Furmano’s Spring 08 crop report   The snap bean, tomato and dry bean contracting process is just about completed.  To secure our vegetable contracts we had to pay the highest price/unit we have ever paid for our green beans & tomatoes.    This is being caused by the profitable options the grower has with growing grains.  In today's world with the extra risk associated with intensive vegetable production, the specialized machinery, the high labor demands,  it is just  so much easier to plant no-til grains and then relax and watch the crop grow!    With the 08 crop planting intentions decreasing for the 3rd year on dry beans, we cannot expect to see any price relief this year.  In fact, if there are any weather problems with this crop, we will see another market run even above these record levels.     In our last crop report we talked about the value of covercrop and the use of radish as a bio-drilling crop.  You can see the effects of the bio-drilling in fields this spring; it looks like the ground was aerated with a drill but it is from the radish!  This reduces compaction, increases moisture retention, and brings nutrients back up to the crop zone for the next crop.  Along with this, the decomposing radish gives off a chemical that inhibits new weeds and suppresses nematodes.

On our own farms we have continued the technology improvements with several new pieces of equipment. We have replaced 3 single carousel tomato planters with one 5 row/twin row planter.  This will decrease our labor and equipment needs.  We have also added “GPS Auto-Steer” to 2 of our tractors.  This will allow us to plant, cultivate, spray, and harvest with precision accuracy.  This is the same technology used in the Gulf War for our troops!  This uses 8 Global Positioned Satellites to mark our fields & guide the equipment.  The spring tillage has begun, the early tomato seedlings have begun to grow, and field transplanting will begin in our southern region the end of April.

On a recent field audit of our California grown garbanzo beans, you can see the progress of the 2008 crop.  The fields are just beginning to come into bloom.  The stands look good and growing conditions for the beans have been good.  This crop should be harvested in June.