Meeting Theo Blom

I met with greenhouse floriculture specialist Theo Blom at the University of Guelph while I was there (see previous post). He had interesting things to say about my Easter Lilies posting, particularly the fact that the origins of most, if not all, lilies are propagates of those produced by 10 farms across the California-Oregon border. One thing that he mentioned which struck me in particular, was that these farms are primarily cattle-oriented.

"The reason for this," Dr. Blom remarks, "is that the lilies deplete a lot of nutrients from the soil. The land is divided into strips so that only one strip contains the crop of lilies for a period of three years, while the others are seeded with grass and allowed to fallow, or are used as pasture for the cattle." Dr. Blom went on to explain that the ten farms are located within a very narrow swath of land, each very close to one another.

When I asked why, Dr. Blom explained that the climate in this patch of land across the California-Oregon border is relatively protected from extreme climate changes through its proximity to the Pacific and the mountains. Lilies are also endemic to the region, earning its title as the Lily Capital of the World.

Lily operations are not without their pros and cons, as explained in a previous posting of mine, as well as in this article from www.sfgate.com. In short, the climate is also beneficial to insect and microbial pests, so the bulb producers utilize a heavy regime of pesticides. The pesticides have been found in well water from as many as 11 locations in close proximity to the farms. Runoff into the nearby rivers also threaten the local fishing industry.

Clearly, the bulb producers and the locals want to arrive at a solution that's sustainable and reduces the use of pesticides. I see several ways that they can co-ordinate their integrated pest management (IPM) program into their series of rotations of lilies, fallow, and pasture land. If you are interested in hearing more on this, please contact me or post a reply!