California Ag Network

Category: Featured Post

  • Bettiga Retires After 41 Years As UC Cooperative Extension Advisor

    One of the crowning achievements of Larry Bettiga’s nearly half-century academic career can be found — creased, cut up and dog-eared — in the trucks of grape growers all across California.

    Bettiga, the UC Cooperative Extension viticulture advisor for Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties, was the driving force behind the third edition of “Grape Pest Management.” Published in 2013 by UC Ag and Natural Resources, the book is widely regarded as the definitive reference on the subject.

    “I can probably contact a dozen grape growers here in the Central Valley and probably at least 10 of them have that book in their truck,” said Stephen Vasquez, a former UCCE viticulture advisor for Fresno and Madera counties.

    Aside from distilling Bettiga’s own knowledge, the book includes the input of more than 60 experts. The enthusiastic contributions of so many experts across academia and industry are testament to Bettiga’s standing in the field.

    “There is so much valuable information that went into that, and it would have only come together under someone like Larry Bettiga,” said Vasquez, who currently serves as the executive director of the Administrative Committee for Pistachios and the California Pistachio Research Board.

    Bettiga regards the book as a highlight of his long and influential career because it represents an aspect of extension he has always cherished — the teamwork.

    “I think what I’m most proud of is I’ve had the ability to work with a lot of people over the course of my career,” Bettiga explained. “And some of most satisfying projects have been where I developed a team to address a problem.”

    Bettiga’s Academic Journey from Pest Management to Grape Research

    The importance of working together is in Bettiga’s blood. He is descended from a closeknit clan of dairymen in Italy’s Lake Como region who had grazed their herds in the Alps and emigrated to Monterey County in the early 1900s. Bettiga grew up on his great-uncle’s dairy farm north of Salinas, where his father worked in the family business.

    After graduating from UC Berkeley in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural pest management, he landed an internship in Tulare County, where he was supervised by UCCE advisors Steve Sibbitt and Donald Flaherty, a pioneer in grape pest management.

    “I had the opportunity at the time to work with all the advisors in the office,” Bettiga recalled, “and so I was also exposed to field crops and the whole range of what they were working on; they were very impressive in their approaches to solving grower problems, and they included me in all the things they were doing.”

    Bettiga then worked as a staff research associate on various projects, such as monitoring lepidopterous pests of grapes like omnivorous leaf roller and validating the codling moth model for walnuts.

    By that time, he was singularly focused on becoming a UCCE farm advisor so he leaped at the chance to become an SRA in the lab of Fred Jensen, the UCCE viticulture specialist at UC Kearney Research and Extension Center in Parlier.

    “He had a history where everybody who became his SRA later became a farm advisor,” said Bettiga, citing his close friend, the late George Leavitt, as just one example.

    Unsurprisingly, after four years of learning from Jensen the cultural practices for table grapes and also completing his master’s degree in viticulture at California State University, Fresno, Bettiga was hired in 1985 as the UCCE viticulture advisor in Monterey County. Fortunate to “come home” to work in his chosen profession, Bettiga has served in that position ever since.

    Phylloxera control, rootstock and clonal trials among Bettiga’s contributions

    When Bettiga started as a UCCE  advisor in his home region, many vineyards were infested with phylloxera, an insect that feeds and lays eggs on the roots of grapevines. At that time, most of the plants were “own rooted” (for example, a Chardonnay variety would be on Chardonnay roots), making them susceptible to the devastating pest. Therefore, the solution was grafting the wine grapevines to the resistant rootstocks of related species.

    But the scale of replanting an entire industry was daunting – and the farmers had no idea what rootstocks to plant. So Bettiga began a thorough program of rootstock trials to identify the best choices.

    “Over the course of the 10 to 15 years that it took to replant all these properties as they got infested, there was a lot of change,” Bettiga recalled.

    Bettiga and his collaborators were at the forefront of much of that change. They conducted studies to help growers optimize trellising, vineyard spacing, pest management, canopy management and the broad transition from sprinklers to drip irrigation in the region.

    “Larry conducted groundbreaking research on many aspects of wine grape production such as control of powdery mildew, vine training, rootstock evaluations, mealy bug control and many, many other production issues,” said Richard Smith, UCCE emeritus farm advisor for Monterey County. “Larry has been very practical in his approach to research and extension.”

    Another major contribution has been Bettiga’s systematic evaluation of clones of different varieties to improve productivity and fruit quality.

    “When we plan a vineyard now, we know a lot more than we did 40 years ago,” Bettiga said. “Forty years ago, people just said, ‘Give me whatever.’  And now everybody wants to have a clone that produces the type of wines they’re looking for, or the flavors they’re looking for; they want certain root stocks that are really matched to the site.”

    “Hopefully a lot of the work I did has helped those growers, at least locally, fine-tune and make decisions based on science,” Bettiga continued, “rather than on what they hear at coffee shops or see on the internet.”

    Bettiga, who also served as a UC Cooperative Extension county director during his career, has been a role model for other advisors. Just as he learned from iconic UCCE researchers such Fred Jensen and Pete Christensen, Bettiga passed forward the techniques of “forensic viticulturalists” who sleuth out the causes of growers’ most vexing challenges.

    Stephen Vasquez said the example of Bettiga and his colleagues served as a guide when he became the new advisor succeeding Christensen.

    “After year one, it was really like year three for me, and after year three, it was like year seven; being around them really accelerated my knowledge in viticulture and my ability to approach problems,” said Vasquez, who added that he, Bettiga and George Leavitt regularly lunched with Fred Jensen to talk shop until Jensen’s passing in 2012.

    Growers Valued Bettiga’s Calm Demeanor, Tireless Search for Solutions

    Countless farmers in the Monterey region and beyond have relied on Bettiga’s advice over the decades.

    “He had this ability to work with people who had thousands of acres, down to people who had two acres — he does his best for all of them, and that’s a trait that some people just don’t have,” said W.B. “Butch” Lindley, a longtime grower of wine grapes and other crops in the area.

    Since starting in the wine business in the 1970s, Lindley said he has looked to Bettiga for guidance on everything from the best variety to plant in a specific location to the best type of plastic netting for protecting a vineyard.

    “I don’t think I ever presented him with a problem where he would say, ‘Oh, well, I don’t know anything about it. You have to talk to somebody else.’ That just wasn’t his style,” said Lindley. “He was always ready to roll up his sleeves and dig into it.”

    Lindley also praised Bettiga’s calm confidence — a steadying influence needed more than ever. Noting that he has taken out 1,000 acres of grapevines in the last six months, Lindley said the wine industry is currently a “full-blown wreck” as demand plummets and production costs skyrocket.

    While holding hope that consumers will eventually return to wine in the future, Bettiga observed that rapid advances in mechanization should help with the labor issue. He said machines can now thin shoots and pull leaves just as well as human hands.

    “We’re able to do things mechanically that one could not have even dreamt of 40 years ago,” Bettiga explained. “So now it’s a question of how you adapt all this new technology to improve the overall farm and make it more efficient.”

    Bettiga Awarded Highest Honor by Viticulture and Enology Professional Organization

    Bettiga is also placing faith in the next generation of farm advisors and viticulturalists to meet the persistent challenges of emerging pests and fungal diseases and water scarcity in the region. He chuckled remembering how he was once the “young guy” in the Cooperative Extension office, and now he is the senior member of the team amid a generational transition.

    “We’ve got a lot of young advisors, especially here in Monterey County,” he said. “Hopefully my position will be refilled at some point and there’ll be another advisor here and they will thrive.”

    He also expects his successor will update the “Grape Pest Management” book for its fourth edition. Bettiga noted that a “high point” of his career was contributing to all three editions. As an intern, he had “minor input” in the first edition that came out in 1981. As a UCCE farm advisor, he wrote extensively for the second edition of 1992. And for the latest edition, published in 2013, he served as technical editor, following in the footsteps of Don Flaherty — one of his first mentors in the field.

    Another full circle moment came last year, when he was honored with the Merit Award by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture at ASEV’s conference, held on his home turf in Monterey. It is the same award that was bestowed in 2001 on Fred Jensen, the influential researcher who helped launch his career.

    The award recognizes Bettiga’s lifetime of achievement in the field and his legacy of groundbreaking research and innovative extension program. Bettiga has been instrumental in promoting integrated pest management approaches, encouraging growers to consider the broader environmental impacts of their operations, and championing sustainability in all aspects of Central Coast agriculture from soil health to people management.

    “It’s not just one thing, it’s the whole system that you look at,” Bettiga said. “That’s been a big change; if you jump back 40 years and told people about sustainability they’d probably kick you off the ranch — but now it’s just common, and everybody is trying to achieve that.”

    Aiming to continue his life’s work, Bettiga has applied for emeritus status with UC ANR. Lindley was glad to hear Bettiga will remain involved in the industry, as he will continue to call on him for advice.

    “Larry will be very difficult to replace,” Lindley said. “There are not very many Larry Bettigas in the world.”

    — Story by UC Ag and Natural Resources

  • Honey Bees Can Detect Viruses in Food

    Honey bees encounter viruses in their environments, especially when they forage on flowers and other food sources. Being able to detect viruses is important for reducing infection and the spread of disease. Many insects, including honey bees, can detect viruses indirectly with sick nestmates, but it has been unclear if honey bees can directly detect viruses in food sources.

    To help beekeepers protect their colonies by reducing viral spread, ARS researchers from the Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Research Unit in Baton Rouge, LA, studied if honey bees could sense viruses such as deformed wing virus, black queen cell virus, and chronic bee paralysis virus in contaminated food sources.

    In an experimental study, the researchers found that when honey bees were presented with the choice between a spiked sugar solution with viruses and a plain sugar solution, the honey bees preferred the virus-spiked solution.

    “These findings demonstrate that honey bees can directly detect the presence of viruses in contaminated food sources, which has important implications for pathogen transmission within pollinator communities and disease management strategies aimed at improving honey bee health,” said Michael Simone-Finstrom, ARS Research Molecular Biologist.

    According to Simone-Finstrom and ARS Research Entomologist Elizabeth Walsh, both co-lead authors of the study, the results highlight the need to control viral infections and spread in bee colonies.

    One major concern is viral spread from Varroa mites, parasitic pests that feed on honey bees. Currently, controlling Varroa mite populations is one of the most effective ways to protect honey bee colonies. Beekeepers can consider changing how they feed honey bees to limit outside insects from getting access to their food, according to Simone-Finstrom and Walsh.

    “Open feeding scenarios where bees from different colonies and other insects, who may carry viruses, get food from the same source may not be in the honey bees’ best interest,” said Walsh. “Beekeepers can consider an alternative like an individual colony feeder where only honey bees from one colony have access to the food.”

    It is unknown what mechanisms cause bees to gravitate towards the contaminated food sources. More research is underway to better understand honey bees’ foraging behaviors and how the viral presence affects their behaviors.

    “The study’s findings will help us with providing data-driven decisions in honey bee management and ecological decisions,” said Walsh. – By Jessica Ryan, ARS Office of Communications

  • Hot March Results in a Lighter Pistachio Crop

    Hot March temperatures are leading to a lighter pistachio crop this year. However, growers and processors remain optimistic that the 2026 growing season is a fluke, and that the industry will have an excellent yield in 2027. Jeff Gibbons with Setton Farms and Joe Coelho with American Pistachio Growers discussed this anomalous year in the pistachio industry with Matthew Malcolm from California Ag Network. Watch this quick video and learn more in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • California Avocado Growers Release Video Urging Tariff Rate Quota on Mexican Imports

    The California Avocado Commission released a new video last week as part of a broad advocacy campaign urging federal officials to put American farmers first by adopting a seasonal import policy for Mexican avocados during California’s marketing season, March to September.

    The video features celebrity chef and restaurant owner Andrew Gruel; Jayme Franklin, founder and CEO of The Conservateur; Rep. Vince Fong (R-Calif.) and; California avocado farmers Rachael Laenen of Kimball Ranches, Andy Sheaffer of Vista Punta Gorda, Robert Jackson of Jackson Ranch, John Haskett of Lucky Charm Farms and Maureen Cottingham of CamLam Farms.

    The release comes as U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced Wednesday that the United States did not agree to renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in its current form. The agreement, which governs much of the trade among the United States, Mexico and Canada, remains in force while the countries address its shortcomings. Greer also said the United States will meet with Mexico the week of July 20 for a third round of bilateral negotiations related to the trade agreement’s joint review.

    The Commission said those talks are directly relevant to California avocado growers because of Mexican avocado imports, cartel involvement in Mexico’s avocado industry, pest inspections and risks, and market oversupply all affect whether U.S. trade policy is working for American farmers and consumers.

    “We are on the precipice of a culinary disaster, I call it, because there may come a day soon where we are no longer able to buy California avocados in our own backyard because of the oversurplus of imports on the market that are ultimately going to wipe out California avocados,” Gruel said.

    The Commission is calling for a seasonal tariff rate quota on Mexican avocado imports from March through September, California’s primary harvest window. Under the proposal, a set volume of Mexican avocados would continue entering the U.S. market during those months at a zero  tariff rate. Imports above that level could still enter, but at a high tariff rate.

    “If we believe in America First and Making America Healthy Again, that should include the food that we put on our tables,” Franklin said. “So next time you’re at the grocery store, look for California-grown avocados. I’ll always support the hardworking California families that grow the best avocados in the world.”

    “California avocado growers are not asking to stop trade, we’re asking for the opportunity to compete fairly in our own market,” said Ken Melban, president of the California Avocado Commission. “A seasonal Tariff Rate Quota is a balanced, common-sense solution that supports orderly markets while protecting America’s domestic food production capacity. This video  tells the story of our growers and demonstrates why thoughtful trade policy is essential to preserving a vibrant domestic avocado industry.”

    The video also focuses on cartel involvement in Mexico’s avocado industry. The Commission has previously raised concerns that cartel threats and violence contributed to reduced U.S. oversight of Mexican avocado inspections, increasing the risk that invasive pests could enter the United States through imported fruit.

    “From a single tree in Southern California, the Hass avocado became an icon, and it is 100% American,” Gruel said in the video.

    “Buying local means that you’re getting a fresher product because there’s a shorter supply chain,” Gruel said. “side by side , the California avocado versus an imported avocado, it’s a better product hands down. It’s richer, it’s creamier — and that’s the most important thing. On top of all of that, you’re supporting a local economy and you’re supporting American farmers, and that’s the backbone of our economy.”

    “In Mexico, cartels are extorting growers, controlling portions of the supply chain and using violence and intimidation to maintain that control,” Franklin said in the video. “Whatever your perspective is on trade policy, protecting American agriculture and ensuring a safe, reliable food chain is necessary.”

    “Many Americans are buying Mexican avocados and don’t even know that they are not grown with the same worker protection and pay standards, and environmental protections that we uphold here in the U.S.,” Franklin said.

    The Commission said the proposal should be considered as the United States reviews its trade relationship with Mexico. The commission said its goal is not to end avocado trade, but to ensure that trade policy does not allow foreign oversupply, cartel-compromised supply chains or weakened inspection systems to push American growers out of their own market. — Story contributed by the California Avocado Commission

  • Effects of Shading on Raspberry Leaves

    There are a lot of reasons that plant leaves turn yellow and this can be beyond just the most obvious like nutrient deficiency or sickness, and sometimes includes things that we don’t think about at the beginning.

    In this vein, consider the pictures below of the yellowing caused in raspberry leaves when they are blocked from a sufficient amount of light. In this case, two leaves were covering another leaf below, and the result, which is visible when those two leaves are pulled aside, was a pattern of yellowing in the same shape as the leaves which were lying upon it.    The lack of sunlight causes the chloroplasts which are responsible for the manufacture of green chlorophyll to become less active, eventually degrade with the net result of degreening and a fade to yellow.

    Understanding this concept explains as well why the insides of raspberry hedgerowsare often filled with yellow and dying plants. There is little light getting through there, so the leaves lose their purpose and over time senesce. —Story by Mark P. Bolda, UC Ag and Natural Resource

    Pull the green leaves aside and we discover that the leaf below is left yellow in the area covered. Photo contributed by UC Ag and Natural Resources.
    On a macro-scale, this is why we often see the leaves on the inside of the raspberry hedgerow become yellow and die. They do not have sufficient light. Photo contributed by UC Ag and Natural Resources.

  • FARM Publishes 2026 Drug Residue Prevention Manual

    The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program released its 2026-2027 Milk & Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Reference Manual, equipping farmers with an educational tool that promotes best management practices for responsible and judicious use of antimicrobials in dairy cattle.

    The updated manual has information about the FDA’s conditionally approved and emergency use authorizations of drugs to combat New World screwworm. It also includes the Food and Drug Administration’s Guidance for Industry No. 273: “Defining Durations of Use for Approved Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs Fed to Food-Producing Animals” (GFI No. 273), finalized and announced in February.

    “The U.S. dairy industry is committed to antibiotic stewardship and judicious use of all medications used for dairy cattle,” said Dr. Jamie Jonker, National Milk Producers Federation’s chief science officer. “The Drug Residue Prevention Manual continues to be a trusted resource for dairy farmers when making educated choices with their veterinarians to care for their animals.”

    When dairy animals get sick or injured and treatment is necessary, producers and veterinarians use antibiotics and other drugs prudently. The manual serves as a resource for producers and veterinarians, and includes information on:

    •Residue prevention best practices

    •Record keeping and herd health

    •Drug administration

    •Culling of animals

    •Residue testing

    •Drug classes

    •Approved drugs and screening tests

    The Milk & Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Manual and the associated pocket guide are sponsored by Zoetis. Their sponsorship supports the development of on-farm resource development for U.S. dairy farmers.

    The manual is available for download on the FARM Program website. — Story contributed by the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management

  • IDFA Appoints Heather Soubra to Senior VP Position

    The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) announced that Heather Soubra has rejoined as senior vice president, strategic initiatives and industry relations. In this role, Soubra will lead IDFA’s highly successful NextGen Leadership Program, deepen collaboration with IDFA members and board leaders, and drive execution of the association’s new strategic plan, Vision of the Future 2.0. She will report to President and CEO Michael Dykes.

    “Heather is a trusted strategist and results-oriented leader who knows IDFA, our members and the dairy industry deeply,” Dykes said. “She understands how to bring people together, move complex work forward and deliver results. I am excited to welcome Heather back to the IDFA team and look forward to the impact she will have as we continue delivering meaningful value to our members and advancing IDFA’s mission to make a difference for dairy.”

    Soubra previously served as IDFA’s senior vice president of strategic initiatives and chief of staff, overseeing key organizational initiatives and the day-to-day operations of the Executive Office. During her tenure, she worked closely with IDFA colleagues, members and governance leaders to advance the association’s strategic priorities; led program development and execution for major initiatives, including IDFA’s Dairy Forum; and designed and implemented the IDFA People Strategy, a suite of programs focused on leadership, organizational well-being and building the workforce and organizations of the future.

    “IDFA members are among the most innovative leaders in the food and beverage industry, and I am excited to return to an organization and industry that mean so much to me,” said Soubra. “I look forward to working with Michael, the IDFA team and leaders across the dairy industry to strengthen collaboration, support strategic priorities and build the relationships and programs that will move the industry forward.”

    More recently, Soubra served as director of the George Washington Leadership Institute at Mount Vernon, where she designed and facilitated leadership programming for leaders in government agencies, trade associations and other organizations.  She is an International Coaching Federation Certified Coach and a member of the Forbes Coaches Council. She received her Professional Certified Coach credential through the International Coaching Federation and her Executive Certificate in Facilitation from Georgetown University.

    A graduate of George Mason University, Soubra earned her degree in intercultural communication and received her certificate in coaching from George Mason University’s Institute for Leadership Excellence. Her direct experience as a senior association leader, strategist and executive coach informs her work helping leaders navigate complex organizations, build collaboration and cultivate workplaces where people thrive. — Story contributed by the International Dairy Foods Association

  • Dairy Orgs Praise H-2A Reform Bill

    The Internationalist Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) both voiced support for the Securing Agriculture Workforce Act, aimed modernizing the H-2A temporary ag workers program.

    “The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act represents the most significant reform to the ag workforce we’ve seen in decades,” said NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud. “It is particularly critical for dairy farmers, who have been effectively shut out of the nation’s primary legal agricultural guest worker program.”

    The bill was introduced by Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Penn.),  who chairs the House Ag Committee. Both organizations praised his leadership with the bill.

    “Dairy farms and processors alike operate year-round and need access to a reliable workforce. Modernizing the H-2A program to meet the workforce needs of year-round dairy farm operations moves the needle in the right direction by strengthening the dairy supply chain,” said IDFA President and CEO Michael Dykes. ” Although dairy processors also need reforms that offer workforce support, the Securing Agriculture Workforce Act better positions all of U.S. dairy to ensure families continue to have access to nutritious dairy products. IDFA thanks Chairman Thompson for his leadership in introducing this important legislation.”

    “I applaud Chairman Thompson and the other original co-sponsors for introducing this bill. Chairman Thompson, thank you for leading the way, as you so often have to the most important issues facing agriculture. NMPF will rally its advocates across dairy and all of agriculture to support this bill, and it stands ready to help build momentum in the House, secure a Senate companion bill, and ultimately get this legislation to the president’s desk.”

  • UCCE Advisor Royce Larsen Retires

    By the time Royce Larsen turned 12, he had never traveled farther than a three-hour drive from his family’s dairy ranch in rural Utah. Caring for cows was a demanding household chore requiring participation from the whole family.

    “ You get up at 4:30 [a.m.], milk, go to school, come back, milk. There’s never time to do anything else,” Larsen said.

    Growing up on the dairy, Larsen realized that milking cows was not his life’s calling. Still, a love of the outdoors and rural life stuck with him, eventually leading him back to the range – not as a dairyman, but as a scientist.

    For 30 years, Larsen has shared his expertise in rangeland management through UC Cooperative Extension, protecting the types of landscapes that were the backdrop to his childhood. Larsen spent most of his career as the watershed and natural resource advisor covering Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. This summer, he will retire from that role and move back to Utah.

    Cattle ranchers of California’s Central Coast can attest that Larsen has been a local fixture of the community. His trustworthiness earned him keys and combinations to their ranches, allowing him freedom to collect data on vegetation and many other ecological indicators.

    Kevin Kester, a rancher from Parkfield and past president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says Larsen made good on his trust. Larsen helped him develop rangeland management plans to protect his natural resources and family livelihood for future generations.

    “It takes a certain kind of person from the academic world to interact with cattle ranchers … not everybody can do it. Royce was a perfect fit,” Kester said. “His word is as good as gold.”

    Larsen’s tact with the local community rewarded him academically. Larsen used the extensive data he collected to demonstrate how rangeland environments are changing with the climate, and effectively communicated those stakes to ranchers.

    Over his career, he published 230 articles and delivered countless workshops, lectures and site visits. Larsen has applied for emeritus status to continue leveraging his knowledge to benefit California’s watersheds and the ranchers who manage them.

    From Dairy Farmer to Watershed Scientist

    The dairy that Larsen grew up on was relatively small. By the time he was a teenager, his family faced steep pressure from the surrounding farms.

    “We had to either get large or get out,” Larsen recalled.

    When his family made the tough decision to sell the business, Larsen took that as an opportunity to transition. He enrolled at Utah State University, just a few miles from his family’s home.

    He pursued computer science, but that interest was eclipsed after taking a course on watersheds and rangelands. For the first time, Larsen learned how water that falls on farms all feeds into streams and underground reservoirs. He began to understand water quality as a shared responsibility.

    Larsen didn’t come from a family oriented toward science. Of his six siblings, he is the only one to finish a college degree. But his passion for watershed management inspired him to keep learning, leading him to earn a master’s and Ph.D. from Oregon State University. By that time, he wanted to stay in academia, but becoming a university professor didn’t feel right.

    “I just didn’t see myself teaching a class day after day. But I wanted to do research and get out and visit with people,” Larsen said.

    Larsen was introduced to Cooperative Extension at OSU. There, he was invited to camp out with local cattlemen, who shared how much they need the insights scientists have to offer. Larsen noted the long history of mutual respect between ranchers and Cooperative Extension. That kind of relationship-based research felt natural – and important.

    “Like, this is where I want to go. This is the direction,” Larsen said.

    Cleaning Up the Water Clears the Name of Cows

    Larsen landed his first UC ANR job as an environmental science advisor for San Bernardino and Riverside counties, a role that took him into the Mojave to survey for endangered desert tortoises. Despite the intrigue, Larsen wanted to focus more on grazed rangelands, so when a watershed advisor position opened in San Luis Obispo, he jumped on it.

    At that time, the State Water Resources Control Board was enforcing the Clean Water Act more stringently. Regulators had tackled single “point-sources” of contamination (like dumped sewage) and were now turning to more generalized “nonpoint-source” contamination.

    In California, the vast majority of surface water flows through rangeland watersheds and thus, ranches were receiving special scrutiny for their potential impact on water quality.

    “There was this big emphasis: ‘Clean it up!’” Larsen said. “The water quality regulators up to that point felt that cows were a problem, but a lot of times they’re not. So let’s focus on what the problem really is and how we fix it.”

    Larsen got to work tracing water contaminants. Water lawyer and local rancher Steve Sinton opened his property to the research effort.

    “He’s come out to our ranch and studied anything that’s in a cow pat,” Sinton said. “If there’s something in there that you don’t want, does it go to the streams?”

    Larsen discovered that, in most cases, contaminants only traveled a few feet from the cow pat. As long as ranchers avoided grazing cattle on roads and in streams, they could make significant strides in protecting the local watershed.

    “Grazing really didn’t have that big of an impact on the water quality as they were being blamed for,” Larsen said.

    For Sinton, that discovery was vindicating. It reinforced the value of collaborating with local Cooperative Extension advisors who bring data-based evidence to pressing environmental issues.

    “There’s science to back up what’s actually happening out there. And it takes scientists to get the science,” Sinton said.

    By taking water quality readings in the field, Larsen provided ranchers with data to accurately gauge – and improve – the sustainability of their operations. He helped develop a short course on water quality to help ranchers establish management plans tailored to their operations. That individual attention was noticed and appreciated.

    “He’s out on our ranch. He’s out and about. He’s not an office guy,” Sinton said.

    All that time spent outside had other perks. Larsen frequently snapped photos of close encounters with wildlife, including bobcats, elk and birds – a reminder of the non-human beneficiaries of Larsen’s passion for environmental protection.

    A treasure trove of climate data shows rangelands in flux

    Every year of his career in San Luis Obispo, Larsen has collected the same type of data on forage, the plant material eaten by livestock. The process is almost ritualistic. After drawing up quadrat study plots on rangelands, he carefully collects vegetation, dries the material and weighs it. He also records plant species and other ecological observations.

    This dedication to monitoring rangeland environments for 25 years gave Larsen a front-row seat to watch the climate as it changes. In the 2010s, he saw extreme droughts put pressure on vegetation, cows and ranchers alike.

    “They had to sell most of their herd.  The cows wouldn’t survive. There’s nothing for them to eat,” Larsen said.

    Landscapes still haven’t recovered from those impacts, even years later.

    “The average temperature is increasing every year,” Larsen said. “The other problem is we’re seeing rains being erratic.”

    Cattle rancher Kevin Kester has seen the same phenomenon.

    “We’ve got these dry years, that’s a fact, and then we’ve got a wet year. What are the effects of it? How do we deal with it?” he asked.

    According to Kester, one of Larsen’s greatest strengths has been in discussing these challenges with ranchers, never coming off as a know-it-all or alarmist. Kester credits Larsen for moderating meaningful conversations about practical sustainability issues.

    “Just in his low-key Royce manner, he can ask those kinds of questions. Not threatening or challenging — he just makes you stop and think,” Kester said.

    As Larsen retires, many variables on rangelands are in flux. Any successor will have to consider changing fire regimes and forage availability. For Larsen, adapting to that future means getting out into the field – a great privilege of the job.

    “They’ll need to go visit the ranchers and determine for themselves what’s important,” Larsen said.

    Ahead of his retirement, Larsen wishes to thank his collaborators and mentors, especially Melvin George, who hired him as a postdoctoral researcher at UC Davis and supported him through his UC career. He extends his gratitude to retired UC ANR specialist Bill Tietje, with whom he worked at the San Luis Obispo office.

    He also extends a special thanks to Karl Striby of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service whom he collaborated on many projects, and Randy Dahlgren, professor at UC Davis, with whom he worked over the last 15 years, as well as to all the advisors and staff in the county.

    “There were many others, too many to mention individually, but without whom I could not have achieved nearly as much in my program – thank you to all I have worked with,” Larsen said. “Most importantly, I want to thank my wife, Wendy, who has supported me throughout my career.”

    — Story contributed by UC Ag and Natural Resources

  • Congressional Dairy Caucus Revived

    Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) joined Reps. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), and Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) in relaunching the Congressional Dairy Caucus. Central Valley dairy producers continue to struggle due to high input costs, competitive pressures from trade partners and shifting consumption patterns, and this caucus aims to work to elevate those concerns at the federal level and advocate for milk and dairy products.

    “As the sole dairyman in Congress, I’m proud to join my colleagues in launching the Congressional Dairy Caucus,” Valadao said. “Dairy is the cornerstone of the Central Valley’s economy, and I know firsthand the challenges our producers face—from rising input costs and labor shortages to changing consumer demands and an increasingly unpredictable marketplace. Our dairy producers deserve strong advocates in Washington who understand what’s at stake, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to strengthen the dairy industry, promote the nutritional benefits of dairy products, and ensure the hardworking men and women who feed our nation have the support they need to succeed.”

    “Eastern Connecticut has a proud heritage of multi-generation, family-owned dairy farms,” Courtney said. “Dairy farms are a key part of our local economy and provide nutritious products to our communities. The industry is facing pressing challenges of rising input costs, market volatility, and competitive pressures from trade partners. As a Co-Chair of the bipartisan Dairy Caucus, I will continue making dairy farmers’ voices heard in Congress and work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address their needs and help grow their businesses.”

    — Story contributed by Rep. David Valadao