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President's Message

October 2014

Tom Spellman
Tom Spellman

Fall is finally here and I couldn’t be happier. It’s been a long, hot, dry summer here in Southern California. The chaparral in the foothills and valleys are showing stress from the heat and drought. As I drive up through the central valley on business, I see the farmers have posted dozens of signs stating "Pray for Rain." And we sure need it.

Fortunately, my citrus trees and next season’s crop are doing fine. I’ve always been a huge advocate of proper irrigation management, and that does not mean overwatering. I keep my orchard and landscape topped with a 4- to 6-inch layer of chunky, bio diverse mulch. This actually allows me to irrigate 50 percent less than average and still maintain a beautiful landscape and tree crop.

Okay, enough said. I’ll get off my soapbox and get back to citrus labels.

Good news for our October meeting: The new owners of the Sunkist building have given us permission to meet there this month. I know I’ve said this before, but this could be our last month at the Sunkist location. Sunkist is in the process of moving to their new, smaller location in Santa Clarita, California. As soon as their permits are finalized, the new owners will start their remodel and our meeting room will no longer be available. Please try to join us Saturday, October 18, 2014 from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the Sunkist location, 14130 Riverside Drive in Sherman Oaks, California. I’ve had lots of inquiries and interest in this next meeting and I expect a good turnout.

Old Baldy / Cucamonga Mesa Citrus Association News — Residential, single family home construction is well under way on the Old Baldy / Cucamonga Mesa Citrus Association property in my hometown of Upland, California. As I mentioned in a previous message, the developer has salvaged and stored much of the old growth redwood from the 100-year-old packing house for use on a park project at the site as well as other projects throughout Upland, California.

Citrus Roots Heritage Foundation News — As many of you know, I have been a board member of the Citrus Roots Heritage Foundation for several years. The foundation chaired by Richard Barker was established by Richard in order to elevate the awareness of California’s citrus heritage through publications, education and artistic work. Throughout the years, we have created many exhibits at universities, libraries and fairs to highlight and promote the history, prominence and importance of the California citrus industry. I am personally proud of our input and the work we have done to promote our citrus heritage. C.R.H.S. is presently revamping its website www.citrusroots.com. The site currently posts hundreds of vintage photos related to citrus history, thousands of citrus marketing and brand names—both past and present—as well as industry articles and label images. This fall, a YouTube video will be uploaded to the site entitled "The Boom of 1887," discussing in detail the expansion, advancements and improvements the citrus industry made during that year. Be sure to visit the site and watch for all the updates.

That’s it for now. Hope to see you at a meeting soon.

- Tom Spellman, CLS president

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