

Tulare show comes to a close

TULARE, Calif. -- In the next few minutes, the curtain will fall on the 2006 World Ag Expo here in Tulare.

Show Chairman Erin Ferguson said this afternoon that he expects once the final attendance figures are tallies, the 2006 show is likely to set new records.

Ferguson said Wednesday's attendance was the biggest one-day attendance in show history.

Read more about the 2006 show in the Feb. 16 and Feb. 24 editions of Capital Press and back here online at www.capitalpress.com

So, for now, so long from Tulare and the World Ag Expo.

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Frost greets final day of World Ag Expo

Yes, it's still winter and Mother Nature made sure to remind Central Valley growers and attendees of the World Ag Expo of that fact overnight, as frost descended on the vast Central Valley.

Temperatures in the mid to upper 20s have been reported around the San Joaquin Valley overnight, threatening some crops that had already started sprouting and blooming after unseasonably warm weather over the past week.

Now the temperatures have dropped to unseasonably cool temperatures.

Some areas of the valley could see frost again tonight.

But that's not keeping people from the World Ag Expo for its final day today. They have just remembered to bring jackets today.

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Day 2 in Tulare winding down

The second day of the 2006 World Ag Expo is almost at an end. The crowds on the grounds are thinning and the long lines of traffic away from the International Agri-Center are growing on a day highlighted by the visit of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The international action-movie star was perhaps a fitting guest on a day that highlighted seminars on international trade.

The Wednesday session of the 2006 Expo still enjoyed sunny weather, but cooler, more seasonal temperatures have returned to Tulare, after a week of decidedly spring-like weather. Even many of the fruit and nut trees throughout the valley give the illusion of spring with their buds bursting into bloom.

But chillier, more blustery weather has returned, with temperatures in the 50s. Weather forecasters are calling for an even cooler day for Thursday's final day of the Expo.

By walking around the grounds today it was easy to get the impression that people came to buy things today. On Tuesday it was possible to see many people carrying a bag or two of booty from the giveaways being offered at the various exhibitors’ booths. But today there were many more people carrying more and larger bags, tool boxes, tree spikes and assortment of other farm or garden goods.

Sweatshirts at the souvenir booths were also popular on this chilly day.

But the governor's visit undoubtedly caused the most excitement of the day. Schwarzenegger was also responsible for the faux paux of the day.

During remarks to the large crowd gathered around the Reynolds International booth where Schwarzenegger spoke, the governor was introducing some of the other dignitaries who were part of the formal entourage.

He mistakenly referred to World Ag Expo Chairman Erin Ferguson as "she" during his remarks.

Well, that's it from Tulare today. We'll check in again tomorrow for the final day of the World Ag Expo.

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First day of Tulare comes to a close

TULARE, Calif. -- The first day of the World Ag Expo has come to a close, with buzz building about Wednesday's scheduled visit from California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But make no mistake, at Tulare the expo itself is the star.

I'm not sure how how anyone can possibly see it all and do it all in only three days. And if there is any piece of farm equipment, technology or type of service not on display at the farm show, you'd be hard-pressed to figure you what it would be. You can test drive precision ag equipped tractors that will keep your rows straight or software specifically for agribusiness.

But no trip to this part of the San Joaquin Valley would be complete without getting a taste of the region and munching on a tri-tip sandwich.

Yes, the area around Tulare is known for lots of ag commodities, including dairy milk, olives, oranges and other citrus groves, raisin grapes and nut trees, but no large gathering featuring food is complete without tri-tip.

So much for my diet, but there are also plenty of opportunities to get exercise trying to cover the World Ag Expo grounds.

I'm ready for a nap.

Agriculture
World Ag Expo
Capital Press

Go to Tulare, see the world

If I ever had any doubt whether the World Ag Expo in Tulare, Calif., is a global event, my mom would have put that to rest this week.

I got an e-mail message from my mother yesterday, saying I should look for her friend Max next week when I'm in Tulare for the Expo, which runs Feb. 14-16.

Max is a grower from Australia who is visiting the United States, and one of his stops will be the World Ag Expo.

He certainly won't be alone, as thousands of farmers, ranchers and agribusiness professionals will descend on the small San Joaquin Valley town for the mammoth farm show.

I'm thinking the odds I'll bump into Max are pretty slim.

But if you will be in Tulare next week, I can give you a few pointers on how you can find one or more of the 10 members of the Capital Press staff who will be there.

A good place to look would be at one of the two Capital Press booth located in the exhibit pavilions at the International Agri-Center grounds.

Editor and Publisher Elaine Shein will be leading the Capital Press delegation attending the Expo.

And if you can’t make it to the show, you can turn to the Capital Press and CapitalPress.com for coverage of some of the highlights of the 2006 Expo. Reporters Ali Bay and Chip Power will be providing details on the show in the Feb. 17 and Feb. 24 issues of Capital Press. And starting Tuesday, Bay, Power and I will post live updates and stories here on the Capital Press website. Our goal is to provide at least two updates each day, which will be quite a chore, because the show is so big and there is so much going on, it will be tough to break away to sit in front of a laptop to write for fear that we will miss something important or not see all there is to see in just three short days.

But we do want to share as much as we can of what we see and hear at the Expo with you, and this blog and the home page of our website will be where you can check in on some of the happenings in Tulare.

Personally, I’m looking forward to the show. It’s been a few years since I’ve been to the Tulare farm show. In fact the last time I was there, back in 1999 when I was editor of a daily newspaper in neighboring Porterville, the show had a different name. Back then the show was known as the California Farm Equipment Show and International Exposition.

Since then, the name got smaller, but the show has continued to grow.

So if we don’t see you in Tulare, you can see some of Tulare right here at CapitalPress.com.

And if you see Max, tell him to look for me in a green Capital Press cap.

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