Worldwide Wellness – Making a Difference

Congratulations to our fabulous farmer friend and environmental steward, Allen Harthorn of Harpo Organics, who grows succulent organic Valencia oranges in Ventura County.

Allen Harthorn and wife, Pamela, have transitioned his grandfather’s ranch into a certified organic farm. In addition to being on the board of California Certified Organic Farms, Allen has served as president of Friends of Butte Creek, stewards of the salmon habitat located there.

The FruitGuys has been working with Allen for the last two years and we are now proud to bring you his good news: “The salmon are running!”

Allen lives near Chico and Butte Creek runs through his property. Allen is an active environmental advocate who has lead a movement to protect local salmon. This year, his success is important in that while the majority of California is seeing a decrease in the salmon population, the Chinook salmon of Butte Creek have been returning to their spawning grounds on Butte Creek in record numbers.

Future generations of Butte Creek salmon can thank Allen and the Friends of Butte Creek for the vigilance and care he has brought to the habitat for nearly a decade.

Allen has been President of the Friends of Butte Creek since 1999, and as a fly fishing guide, he knows his waters well. In 2002, he spotted a devastating sediment spill from a PG&E powerhouse on Butte Creek that suffocated many of the fish. Since then, he and the Friends have been at work with PG&E, coordinating with local farmers regarding run-off as well as with various agencies to remove obstacles to the salmon. Their efforts are paying off. Friends of Butte Creek is a formidable group watching over the re-licensing of the PG&E DeSabla-Centerville Project. Its robust website is chock-full of information, statistics, and reports — even a live fish-cam.

We recently contacted Allan to check if the recent wildfires posed any threat to the fish habitat. “The fire did not get down to the creek anywhere thanks to firefighters and local residents. Maintaining a buffer between the burned areas and the creek is essential to prevent any erosion. So far so good.” said Allen.

Another crisis was averted on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2009 when 350 salmon were hand-carried out of warmer pools where they got stuck and then trucked upstream to cooler pools. Caring neighbors and creek watchers alerted the California Department of Fish & Game to this desperate situation once again proving the power of concerned communities working together on watershed matters affecting our community, the environment, and the world around us.

It’s amoré!
Chinook are anadromous, which means they hatch in freshwater streams and rivers, migrate to the ocean for feeding and growth, and return to their natal waters to spawn.