2009 VALERO TEXAS OPEN BENEFIT FOR CHILDREN GOLF CLASSIC AWARDS DONATION TO BRUSH COUNTRY CASA — Brush Country CASA announce the receipt of $8,000 from the 2009 Valero Texas Open Benefit for Children Golf Classic Campaign. Valero collected over $8 million dollars during their 2009 Campaign. Over $350,000 went to 39 charities in the Coastal Bend area. The members of the Valero Benefit For Children Campaign committee handed out “checks” on Nov. 13. Pictured are Brush Country CASA staff, Cynthia Rodriguez and Seana Towler, with board member, Sylvia Perez. Brush Country CASA thanks Mr. Steven Shafer, Valero employee, who nominated Brush Country CASA as one of the 39 charities for consideration. This donation will help recruit, train and support volunteers who will speak up in court for abused and neglected children. If you are interested in “making a difference” in your community, contact the office at 595-7233 or go to www.brushcountrycasa.org. Several farmers in Kleberg County are trying to harvest their fall pea crop but are having some delays due to the rainy weather of late.

Approximately 5,000 acres were planted after it started raining following the lengthy dry spell of earlier in the year.

Peas have become part of the crop rotation for some in Kleberg County. Although considered a low residue crop, it is a legume and is able to fix nitrogen in the soil.

Since a spring crop was not produced, most of these producers are trying to salvage the year with some production from the pea crop on some of their acres.

These peas are called cowpeas and are one of the most ancient crops known to man. Its origin and subsequent domestication is associated with pearl millet and sorghum in Africa.

It is now a broadly adapted and highly variable crop, cultivated around the world primarily for seed, but also as a vegetable (for leafy greens, green pods, fresh shelled green peas, and shelled dried peas), a cover crop and for fodder.

The cowpea has a number of common names, including crowder pea, black-eyed pea and southern pea. It is known internationally as lubia, niebe, coupe or frijole.

However, they are all the species Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp., which in older references may be identified as Vigna sinensis (L.).

The largest production is in Africa, with Nigeria and Niger predominating, but Brazil, Haiti, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Australia, the U.S., Bosnia and Herzegovina all have significant production. Worldwide production of cowpeas is approximately 20 million acres.

In the U.S., the largest market class of cowpea harvested as dried seed is black-eyed pea and pinkeyed/ purple hull southern pea.

They are often cooked with water and canned or frozen. However, some cowpeas are harvested while the seed are high moisture, and sold fresh, typically referred to as southern peas.

Southern peas are shelled green and the peas can be cooked fresh or frozen for later use, but there is also some consumption of the whole ‘pea pod’ as a fresh vegetable. The dried cowpea is harvested with conventional grain combine.

Cowpea is considered more tolerant to drought than soybeans and better adapted to sandy soils. Many cowpea cultivars have a vining growth habit, but modern plant breeding has also led to more upright, bush-type cultivars.

The vining type is preferred for forage or cover crop use, while the bush type is better suited for direct combining.

There are cowpea breeding programs throughout the primary production areas, which include Arkansas, California, Texas and southeastern states. Yields vary among varieties as well with the different soil and environmental conditions.

Total production of cowpeas for dry seed harvest in the U.S. is estimated at 60,000 to 80,000 acres.

Peas have done well over the years on some of the sandier soils in Kleberg County. In fact, some of the fields could be considered marginal farmland.

I will continue next week’s column with some more facts about these cowpeas.

For more information on conservation and programs should contact the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Kingsville at 401 East King, Suite 100 or call at 592-0309 Ext. 3.