Special to Lehigh Valley Source
Eilon,
Hello friends
If we rush things along, then perhaps we can usher in autumn. Temperatures are just a little cooler, and of course the days are perceptively shorter. At work I drive off into a gray dawn. There is an occasional friendly intermittent breeze that erupts from the sea. Long and sleek, slate gray clouds stretch above the landscape, and goodness knows what shadows they raise, first napping and then emerging tall against the hillsides.
If we rush things even further we may even inaugurate the first substantial harvest of Ettingers [avocados]. The men come to work, feeling that they are at last producing work that has a direct impact on their incomes. Some of them are still laboring under the duress of the monthly Ramadan fast. Anticipating this early jump on the initial harvest, one thief breached the fence in the western Khorshah, proceeding to pick into a nice pile some twenty kilograms of Ardit avocados that are neither in season or marketable..... except to the unsuspecting consumer. The fruit was left beneath the first tree closest to the fence, where the pilferer conveniently disposed of his labors. The fence was stitched up and our manager suffered a justifiable case of pre-harvest jitters.
As the haze of summer sometimes disperses, our pale view extends edgeless beyond coasts; it is a reiteration of those minor customary seasonal shifts.
Earlier in the week, sensing the new season, a field trip was organized through the auspices of Milo-Pri, our regional packing house, into Upper Galilee where we visited the orchards of Gadot, Mayan Baruch and Dafna. This is also a very large avocado growing area. The region has its own special problems because summer temperatures are torrid, rising above 35-36 C daily while the humidity drops to about 25 %. The area's avocado orchards require at least a third more water than Western Galilee, but unlike most of the nation, fresh water is readily available because of the proximity of the Jordan and its tributaries. Still, all farmers are awaiting the national conversion to desalinated water, which will occur, it is hoped, within two years. This will free up the historical reserves, [one major underground lake, deep within the earth, has been detected recently and will be tapped] and decrease pressure on all consumers. Because of winter frosts, all avocado orchards are planted on the highest ground, on hills and hillsides, while citrus groves are planted beneath them and deciduous orchards are grown in the valley's lowlands. Attempts to successfully grow avocados beneath certain elevations are always doomed to severe frost damage which can even kill off an orchard.
Because of the growers' tenacity, and the great encouragement of their field consultants and researchers, many experiments are conducted in order to produce consistent yields of optimum size. For among other detracting factors, the hot dry days negatively impacts fruit size. We noted that the fruit was comparably smaller than that grown in Western Galilee. According to one such field consultant, fruit tends to grow in the spring and winter prior to cropping. Many of the farmers are experimenting using an instrument known as a dendrometer for measuring fruit size, and gauge their crop's progress with different watering regimes, including the use of cytokinins, a hormone used to regulate stomatal conductance [ Their main function is to allow gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor and oxygen to move rapidly into and out of the leaf.] The stomata normally seal themselves when the trees are placed under heat stress.
Generally speaking, many of the growers disparage the overall results of such experiments, either because there are numerous variables that reduce the ability to control the results, or because more rightly, I believe, the great proclivity of avocado trees to readjustment themselves to changing climates, a little more water or a little less, a little more fertilizer or a little less.
Usually these visits to fields are interspersed with jaunts to historical sites or other points of interest. We visited Mishmar HaYarden, the original agricultural community that had been laid waste by the Syrian army advance into post-mandatory Palestine in 1948. The original inhabitants, who had resided at this location since the late 19th century, along with a small reinforcement of Irgun fighters, were unable to fend off the Syrian assault. In recent years some of the ruins of the destroyed community were cleaned up and a series of monuments commemorating its existence and honoring its casualties were erected. It is easy enough to drive past the ruins without taking any notice of it. We also visited the Hula Valley Nature Reserve, where the original swamps, drained in the 1950s was partially restored. The area is part of the migratory route between Europe and Africa. In late October and November, hundreds of thousands of birds take up temporary residence there; such as storks, pelicans or cormorants. As many as 240 species of birds take up permanent or temporary residence on their intercontinental journey.
In other news, more than just rumors have circulated about the wedding of Yaniv Aran, Bob and Naomi's son and also the wedding of Noa Bruck, Michael and Evi's youngest daughter. Our congratulations to all the families! Claudia Chaves has been visiting in the country for much of the summer but will soon be returning home.
In sadder news a memorial program will be held for Anita Wlody. Here are the details as it was forwarded to me by her friend Lynn:
The memorial for Anita will be held on Sunday, October 18th at 6:00 PM at Gilda's Club - 195 West Houston St. (between 6th and 7th Avenues). Anita planned it herself before she died. She also had requested in lieu of flowers that donations could be made to anyone of three charities:
American Brain Tumor Association: http://www.abta.org/
Gilda's Club: http://www.gildasclubnyc.org/
ASPCA: http://www.aspca.org/
Also - Last year, Anita led a group of us on the Have a Chance Walk. She had hoped to walk again this year. A group of us will walk this year in her honor. Please join us - those who can. October 18th can be Anita Wlody Day. The following is from the site:
http://www.haveachancewalk.org/site7.aspx
Join us for the Have A Chance Walk to Fight Brain Tumors in Battery Park in lower Manhattan on Sunday, October 18, 2009 for a great day of support, community and hope. Proceeds will help Have A Chance and the National Brain Tumor Society fund research and treatment programs and help families who are battling brain tumors with comfort, advice and financial assistance.
Take care everyone and see some of you soon!