
October 9, 2015
CapitalPress.com
11
California
Subscribe to our weekly California email
newsletter at CapitalPress.com/newsletters
Despite El Nino promises, October to be dry
By TIM HEARDEN
Capital Press
SACRAMENTO — El
Nino may be bringing a
wet winter, but October is
gearing up to be mostly dry
throughout California’s Cen-
tral Valley.
Long-range
forecasts
from AccuWeather envision
mostly sunny days with after-
noon highs in the 70s and 80s
through Halloween, with a
few cloudy days and perhaps
a stray drizzle sprinkled in.
“Right now we’re in a
transition period, so it’s real-
ly tough to say if it’s a trend,”
said Nathan Owen, a Nation-
al Weather Service meteorol-
ogist in Sacramento. “We’re
kind of on a roller coaster.”
The outlook comes as
California began a new wa-
ter year on Oct. 1, closing
the books on a fourth straight
year of drought and hoping
to not suffer through a fifth.
Most areas finished the 2014-
2015 water year with much
less precipitation than nor-
mal and averaging warm-
er-than-normal temperatures,
notes the state Department of
Water Resources.
For instance, Redding
finished the water year with
23.63 inches of rainfall —
well below the 34.56 inches
it normally receives, accord-
ing to the National Weather
Service. Fresno measured a
meager 6.97 inches of precip-
itation for the year, far below
its normal 11.48 inches.
The low rainfall totals and
nearly nonexistent snowpack
caused California’s major
reservoirs to start the fall
with well-below-normal stor-
age. Those include Shasta
Lake (59 percent of normal
for this time of year), Lake
Oroville (49 percent), Trini-
ty Lake (33 percent), Folsom
Lake (32 percent) and New
Melones Reservoir (20 per-
cent), the DWR notes.
Federal forecasters said
recently they are now con-
fident that a strong El Nino
will boost rainfall in parts of
California this winter — per-
haps as far north as Sacra-
mento. They said there’s a 95
percent chance that El Nino
conditions will persist until
next spring.
However, the federal Cli-
mate Prediction Center’s
most recent three-month out-
look foresees higher-than-av-
erage precipitation in South-
ern California only, with
equal chances of above- or
below-average precipitation
for the middle of the state.
Far Northern California and
the Pacific Northwest figure
to be drier than normal, ac-
cording to the outlook.
The big question for sci-
entists is whether the devel-
oping El Nino will be strong
enough to displace “the
blob,” another mass of warm
water in the northern Pacif-
ic that set up the stubborn
high-pressure ridge that has
diverted storms away from
California and caused the
four-year drought.
A relatively dry October
would help growers finish
their harvests, which are on-
going for rice and other field
crops as well as olives and
wine grapes and just starting
for walnuts and persimmons,
according to the National Ag-
ricultural Statistics Service.
Bumper crop produces record olive oil yields in California
By TIM HEARDEN
Capital Press
Tim HearOen/Capital Press
Dylan Stein, left, of Pasture 42 in GuinOa, Calif., helps a customer at an olive oil-tasting booth at a
recent farmers’ market in Davis, Calif. Growers of olives for oil are seeing a bumper crop this year.
DAVIS, Calif. — With
their harvest underway, grow-
ers of olives for oil are finding
a bumper crop as the trees re-
bound in an “on” year for the
alternate-bearing fruit.
The California Olive Oil
Council is predicting a record
yield of 4 million gallons this
year, a huge jump from the 2.4
million gallons produced in
2014.
“Olives for oil are a very
drought-tolerant crop, so we
didn’t really have any doubts
(because of) the drought,”
said Lisa Pollack, the Berke-
ley-based council’s marketing
director. “Last year we had
some inclement weather con-
ditions. … This year has just
gone really well for produc-
tion.”
Freezes, a wet spring and
wind pressure hampered the
crop last year, spoiling oil pro-
ducers’ hopes of matching the
3.5 million gallons achieved
in 2013. But the low yields
enabled trees to rest and come
roaring back this year.
At Pasture 42, a farm in
Guinda, Calif., yields this year
are up, said Dylan Stein, who
was operating a tasting booth
for the farm at a recent farm-
ers’ market in Davis.
“Last year was a little slow
for us,” he said. “It’s usually
one year off and one on, and
this is an ‘on’ year.”
Gary Pepe, who grows a
small plot of olives for oil in
Happy Valley, Calif., said this
year’s crop is “OK.” But he,
too, expects the season to go
better than it did in 2014.
“Most of my crop was lost
last year,” Pepe said. “My ma-
chine broke down, so a lot of it
just fell to the ground.”
Another factor in this
year’s expectation of record
yields is that acreage of ol-
ives for oil is still on the rise,
although not as briskly as it
was several years ago, Pollack
said. About 3,500 new acres
are planted each year, she
said. As of January, there were
more than 35,000 acres total in
California, she said.
The bumper crop comes
as table olive growers are ex-
pecting a 62 percent boost in
yields from last year. This
year’s table olive crop is ex-
pected to weigh in at 60,000
tons, up significantly from last
year’s 37,120 tons, according
to the National Agricultural
Statistics Service.
California only produces
about 4 percent of the olive oil
on the world market, but it’s a
lucrative crop for growers as
the Golden State is becoming
known for having top-quality
extra-virgin oil.
For one thing, the olive oil
council’s more than 400 mem-
bers have their oil tested each
year and receive the council’s
seal, and last year a state olive
oil commission was estab-
lished to set a quality standard
at the state level, Pollack said.
The industry has been
working in recent years to dif-
ferentiate California extra-vir-
gin oil from imports, some of
which are of poor quality, pro-
ducers say.
“Prices are good,” Pollack
said. “It’s more of trying to
level the playing field in the
supermarket. Until there are
national standards, there’s a
mix of things on the shelf. …
I think there’s more and more
consumer knowledge (about
quality) every year.”
FALL INTO SAVINGS
0% for 3 years
0.9% for 5 years!
TRACTORS
JD 455, 35’ 3-Sections Folding, 7.5” Sapcing 2x13 Press
Wheels............................$33,000 $29,900 Tekoa, #1519
GP 1018ST, 35’ 3-Section Folding, 10” Spacing, Hoe Openers,
21’ Press Wheel..........$7,000 $6,000 Pomeroy, #GP1036H
TILLAGE
JD 6115R, 753 hrs, Premium Cab, IVT trans, MFWD,
Autotrack ready, 2 remotes....$103,300 Salem, #799261
Case IH STX325, 5813 hrs 325hp, 4WD, PS trans, 3pt, 4 remotes,
14.9R-46 duals ...................................$96,000 Tekoa, #107500
Case IH STX450, 7627 hrs, 450hp, 4WD, PS trans, front &
rear weights, 800/70R-38 duals.$99,500 Tekoa, #100728
JD 9560RT, 88 hrs, 36” Tracks, 5 Remotes, 1000 PTO, HID
Lights..........................$425,000 Fall River Mills, #902075
JD 8285R, 820 hrs, ILS Axle, PS Trans, 4 Remotes, 800/70-38
SOLD
McMinnville, #72817
Duals................................$218,000
Case IH JX1095N, 2885 hrs, Narrow Cab, MFWD, 3 pt, 540
PTO, front weight pkg........................................................
.................................$27,000 McMinnville, #HJC0364490
JD 4120, 2201 hrs, MFWD, ROPS, Reverser Trans..................
............................................ $12,000 Hillsboro, #810273
Kubota M9960, 150 hrs, Open Station, ROPS, MFWD,
LA1353 Loader........................$45,900 Roseburg #54397
JD 9630, 2138 hrs, 4WD, PS trans, Auto Track ready,
800/70R-38 duals, HID lights.....$199,000 Tekoa #18545
JD 9620, 4435 hrs, 4WD, PS trans, 800/70R-38 duals,
4 remotes, fresh engine.........$180,000 Moscow, #30510
JD 9320, 5247 hrs, 4WD, PS trans, 710/70R-38 duals,
4 remotes, Bareback..................$125,000 Colfax #31662
JD 9300, 7119 hrs., 4WD, PS Trans., 3pt, 1000 PTO, 620/42
Duals, 5 Remotes......................$109,900, Salem, #30202
JD 8630R, 773 hrs, ILS Axle, IVT Trans., 4 Remotes,
710/70R-42 Duals.............$285,000 Harrisburg, #72619A
JD 7280R, 256 hrs, Cab, IVT Trans, TLS Front Axle,
Set up for loader......................$230,500 Madras #13029
JD 8770, 14,749 hrs, 4WD, 3 remotes, bare back, 24 spd.
Power Quad Trans, duals................$33,000 Tekoa #3214
JD 9200, 7379 hrs, 4WD, 4 Remotes, 20.8-42 Duals, Quad
Range Trans...................................$79,900 Tekoa #30476
JD 8770, 7675 hrs, 4WD, Quad Range Trans, 20.8-42 Duals,
3 Remotes..............................$50,000 Walla Walla #4681
JD 9400, 7644 hrs., 4WD, PS Trans., 1000 PTO, 710-42
Duals, 4 Remotes..................$105,900, Tangent, #41372
JD 8630R, 957 Hrs, IVT Trans, ILS Axle, 4 Remotes,
620/70R-46 Duals...$280,000 $269,000 Donald, #71414
JD 9560R, 222 hrs, 4WD, Dual 800/70R-38, PS Trans,
Auto Track Ready...............$374,000 Walla Walla #7998
JD 9300, 9631 hrs, 4WD, 24 spd Trans., 3 PT, No PTO,
4 Remotes.........................$61,500, McMinnville, #40643
SEEDING EQUIPMENT
Kuhn HRB-302D Packer Roller, 9’10” working width.......
....................................$14,000 $13,000 Madras #H3329
Kuhn HR4504 Maxi Pack Roller, 15’ working width.........
....................................................$20,900 Madras #A0259
JD 2210, 32’ Flex Field Cultivator, 9” Sweeps, 3-Bar Coil
Tine Harrow. Never Used......$61,900 Hillsboro #760005
JD 510, 17’ 10” rigid frame disk ripper, 7-shank, spring trip
standards................................$17,000 Tekoa #OX003232
Wilrich V957DD Disk Ripper, 14’ Wilrich disk ripper,
9 shanks.....................................$26,500 Merrill #457580
Frontier TM5124 Disk, 24’ Frontier Tandem folding disk..
................................................$53,000 McMinnville #101
JD 2625 Disk, 31’ JD Tandem folding disk...........................
....................................................$64,500 Colfax #750111
COMBINES
JD 9860 3046 hrs, Hillco Leveler, Duals, 4WD.......................
............................$215,500 $200,000 Moscow #710792
Case IH 7010, 1120 hrs, Level Land, 2016 BPU platform.....
...............................................$140,000 Tangent #202887
JD 9650STS, 3343 hrs, Small Grain, 914P BPU Platform,
straw chopper........................$87,000 Tangent, #685747
Case IH 2588, 1809 hrs, small grain, hillside, 30’ cutting
platform..........................$210,000 Walla Walla #303583
.............................TEMP PRICE REDUCTION: $199,999
JD 9650STS, 2246 hrs, Small Grain, 914P BPU Platform,
straw chopper.................$92,500 McMinnville, #685945
JD 9650STS, 3456 hrs, Small Grain, 914P BPU Platform,
straw chopper........................$80,000 Tangent, #686102
JD 9650STS, 3557 hrs, Small Grain, straw chopper..............
...........................................$99,950, Harrisburg, #686910
JD S680, 881 hrs, 35% Rahco Leveler, 635F Platform,
Stoess Cart........................ $436,300 Four Lakes, #755668
JD S680, 1246 hrs, Rahco Leveler, 4WD, 635F Platform &
Cart............................................$486,525 Tekoa, #746303
JD S690, 824 hrs, 35% Rahco Leveler, 635F Platform,
Stoess Cart...............................$578,000 Colfax, #745738
JD 9750STS, 2500 hrs, Hillco Leveler, Small Grain, Button
Tread Duals..............................$131,000 Colfax, #686502
JD 9750STS, 3230 hrs, Rahco Leveler, 4WD, 930R Platform
and Cart...................................$130,000 Colfax, #691057
JD 9770STS, 1462 hrs, Rahco 35% Leveler, 4WD, Small
Grain........................................$295,000 Colfax, #730456
JD 9860STS, 2727 hrs, Rahco 35% Leveler, 30’ 630R Platform,
Stoess Cart.......................................$249,000 Colfax, #710739
UTILITY VEHICLES
JD 855D, 1011 hrs, Diesel, 4x4, Front Bumper, Hyd. Bed
Lift, Canopy, Bed Liner. $10,625 Tangent, #BM040482
JD 850D, 688 hrs, Diesel, 4x4, Winch, Hyd. Dump, Front
Bumper, All Terrain Tires....$9,800 Four Lakes, #32453
JD 850D, 337 hrs, Diesel, 4x4, Hyd. Dump, Knobby Tires,
Olive & Black.............$9,400 McMinnville, #DT020061
JD HPX, Diesel, 4x4, Canopy, All Terrain Tires,
Front Bumper.....................$9,800 Salem, #DM110816
Kubota RTV900, 330 hrs, Diesel, 4x4, Canopy, All Terrain
Tires, Grill Guard, Hyd. Dump.$7,999 Moscow #70627
JD 455, 50’ Rahco Hitch 2-Section Folding Drill, Plain
Grain, 7.5” Spacing..$102,500 $99,500 Colfax, #740162
Case IH 800, 60’ Precision Air Drill w/Liquid Fertilizer.........
......................................$106,000 $95,000 Tekoa #4012
Case IH PXT600, 30’ Row Between Configuration, 3-
Section, 12” Spacing...........$37,000 Moscow, #J0014812
All financing on approved credit. Financing special applies only to select pieces of equipment.
See dealer for details and qualifying units.
41-4/#5
41-7/#4N