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Panel will debate Central Valley and Delta water issues Feb. 4 at Fresno State
What promises to be an exciting debate on water policy in California and the Central Valley will be moderated by U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger at 7 p.m. Feb. 4, at California State University, Fresno. Agricultural and environmental advocates will face off on the issues. Bill Jennings and Mike Jackson from the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and Lloyd Carter of the California Impact Network will represent the environmental and fishing communities. This panel will debate a number of issues, including Congressional efforts to restore the San Joaquin River, Westlands Water District's toxic drainage problems and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's peripheral canal proposal. This event should be great!
This debate takes place as California fisheries are in their greatest crisis ever, due to massive water exports from the California Delta and the dramatic decline in water quality in recent years. The Central Valley chinook salmon population has collapsed, spurring the closure of recreational and commercial salmon fishing off California and Oregon for the first time in 150 years in 2008. The latest Department of Fish and Game midwater trawl survey on the Delta documented the lowest ever abundance of delta smelt, Sacramento splittail, threadfin shad and American shad and a continuing low abundance of longfin smelt and juvenile striped bass.
This debate takes place as California fisheries are in their greatest crisis ever, due to massive water exports from the California Delta and the dramatic decline in water quality in recent years. The Central Valley chinook salmon population has collapsed, spurring the closure of recreational and commercial salmon fishing off California and Oregon for the first time in 150 years in 2008. The latest Department of Fish and Game midwater trawl survey on the Delta documented the lowest ever abundance of delta smelt, Sacramento splittail, threadfin shad and American shad and a continuing low abundance of longfin smelt and juvenile striped bass.
Press Release from California State University, Fresno
January 22, 2009
Panel will debate controversial water issues Feb. 4 at Fresno State
A public debate on water policy in California and the Central Valley will be moderated by U.S District Judge Oliver Wanger at 7 p.m. Feb. 4, at California State University, Fresno. Agricultural and environmental advocates will face off on the issues.
The debate, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Satellite Student Union (2485 E. San Ramon Ave. at Maple Avenue). It is sponsored by Fresno State’s Political Science Student Association and the Political Science Department.
As the presiding judge for the Eastern District of California, Wanger has ruled over most of the major water cases recently in the Valley, including the controversy over preserving Delta smelt in the Sacramento Delta. Wanger will provide brief opening remarks, said Dr. Thomas Holyoke, a political science professor who is coordinating the event.
Holyoke said the debate will focus on Valley East Side, West Side and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta issues.
“The single most important public policy problem confronting California’s Central Valley today is the availability of water,” Holyoke said. “The declining snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, the falling groundwater table and decisions to restore Chinook salmon in the San Joaquin River and smelt in the Delta will most likely mean considerably less water in the future for Valley agriculture.”
He said the issue also is forcing state and local policymakers to develop a broad new policy to strike a balance between supporting the agriculture economy and ensuring the quality of water and the environment that depends on it.
The forum will also provide an opportunity for the public to express its concerns, Holyoke said.
Valley agricultural community participants are:
Thomas Birmingham, general manager and general counsel of the Westlands Water District,
Kole Upton, former chairman of Friant Water Users Authority
Jim Beck, general manager of Kern County Water Agency
Representing environmental concerns are:
Lloyd Carter, board member of the California Water Impact Network and Revive the San Joaquin and president of California Save Our Streams Council
Michael Jackson, board member and counsel to the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and Regional Council of Rural Counties.
Bill Jennings, chairman of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance
Free parking will be available in Lot P at Barstow and Maple avenues and in Lot J off of Woodrow Avenue.
For more information, contact Holyoke at 559.278.7580 or by e-mail at tholyoke [at] csufresno.edu.
DEBATE ISSUES
Valley East Side -- Who is likely to win and lose in Congressional efforts to restore the San Joaquin River? The return of salmon, groundwater recharge, potential loss of water for agricultural irrigation, new recreational opportunities, new freshwater for the Delta, groundwater banks, county of origin and watershed of origin statutes, irrigation districts selling water to Valley cities, and the possibility of a new dam at Temperance Flat.
Valley West Side -- Potential damage to agriculture, loss of jobs, dwindling water supplies, Westlands Water District's claim to San Joaquin River water through a county of origin statute, drainage and selenium problems, and a proposed settlement through federal legislation.
Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta -- Collapse of the smelt population, fragile levees, Northern California users’ concerns, potential impact on Native American tribes and re-emergence of the peripheral canal proposal to route water form the Delta to the Valley and Southern California.
January 22, 2009
Panel will debate controversial water issues Feb. 4 at Fresno State
A public debate on water policy in California and the Central Valley will be moderated by U.S District Judge Oliver Wanger at 7 p.m. Feb. 4, at California State University, Fresno. Agricultural and environmental advocates will face off on the issues.
The debate, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Satellite Student Union (2485 E. San Ramon Ave. at Maple Avenue). It is sponsored by Fresno State’s Political Science Student Association and the Political Science Department.
As the presiding judge for the Eastern District of California, Wanger has ruled over most of the major water cases recently in the Valley, including the controversy over preserving Delta smelt in the Sacramento Delta. Wanger will provide brief opening remarks, said Dr. Thomas Holyoke, a political science professor who is coordinating the event.
Holyoke said the debate will focus on Valley East Side, West Side and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta issues.
“The single most important public policy problem confronting California’s Central Valley today is the availability of water,” Holyoke said. “The declining snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, the falling groundwater table and decisions to restore Chinook salmon in the San Joaquin River and smelt in the Delta will most likely mean considerably less water in the future for Valley agriculture.”
He said the issue also is forcing state and local policymakers to develop a broad new policy to strike a balance between supporting the agriculture economy and ensuring the quality of water and the environment that depends on it.
The forum will also provide an opportunity for the public to express its concerns, Holyoke said.
Valley agricultural community participants are:
Thomas Birmingham, general manager and general counsel of the Westlands Water District,
Kole Upton, former chairman of Friant Water Users Authority
Jim Beck, general manager of Kern County Water Agency
Representing environmental concerns are:
Lloyd Carter, board member of the California Water Impact Network and Revive the San Joaquin and president of California Save Our Streams Council
Michael Jackson, board member and counsel to the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and Regional Council of Rural Counties.
Bill Jennings, chairman of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance
Free parking will be available in Lot P at Barstow and Maple avenues and in Lot J off of Woodrow Avenue.
For more information, contact Holyoke at 559.278.7580 or by e-mail at tholyoke [at] csufresno.edu.
DEBATE ISSUES
Valley East Side -- Who is likely to win and lose in Congressional efforts to restore the San Joaquin River? The return of salmon, groundwater recharge, potential loss of water for agricultural irrigation, new recreational opportunities, new freshwater for the Delta, groundwater banks, county of origin and watershed of origin statutes, irrigation districts selling water to Valley cities, and the possibility of a new dam at Temperance Flat.
Valley West Side -- Potential damage to agriculture, loss of jobs, dwindling water supplies, Westlands Water District's claim to San Joaquin River water through a county of origin statute, drainage and selenium problems, and a proposed settlement through federal legislation.
Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta -- Collapse of the smelt population, fragile levees, Northern California users’ concerns, potential impact on Native American tribes and re-emergence of the peripheral canal proposal to route water form the Delta to the Valley and Southern California.
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One solution is for San Joaquin agribusiness interests to become farmers who recognize they are working in near desert conditions and adjust their crops accordingly. An easy replacement would be the drought tolerant Sonoran native tepary bean, high in protein and thriving with low rainfall. Overwatering tepary beans is dangerous, that shows how adapted these plants are to drought conditions..
"Tepary Beans"
by Jay Bost
"Sonoran Gold Tepary beans, once a staple in the Sonoran Desert and cultivated throughout Mesoamerica, are one of North America's most illustrious native crops. After being largely forgotten and nearly lost, these delicious, nutty-tasting beans are currently enjoying a renaissance, owing to their superior flavor, nutrition, and extreme drought tolerance.
While most beans that we eat belong to the species Phaeseolus vulgaris and are native to South America, tepary beans belong to an entirely different species, Phaeseolus acutifolius, which grows wild in the Sonoran Desert, with local populations currently documented on Isla Tiburon in the Sea of Cortez and in the Santa Maria mountains of Arizona (Nabhan 1985). As long ago as 8,000 years ago, the native peoples of the Sonoran Desert began to domesticate wild tepary beans, which, until quite recently, were eaten by some in Mexico, along with Phaeseolus filiformis, another wild desert bean.
Due to its native habitat in the Sonoran Desert, domesticated tepary beans, whose name comes from the Papago word "t'pawi" and whose botanical name is Phaeseolus acutifolius var. acutifolius, are considered by many to be the most drought-tolerant annual legume in the world. They are capable of producing a harvest of beans with a single rain in the harshest conditions; when irrigated, they produce higher yields only up to a certain point, after which excess moisture becomes a detriment and leads to overproduction of foliage and low bean production. In fact, it appears that moisture stress is necessary to trigger fruiting. Part of the tepary bean's secret to success in dry areas is to grow quickly when water is available. While pinto beans take 90 to 120 days to maturity, teparies take only 75 to 85. As water shortages become a reality in many parts of the U.S. and around the world, teparies will undoubtedly play an important role in dryland agriculture. In fact, tepary cultivation is now taking place in dry areas of Africa and is being revived in southern Arizona where it was quite common as recently as seventy years ago.
Blue-Speckled tepary beansTraditionally, in the Sonoran Desert, two crops of tepary beans were grown a year, one in the spring using winter moisture stored in the ground and one in the late summer, planted at the time of the monsoons. Gardeners in the Southwest are advised to follow similar practices. Researchers in Virginia have demonstrated that teparies can produce well in the East if planted later, in late May to early July, when moisture is lower than in early spring and temperatures are high (Hamama and Bhardwaj 2002). Gardeners and farmers in moist, cool areas can experiment with teparies but are cautioned to not overwater them.
Part of the tepary bean's appeal, in addition to its drought tolerance, is its superior nutritional content. It has a higher protein content (23–30%) than common beans such as pinto, kidney, and navy, as well as higher levels of oil, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, and potassium. While higher in all of these desired nutrients, tepary beans are lower in polyunsaturated fat and in the anti-enzymatic compounds which make common beans hard to digest (Hamama and Bhardwaj 2002). Many native people in the Sonora Desert once depended on teparies along with other high fiber and mucilaginous foods, such as cactus and mesquite, as dietary staples. As these native people gradually abandoned their native foods and embraced a Western, processed diet, diabetes soared. In some of these native populations, diabetes is fifteen times the national average (Nabhan 1985). It is now known that many Native Americans have a genetic predisposition to diabetes if eating a highly processed Western diet. Tepary beans are proving to be an ideal food for people prone to diabetes or suffering from diabetes owing to the beans' high fiber level, which make them a "slow-release food"; that is, tepary beans' sugars are released slowly and steadily, rather than in a spike as in many high carbohydrate, low fiber foods common in our diets. Many reservations in southern Arizona have re-embraced the tepary bean and now cultivate the beans for their own use, as well as for sale. If you are interested in purchasing larger quantities of beans to eat, support one of the projects listed in the contacts below.
Mitla Black tepary beansMost importantly perhaps for many, is the flavor of tepary bean, which is unlike any other bean. It has a potent nutty-sweet flavor, as well as a much creamier texture than most beans. Another added bonus is that tepary beans cook more quickly than other beans and thus use less energy in their preparation. Below is a recipe for Papago Tepary Soup:
Ingredients:
2 cups tepary beans, soaked overnight
6 cups water
4 slices bacon, diced or 1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 cup diced celery
1 clove garlic, diced
3 cups tomatoes w/juice
1 tsp mixed oregano and cumin
Dry red chile pepper (optional)
Drain soaked beans and bring to boil in big pot with the six cups of water. When the beans are tender, fry bacon until limp then remove it from pan. If not using bacon, heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat; add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add bacon, tomatoes with their juice, and the oregano/cumin mix. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add vegetable mix to the beans. Cook another hour until beans are mealy-tender. Dried red chile pepper may be stirred into pot during the last 10 minutes. Serves 6. Serve with flour tortillas. (Recipe from: OCB Tracker: California's Native News)
Seeds of Change offers three varieties of tepary beans. Our personal favorite is Sonora Gold, which is beautiful dry and has the nuttiest and sweetest taste. We encourage you to experiment with this ancient North American native bean in both your garden and your kitchen and thus to take part in its revival.
Jay Bost
Research Farm Associate
References:
Hamama, A.A. and H.L. Bhardwaj. 2002. Tepary bean: A short duration summer crop in Virginia. p. 429-431. In: J. Janick and A. Whipkey (eds.), Trends in new crops and new uses. ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA.
Nabhan, Gary Paul. 1985. Gathering the desert. Tucson, AZ: Univ. of AZ Press.
Resources:
San Xavier Farm Cooperative Association
8100 South Oidak Wog
Tucson, AZ 85746
520.295.3774
Tohono O'odham Community Action
PO Box 1790
Sells, AZ 85634
520.383.4966
http://www.tocaonline.org
found article @;
http://www.seedsofchange.com/enewsletter/issue_56/tepary_beans.asp
"Tepary Beans"
by Jay Bost
"Sonoran Gold Tepary beans, once a staple in the Sonoran Desert and cultivated throughout Mesoamerica, are one of North America's most illustrious native crops. After being largely forgotten and nearly lost, these delicious, nutty-tasting beans are currently enjoying a renaissance, owing to their superior flavor, nutrition, and extreme drought tolerance.
While most beans that we eat belong to the species Phaeseolus vulgaris and are native to South America, tepary beans belong to an entirely different species, Phaeseolus acutifolius, which grows wild in the Sonoran Desert, with local populations currently documented on Isla Tiburon in the Sea of Cortez and in the Santa Maria mountains of Arizona (Nabhan 1985). As long ago as 8,000 years ago, the native peoples of the Sonoran Desert began to domesticate wild tepary beans, which, until quite recently, were eaten by some in Mexico, along with Phaeseolus filiformis, another wild desert bean.
Due to its native habitat in the Sonoran Desert, domesticated tepary beans, whose name comes from the Papago word "t'pawi" and whose botanical name is Phaeseolus acutifolius var. acutifolius, are considered by many to be the most drought-tolerant annual legume in the world. They are capable of producing a harvest of beans with a single rain in the harshest conditions; when irrigated, they produce higher yields only up to a certain point, after which excess moisture becomes a detriment and leads to overproduction of foliage and low bean production. In fact, it appears that moisture stress is necessary to trigger fruiting. Part of the tepary bean's secret to success in dry areas is to grow quickly when water is available. While pinto beans take 90 to 120 days to maturity, teparies take only 75 to 85. As water shortages become a reality in many parts of the U.S. and around the world, teparies will undoubtedly play an important role in dryland agriculture. In fact, tepary cultivation is now taking place in dry areas of Africa and is being revived in southern Arizona where it was quite common as recently as seventy years ago.
Blue-Speckled tepary beansTraditionally, in the Sonoran Desert, two crops of tepary beans were grown a year, one in the spring using winter moisture stored in the ground and one in the late summer, planted at the time of the monsoons. Gardeners in the Southwest are advised to follow similar practices. Researchers in Virginia have demonstrated that teparies can produce well in the East if planted later, in late May to early July, when moisture is lower than in early spring and temperatures are high (Hamama and Bhardwaj 2002). Gardeners and farmers in moist, cool areas can experiment with teparies but are cautioned to not overwater them.
Part of the tepary bean's appeal, in addition to its drought tolerance, is its superior nutritional content. It has a higher protein content (23–30%) than common beans such as pinto, kidney, and navy, as well as higher levels of oil, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, and potassium. While higher in all of these desired nutrients, tepary beans are lower in polyunsaturated fat and in the anti-enzymatic compounds which make common beans hard to digest (Hamama and Bhardwaj 2002). Many native people in the Sonora Desert once depended on teparies along with other high fiber and mucilaginous foods, such as cactus and mesquite, as dietary staples. As these native people gradually abandoned their native foods and embraced a Western, processed diet, diabetes soared. In some of these native populations, diabetes is fifteen times the national average (Nabhan 1985). It is now known that many Native Americans have a genetic predisposition to diabetes if eating a highly processed Western diet. Tepary beans are proving to be an ideal food for people prone to diabetes or suffering from diabetes owing to the beans' high fiber level, which make them a "slow-release food"; that is, tepary beans' sugars are released slowly and steadily, rather than in a spike as in many high carbohydrate, low fiber foods common in our diets. Many reservations in southern Arizona have re-embraced the tepary bean and now cultivate the beans for their own use, as well as for sale. If you are interested in purchasing larger quantities of beans to eat, support one of the projects listed in the contacts below.
Mitla Black tepary beansMost importantly perhaps for many, is the flavor of tepary bean, which is unlike any other bean. It has a potent nutty-sweet flavor, as well as a much creamier texture than most beans. Another added bonus is that tepary beans cook more quickly than other beans and thus use less energy in their preparation. Below is a recipe for Papago Tepary Soup:
Ingredients:
2 cups tepary beans, soaked overnight
6 cups water
4 slices bacon, diced or 1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 cup diced celery
1 clove garlic, diced
3 cups tomatoes w/juice
1 tsp mixed oregano and cumin
Dry red chile pepper (optional)
Drain soaked beans and bring to boil in big pot with the six cups of water. When the beans are tender, fry bacon until limp then remove it from pan. If not using bacon, heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat; add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add bacon, tomatoes with their juice, and the oregano/cumin mix. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add vegetable mix to the beans. Cook another hour until beans are mealy-tender. Dried red chile pepper may be stirred into pot during the last 10 minutes. Serves 6. Serve with flour tortillas. (Recipe from: OCB Tracker: California's Native News)
Seeds of Change offers three varieties of tepary beans. Our personal favorite is Sonora Gold, which is beautiful dry and has the nuttiest and sweetest taste. We encourage you to experiment with this ancient North American native bean in both your garden and your kitchen and thus to take part in its revival.
Jay Bost
Research Farm Associate
References:
Hamama, A.A. and H.L. Bhardwaj. 2002. Tepary bean: A short duration summer crop in Virginia. p. 429-431. In: J. Janick and A. Whipkey (eds.), Trends in new crops and new uses. ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA.
Nabhan, Gary Paul. 1985. Gathering the desert. Tucson, AZ: Univ. of AZ Press.
Resources:
San Xavier Farm Cooperative Association
8100 South Oidak Wog
Tucson, AZ 85746
520.295.3774
Tohono O'odham Community Action
PO Box 1790
Sells, AZ 85634
520.383.4966
http://www.tocaonline.org
found article @;
http://www.seedsofchange.com/enewsletter/issue_56/tepary_beans.asp
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