← Back to news feed
Ojai CITRUS HAPPENINGS next weekend!
Posted: April 19 2016
Hey Greenhorns...What is the Future of Citrus? Have you been wondering? We're sponsoring two great events this weekend in Ojai related to this question.
Saturday 23rd April
2pm Community Rights Workshop at Oak Grove School
with Javan Briggs
Sunday 24th April
2pm Citrus Grafting working at Poco Farm
with John Valenzuela RSVP HERE.
Specifically, we're asking:
All these commodity oranges that grow in our valley, where to they go?
Can our region afford to water these trees?
What is in all these spraying regimes?
What is the history of the Sunkist cooperative and how can the industry adapt to drought?
What is the future of citrus in southern California?
Join Greenhorns special guests to discuss and explore the future of fruit
from an ecological, community health, and resilience perspective.
We will learn how to organize to protect ourselves from poison drift
We will learn how to graft citrus trees from one variety to another.
We will discuss strategies other drought-stricken regions have used to adapt to new conditions.
Events are FREE! and scheduled to align with Ojai Earth Day at Oak Grove School
where international eco-hero Vandana Shiva will be speaking.
MORE DETAILS AFTER THE BREAK//
COMMUNITY RIGHTS WORKSHOP
What is going on with the spraying for ACP? Is the water safe? Is the fruit safe? Is the dust and air contaminated?
These kinds of concerns about agrochemical sprays are not unique to Ojai. Many communities across California and the country have
had to organize to protect themselves against harm.
“ Community Rights” is a framework for organizing. It describes a set of tactics based on the fact that in the USA, health and safety regulation is centered at the county, or local level. This means that although pesticides are registered federally ( with the EPA) their application and impact is evaluated and monitored based on local actions and actors.
“QUOTE FROM JAVAN HERE"
Bottom line: local people need to organize to put pressure on local officials to do their jobs and adequately protect the interests of the public.
Learn more at:
FRUIT GRAFTING WORKSHOP
John Valenzuela is a beloved fruit explorer, evangelist and wizard. He hails from the North Bay, where he runs Cornucopia project, a regular on the “ scion exchange” circuit, moving plant biodiversity into the hands of orchardists around California. His practical, hands on workshop will help beginning orchardists, as well as the more experienced, gain the knowledge and skills to “ top work” backyard and commercial citrus trees over to new varieties. Yes, its true, you can change the variety of the fruit in your yard!
Changing varieties is a way to re-diversify a mostly monoculture citrus landscape. Changing varieties is handy-busy work, a good time for philosophical discussion about the future of farming. Changing varieties makes trees bloom and fruit in different colors. Changing varieties can help us visualize the many changes our landscape will have to undertake during climate-change.
"QUOTE FROM JOHN VALENZUELA HERE"
Both events are sponsored by Greenhorns, in partnership with other groups in the Ojai Valley including:
Ojai Valley Grange, Ojai Permaculture, Regenerative Agriculture and Poco Farm
Greenhorns is a grassroots organization working to promote, recruit and support the incoming generation of agrarians. Greenhorns produce media and events in many formats to celebrate, investigate and motivate learning about agro-ecology. We believe in a long future, and are willing to work!
RSVP for these events at:
and check out their spring series of events.
Contact for comment