Toro Ag to Host The Water Zone, Focus on Urban Agriculture

On Thursday, November 19, Toro Ag’s Inge Bisconer and Paul McFadden will guest-host a very special episode of “The Water Zone” radio show, focusing on urban agriculture.

They’ll  be speaking with some very special guests, starting first with Karen Archipley, co-founder of Archi’s Acres, a certified organic greenhouse operation in Escondido that grows basil, kale, herbs and other fresh produce using hydro-organic farming techniques.  Karen is also an honoree of the “Champions of Change” program for her dedication to providing business opportunities to veterans. Working with Cal Poly Pomona, she helped create the Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training Program (VSAT), a program that helps train U.S. military vets for new careers in agriculture and family farming as they transition out of the military and into civilian life.

Inge and Paul will also be talking to A.G. Kawamura, owner of Orange County Produce, former Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and a third generation fruit and vegetable grower and shipper from Orange County.   As a progressive urban farmer, AG has a lifetime of experience working within the shrinking rural and urban boundaries of Southern Calif. Through his company, Orange County Produce, LLC, he is engaged in building an exciting, interactive 21st century 100 acre agricultural showcase at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, CA.  You can read A.G.’s full bio here.

The Water Zone is a weekly radio show hosted by industry veterans Mike Baron and Rob Starr, who collectively have over 50 years of experience in the irrigation business.

“The drought impacting much of California is a very serious issue to all of us,” said Baron, Water Conservation Manager with Toro’s Irrigation Business in Riverside, California. “The destinies of California’s agricultural, environmental and urban interests are now forever intertwined, so it’s important that we work together on solutions to best protect this critical resource, being water. This radio show has been a great venue for bringing together great leaders on the topic of water conservation and use efficiency.”

The show can be heard every Thursday at 6 p.m. PDT on NBC News Radio KCAA 1050 AM, KCAA 106.5 FM, or online at www.kcaaradio.com.