Pannin' the Mandarins, with Serge...

As far as I can see the general public just isn’t understanding what’s going on with the seedless mandarins. How ironic is this...?  Yesterday I was teaching an urban beekeeping class with The Solar Living Institute in San Francisco and during the snack break half the class breaks out their little Cuties. I get it, Cuties taste good, they're easy to peel, good for you, and relatively cheap. However, there are a lot of other hidden issues not necessarily apparent to the average consumer. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve packed down my fair share of Cuties. When they first hit the scene I was buying em’ by the case load at Costco. I once ate 27 in a day but that was an experiment, I don’t recommend it.

Honestly, I don’t know all the particulars with what’s going on between the seedless mandarin growers and the beekeepers. What I do understand is that if legislation is put in-place to dictate where we can or can’t keep our bees based on a few seeds in mandarins; we’re screwed. I already have a major headache with my neighbors all up in my bee grill about the hives in my front yard without having to worry about the farmers in the rural areas too. Aren’t the farmers and the beeks meant to be on the same team anyway?

The Main Mandarin Man Serge has kind of laid it all out here for us.

And please..... I urge you to first cut and coagulate your relationship with any and all mandarins. I know, I know,  it’s rough I understand, but there’s numerous other citrus in the sea. Secondly, tell all your friends to stop buying them too. Lastly,  do as Serge suggests and write to Steve Lyle – even though it may be a little late –  tell him to swallow a few seeds to save a bees.

Here’s what Serge says:

The issue of Seedless Mandarins and Honey Bees has not gone away.  Although the ruling proposed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture may appear benign on the surface, it is a dangerous precedent-setting text that will affect the rights of individuals and the health of honey bees.

Background
 In recent years, some citrus growers established groves of seedless mandarins in areas that historically welcomed honey bees.  The growers were hoping to generate greater financial gains with this fruit than with seed carrying varieties.  Unfortunately, they did not do their homework and did not take the precautions that are necessary to ensure that the fruit remain seedless (in a nutshell: the precautionary measures amount to preventing cross-pollination of the flowers of these trees by compatible pollen sources, or to selecting varieties that do not set seeds).  Consequently, the fruit that is produced by these “seedless” mandarin growers may contain seeds, and they did not make the larger financial gains they were hoping for.

 AB771
 To compensate for their blunder and to avoid the costs of netting their trees, the seedless mandarin growers have asked the state legislature to ban the presence of honey bees in areas that extend for two miles around their orchards.

A Seedless Mandarin Grower-Beekeeper co-existence work group was organized but failed to arrive at a compromise between these parties.

As a result, and as mandated by AB771, the Agricultural Secretary issued a ruling in this matter.

 The proposed regulation
 Although the proposed ruling no longer requires the mandatory removal of bee colonies from the areas that surround seedless mandarin orchards, it could give legitimacy to the request of the citrus growers, and may still be changed under the pressure of the citrus growers after this period of public comment. 

 What is at stake
 If the attempt by the seedless mandarin growers to ban honey bees from large areas of land is allowed to stand in any way, shape or form, it could limit the individual rights of those who live or work around their groves.  The burden to generate greater financial gains for the citrus growers would in effect be placed on others who are unfortunate to be around them.

The implementation of such a rule would undoubtedly affect the health of pollinators because large expanses of land that are critically important to the nutrition of honey bees during their period of spring development would no longer be accessible to honey bees.  Ultimately, our food crops and our entire environment would be negatively impacted.

The most dangerous part of this ruling is that it could set a precedent.  Indeed, though the proposed rule only applies to seedless mandarins and to four counties, the text is written at the state government level.  Considering all the potential seedless crops that are presently being developed in research facilities and considering the spread of genetically engineered crops that are incompatible with organic farming practices, the risk of further decreasing bee habitats and of affecting the rights of people throughout the entire state is alarming and should not be overlooked.

 Act now
 All, beekeepers or not, should be concerned and should voice their opposition.

Please call, write or email your comments immediately to the address below and make a point of asking for the complete dismissal of the seedless mandarin growers’ request (the period for comments ends on April 13):

 Steve Lyle, Office of Public Affairs, Department of Food and Agriculture, 1220 N Street, Room 400, Sacramento, CA 95814, (916)654-0462, FAX (916) 651-7417,

Email: LegislativeOffice @cdfa.ca.gov.

In his absence, you may contact Carla Sanchez, LegislativeOffice at (916) 654-0321 or Email: LegislativeOffice@cdfa.ca.gov.

Questions regarding the substance of the proposed regulation should be directed to Carla Sanchez.

Thanks.
Serge

A picture is worth a 1000 words....
Here's what we're talkin' about:

Cuties store display at the St. Helena Safeway

Darling Clementines at the Ferry Terminal Market San Francisco

2 for $6 at Ralph's in Napa

Ad special $5.99 Cuties Whole Foods Napa

Cuties at the once Luckys now Albertsons in Napa

Cuties display at the Napa Safeway

Buy em' by the bag

Or buy em' by the pound

 Just remember what goes around, comes around. Busted! Someone bought these over at Christmas. California Clementines, Natures prefect fruit.... right!

 

Comments

[Lance King]

Rob I am going to be in the B.A. June 27-June 30 and would love to come up to NAPA for a little bee koffee klatch since I am thinking of getting a colony going in my yard this next spring (Legal to have bees in Seattle as long as you meet setback requirements in the city). You probably didn't know my grandfather and dad both kept bees up here the PNW but didn't pass their knowledge on to me but I am looking to forward to getting going since we have the garden going full tilt and Chickens starting to lay soon. Hope all is well. Drop me a line if you are interested in getting together in late June.