Small farms and specialty crops are an important part of San Joaquin County agriculture. The 1992 Agricultural Census indicates that 61% (2,595) of the 4,097 farms in the county are less than 50 acres in size, yet there are more than 70 different commodities commercially grown and produced in the county. Interest in specialty crops and "possible niche marketing" include introduction of variety test plots evaluating the feasibility of annual artichoke production. Working with five area growers, we are looking for the best time of planting, variety choices and pest management practices necessary to grow high quality artichokes in the fall and spring when prices are the most attractive.

A new pamphlet, Pesticides for Specialty Crops, is designed to help commercial growers of specialty vegetable crops select pest control measures for use against insects, weeds, and diseases in their farming operations. Many of the crops listed are relatively new to California, and few or no pesticides may be specifically registered for use of those crops. The pamphlet can be downloaded at http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/7253.pdf using Adobe Acrobat.