Bees Buzzed at Cal Ag Day--So Did the People

Extension apiculturist Elina Niño and Extension apiculturist (emeritus) Eric Mussen in front of the state capitol. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

When legislators, agriculturists, and city folk celebrated California Ag Day on Wednesday, March 16 on the west lawn of the state capitol grounds, everything buzzed, including the bees inside an observation hive in the California State Beekeepers' Association (CSBA) booth.

CSBA, to draw attention to the state's smallest agricultural workers, annually staffs a booth filled with bees,  bee information brochures, and honey sticks. CSBA member Bill Cervenka, who owns Bill Cervenka Apiaries in Half Moon Bay, provided his bee observation hive. He urged folks to place a hand on the glass to feel the heat and an ear to hear the buzz.

CSBA secretary-treasurer Carlin Jupe, Extension apiculturist Elina Lastro Niño of UC Davis, and Extension apiculturist (emeritus) Eric Mussen of UC Davis greeted the guests and answered their questions. Both Niño and Mussen are also members of the CSBA,

“We gave away 1800 honey sticks,” Jupe said. The sticks, purchased from Nature's Kicks, Salem, were filled with clover honey.

It was a delightful treat.

“Have something sweet from the California State Beekeepers' Association,” Cervenka told the passing crowds as he handed out the sticks.

Each honey stick contained a message:

• Honey bees are the backbone of agriculture
• They pollinate 1/3 of the human diet
• They pollinate 50 varied U.S. crops worth more than $20 billion
• They pollinate California's $2.5 billion almond production
• They produce $150 million in U.S. honey and beeswax

Honey sticks, a sweet treat from the California State Beekeepers' Association. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

It's time for us all to “come together to celebrate agriculture and say thank you to farmers and ranchers but more importantly to say thank you to all the hands and hearts and minds that it takes to bring food from the field to our dinner tables every day,” Ross told the crowd.

“If you live and eat in California, you know what we mean—and across the nation and around the world, if it's on your plate, there's a good chance we grow it right here," she said. "Our farmers and ranchers grow 400 crops and agricultural commodities, from fruit and vegetable crops to livestock, dairy, eggs, nut, beans and grains. And we don't stop there—we grow timber, flowers and nursery plants, seeds, cottons and more.”

Ross said state legislators recognize the importance of farming in the Golden State, “just as they recognize farmers' responsibility to be good stewards of the natural resources under their care.”

She called Ag Day “an opportunity for those representatives to shake a farmer's hand and advance our shared understanding of the importance of our food supply.”

Visitors eagerly sampled not only honey sticks, but strawberries, almonds, dried plums, walnuts, pistachios, tangerines, apple slices, milk, ice cream, popcorn, chips, pulled pork in a cup, and tri-tip beef sliders, among other foods in the 40 agricultural booths. California's Floral Industry gifted each visitor with flowers. Other booths displayed a wide variety of other fruits and vegetables. 

Everyone from 4-H'ers, FFA'ers, alpaca owners, the horse industry, the California State Fair, California Department of Food and Agriculture, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection got into the act—just to name a few. (See list of exhibitors at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/agday/) All were happy to talk about what they do and why. The two ag detection beagles, Meyers and Floyd, proved to be a crowd favorite as they displayed their talents in detecting "contraband" ag produce from assorted luggage.

But the bees, the bees, made the entire Cal Ag Day possible. One third of the food we eat is pollinated by bees.

Golden State on Your Plate.