Visit with a Senator…

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.  The next best time is now.”—A Chinese Proverb.

On Monday, August 23rd, my guy and I were invited to attend a very special meeting.  Here is an account of our afternoon…

On a summer’s afternoon a small group of friends and family gather at Red Rock Ranch, Robert Woolley’s home. The wide, flat expanse of land, framed by the slowly rising Sierra Foothills catches the sun’s glow.  The Red Rock Arabians gracefully graze in a nearby pasture.  Butterflies, dragonflies and hummingbirds dart through elegant Mediterranean gardens touched by gentle breezes. In the distance, soft green light shimmers off millions of leaves in row after row of tiny trees, budded in Spring as a promise to the future.

 

Our future.  That’s why we are all here.  While this summer day might seem like any other at Dave Wilson Nursery’s Red Rock, it is not.  Joining us on this lovely day is  U.S. Senator Deborah Stabenow (Michigan-Dem). As a member of the  U.S. Senate’s Agriculture Committee, Senator Stabenow is an influential decision-maker on funding and issues concerning agriculture programs, nutrition programs and rural development.  In addition, she serves on the  Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and chairs the sub-committee on Water and Power.

 

After a quick tour of the growing grounds at Red Rock Ranch, Senator Stabenow, who has served Michigan since 2000, comments on the ranch’s beautiful landscape. But quickly she notes the essential difference between Michigan and California…Water!  Surrounded on three sides by  The Great Lakes, the world’s largest concentration of fresh water, Michigan’s water issues have a different focus than arid California.  She reiterates the critical need for deep study and dialogue over mounting water issues.  

 

Water is life.  We all must learn the complicated interconnections that will impact and are influenced by this precious resource, given by providence.  In the next year we will all be confronted with critical  decision about water rights, water usage, water sources.  It is essential that we prepare to make wise decisions for future water policies.

 

At Red Rock Ranch we enjoy an informal August fruit tasting from DWN trees as we engage in vital conversation about the needs of California farmers and agriculture.  The Senator, catching a quiet moment in the middle of a whirlwind tour of the Central Valley, smiles warmly in the graceful setting.  Affable and relaxed, this senator speaks with conviction about her work in our nation’s capital, including the Farm Bill, which contains new provisions for schools to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables, and in so doing, improve the quality of school nutrition. 

 

As we munch on  Flavor-Grenade and Dapple Dandy pluots,  yellow peaches, white peaches and an  Asian pear, Senator Stabenow shares stories of children in her home state who are now enjoying locally grown delights.  She also teases us with a tidbit about her friendship with the Queen of California Cuisine— Alice Waters of Chez Panisse.  Stabenow explains how Waters has spent recent years developing  The Edible School Yard to promote hands-on cooking and gardening in classroom curriculum.  With funding from The Chez Panisse Foundation in Berkeley, CA, schools can receive grants to redesign their lunch programs, using fresh produce as the cornerstone of cooking.  Senator Stabenow refers to schools in her own state (MI) that are following this model.

 

Not only does our small group have a chance to hear about important projects that Senator Stabenow and her colleagues have created, we also have opportunity to share with her our own individual concerns for rural California and agriculture in the Central Valley.  Our focus is on agriculture, of course, but she manages to give a nod to the important  Health Care Reform legislation that awaits our representatives when they return to Washington, DC, after Labor Day.

 

Robert gives the Senator a brief overview of the history and practices of the Dave Wilson Nursery and the tree nursery industry.  He explains to her the significant contribution that immigrant labor gives to not only DWN, but to many other family farms in the Central Valley.  He urges her to better understand the importance of wise decision-making on  immigration reform laws as he gives a thoughtful explanation of the vital importance of California’s immigrant workers and the institutional knowledge that they provide to various agricultural concerns.  In the case of DWN, many employees come from immigrant families who have worked for DWN for generations.  These loyal employees hold vast pieces of knowledge and understanding.  Unfair discrimination hurts not only the worker, but has detrimental consequences for the farmer and all of U.S. agriculture, as well. 

 

The hour with Senator Stabenow flies by quickly, but we manage to cover a wide spectrum of topics. From water issues, nutrition in the schools, to immigration laws for a few quiet moments we are included in a circle of influence with one hard-working member of the U.S. Senate.  Deborah Stabenow’s warmth and ability to listen thoughtfully with focused attention will be remembered.  

 

And thanks to Robert Woolley of  Dave Wilson Nursery for being a gracious host!

I’m B.Z. Smith.  I tell stories.  This is one.