California Ag Network

Category: Ag Economics

  • California Table Grape Growers Report Significant Loss Due to Summer Storm

    While California farmers generally appreciate a good rain, there are certain times of the year when even a little rain can have a devastating effect on certain crops.  Hurricane Hilary brought a very untimely summer storm that has impacted up to 40% of California’s entire table grape crop.  With the bulk of the nation’s table grape supply grown in California, time will soon tell what kind of impact the unexpected reduction in supply will have on the marketplace.  Watch this brief interview with Fresno County table grape grower and crop insurance provider Doug Benik to learn more about the impact and status of this year’s table grape crop. Read more in American Vineyard Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Thunder Creek Equipment for their industry support.

  • IKD Concern for Golden Hills Pistachio Variety

    Internal Kernel Discoloration (IKD) is a recent cosmetic concern discovered in the Golden and Lost Hills varieties of pistachios, which now make up about half of the total planted acreage of California pistachios.  While IKD is only noticeable inside the kernel and does not alter the flavor of the nut and is of no food safety concern, USDA Specialty Crops Inspection has indicated that they intend to consider this as a defect under the voluntary USDA Grades and Standards for pistachios and would score it as “damage”.  The industry strongly disagrees with USDA on this as it would cause unnecessary and costly problems should they choose to move forward with this.  Watch this brief interview with Bob Klein from the California Pistachio Research Board to learn more.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor G3 Enterprises for their industry support.

  • Organic Industry Experiences Benefits of TOPP Firsthand

    Grassroots networking and communication are key to spreading the word about opportunities available through the USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP regional leads are planting boots on the ground to connect producers interested in transitioning to organic with organic farmers interested in mentoring them.

    In early summer, Southwest TOPP Regional Lead California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) toured Domitila Tapia’s operation, Mimi’s Organic Farm is a 67-acre berry and vegetable farm in Watsonville, California. A part of Mimi’s Organic Farm was certified organic in 2015. The tour highlighted how the TOPP participant is receiving support in transitioning her remaining acreage to certified organic. As a Spanish-speaking program participant, Domitila receives technical assistance in Spanish for activities including completing organic certification paperwork.

    CCOF’s private and philanthropic partners also awarded Mimi’s Organic Farm grant funding aimed at helping underserved farmers build more regenerative food systems, advance equity in agriculture, and scale sustainable farming practices. The funding is helping Mimi’s Organic Farm expand organic acreage and increase the availability of sustainably grown fruits and vegetables.

    The recent CCOF tour of Domitila’s operation included local organic industry professionals interested in seeing how operations can benefit from TOPP. The tour showcased how the much-needed TOPP resources can help grow the organic community and provide equal opportunity for anyone interested in transitioning to organic. The tour highlighted challenges non-English speaking and transitioning producers face and offered first-hand learning experiences for organic certification reviewers and inspectors.

    About the Transition to Organic Partnership Program

    The USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) is investing up to $100 million over five years in cooperative agreements with non-profit organizations that are partnering with others to provide technical assistance and wrap-around support for transitioning and existing organic farmers. USDA built partnership networks in six regions across the United States with trusted organizations serving direct farmer training, education, and outreach activities.

    Southwest Regional Lead California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) partners with organizations experienced in the organic industry to provide mentoring services, technical assistance, community building, and organic workforce development for transitioning and existing organic farmers.

  • San Diego County Farm Bureau Names Matava Farmer Of The Year

    The San Diego County Farm Bureau (SDCFB) has named Mary Matava of Oceanside, Calif. their 2022 Farmer of the Year. Matava has more than 40 years of experience assessing the agronomic suitability of Southern California soils and over 25 years of manufacturing organic soil amendments used by farmers throughout Southern California. Matava’s professional experiences have contributed to her success in farming and the large impact she has had volunteering with a wide range of nonprofit organizations in agriculture.

    Each year San Diego County Farm Bureau takes time to celebrate an active or retired farmer who has had a positive impact on our local agricultural industry. With more than 5,000 farmers in San Diego County alone, SDCFB is privileged to have some of California’s most experienced farmers contributing to San Diego County’s farming community. Matava is preceded in title by Neil Nagata, also a farmer from Oceanside, Calif.

    Matava is an agronomist and the owner of Agri Service, Inc. which operates compost facilities in Southern California. Mary is a leading expert in soil assessment, sustainable soil amendment practices, green waste recycling, facility management and avocado farming. To date Agri Service has processed over 2 million tons of green waste and continues to advocate for improving Zero-Waste practices.

    The Farmer of the Year celebration will take place on September 7, 2023 at Bernardo Winery, 13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte, San Diego, Calif.

    Information and sponsorship opportunities can be found at www.sdfarmbureau.org/farmer-of-the-year.

    About San Diego County Farm Bureau

    The San Diego County Farm Bureau is a non-profit organization supporting the more than 5,700 farms within the county. Top crops include: ornamental trees and shrubs, bedding plants, color and herbaceous perennials, cacti and succulents, indoor flowering and foliage plants, avocados, vegetables, lemons, livestock and poultry products, oranges, cut flowers, and fruit trees. In the state, San Diego ranks #1 in nursery product sales, is the top leader in the sale of flowers, foliage and avocados, and ranks 12th in the sale of agriculture. In addition, San Diego County has more certified organic growers than any other county and is home to 45 certified Farmers Markets. The mission of the Farm Bureau is to foster San Diego agriculture through education, public relations, and public policy advocacy in order to promote the economic viability, sustainability, and community building of agriculture. For more information, visit www.sdfarmbureau.org.

  • Beef on Dairy Brings New Value to the Marketplace

    The U.S. beef cow herd reached its lowest level in decades this summer as prolonged drought conditions in major cattle producing regions led producers to aggressively cull their herds. The sharp reduction in beef cow numbers will tighten supplies for years to come, while consumer demand for beef has remained remarkably consistent despite elevated retail prices.

    The contracting beef herd has led to higher dairy bull calf prices and may compel more dairy producers to leverage beef breed genetics in their reproduction programs and capture an additional revenue stream in the process, according to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange.

    “We expect the adoption of beef genetics in dairy breeding programs will accelerate as producers capitalize on the opportunity for improved margins, particularly given the reduction in beef calf availability,” said Brian Earnest, lead animal protein economist for CoBank. “And while the impact on the overall beef supply will be relatively small, an increase in beef and dairy crossbred calves entering the beef supply chain is something cattle feeders and packers will want to keep an eye on.”

    The practice of leveraging beef genetics in dairy reproductive programs, commonly referred to as “beef on dairy” within the industry, has steadily increased in recent years. On average, day-old beef and dairy crossbred calves entering the beef supply chain sell for $100-$300 more than their 100% dairy-bred counterparts.

    Increased adoption of beef on dairy crossbreeding will primarily benefit dairy producers, but other sectors of the beef supply chain stand to benefit as well. Animal genetics companies that provide beef semen for artificial insemination of dairy cows can expect continued sales growth.

    According to the National Association of Animal Breeders’ Semen Sales Report, U.S. beef semen sales from 2017 to 2022 increased at a rate nearly equal to the rate that U.S. dairy semen sales decreased. The data suggests rising beef semen sales are largely attributable to increased purchases by dairy operators.

    The benefits from beef on dairy crossbreeding become more complex as calves enter the feedlot. Cattle feeders that are currently set up to handle 100% dairy cattle may see increased feed efficiencies for crossbred calves and would likely be more willing to pay the premium price for beef on dairy genetics.

    Industry experts suggest feed efficiency gains in beef and dairy crossbred calves can be highly variable. A University of Wisconsin extension report notes that is why some feedlots are taking a direct approach with dairies to acquire more consistent crossbred calves by offering purchase programs for beef on dairy calves. These programs typically require dairy producers use genetics selected or provided by the feedlot, as well as follow specific animal health protocols.

    The investment in those feedlot programs can ultimately pay off.  Data from the USDA-Cattle Contracts library shows beef on dairy cattle are worth increasingly more at harvest compared to straight-bred dairy cattle. And in addition to facing fewer discounts than straight-bred dairy cattle, crossbred cattle can garner an average premium of $5.44/cwt. if they meet the 10 requirements for Certified Angus Beef.

    Like feedlots, packers already processing dairy cattle or lower quality 100% beef cattle will see a benefit in processing beef and dairy crossbreds, which generally have a better dressing percentage. However, for packers that process high-quality, 100% beef cattle, the benefits are less clear. Standard grading mechanisms may not be sufficiently sophisticated to properly value beef on dairy cattle.

    Read the report, Breeding Beef with Dairy Brings New Value to Marketplace.

    About CoBank

    CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 76,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.

    CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.

  • Sonoma Winegrowers Team Up With San Francisco Giants, Featuring Local Wines

    Building on the success of their partnership which began shortly before Spring Training this year, the Sonoma County Winegrowers and the San Francisco Giants are teaming up for a “Sonoma in the City” theme in the Cloud Club, one of Oracle Park’s private lounges. During twelve (12) home games from August 25 through September 13, the Cloud Club will exclusively feature wines, winegrowers and wineries from the iconic region.

    The San Francisco Giants historic hiring of Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein last year established  the team as the first professional sports organization to invest in the wine industry.  This partnership underscores the Giants dedication to providing exceptional gameday experiences by cultivating the look, taste and feel of Sonoma County throughout the Cloud Club for all visitors.

    “This is an incredible opportunity for us to showcase Sonoma County’s diverse, world-class wines to the San Francisco Giants community and fans,” said Karissa Kruse, president and CEO of the Sonoma County Winegrowers. “There is nothing like enjoying Giants baseball with some of the region’s finest wines while spending time with friends and family. We are proud to partner with the Giants and believe our wines embody the experience of a memorable day at Oracle Park.”

    The Cloud Club is a private lounge on the Suite Level of Oracle Park that affords extraordinary views of the field, San Francisco Bay and Oakland Hills. The Club features rotating decor and programming that celebrates the art, culture, culinary scene, famous personalities of San Francisco’s unique neighborhoods, and now, Sonoma County wine country.

    During exclusive wine tastings and events, the Cloud Club will feature several wineries, including Bucher Vineyards, Lando Wines, Kosta Browne Winery, DaVero Farms & Winery, O’Connell Family Wines, Inman Family Wines, Lynmar Estate Winery, Paul Hobb’s Crossbarn Winery, Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery, MacRostie Winery, Bricoleur Vineyards and Cartograph Wines. Six (6) Sonoma County wines will also be regularly available at the Cloud Club bar from J. Vineyards, Bricoleur Vineyards, The Calling, Inman Family Wines, Dutton-Goldfield Winery and Kenwood Vineyards. The featured wines will highlight the wide range of grape varieties that are grown in Sonoma County’s 19 distinct American Viticulture Areas (AVAs).

    “We’re so excited to bring Sonoma County wine to Giants fans to help create memorable connections,” continued Kruse. “Baseball and wine have much in common, so engaging with an important and beloved franchise like the Giants is a perfect pairing.”

    Sonoma County Winegrowers and the San Francisco Giants will also launch a new video series titled, “Giants in Sonoma”,  across digital channels, in-ballpark and TV, hosted by Evan Goldstein and Giants ambassador Amy G.  The videos highlight the region and the unique intersection of wine, viticulture and baseball with accompanying stories from Rodney Strong Vineyards, Balletto Vineyards and Sangiacomo Family Wines.

    Sonoma County Winegrowers

    Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW), was established in 2006, evolving from the Sonoma County Grape Growers Association, which was first launched in 1983 by local grape growers inspired to work together to elevate the region. SCW is a marketing and educational organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier grape growing regions. With more than 1,800 growers, SCW’s goal is to increase awareness and recognition of the quality, sustainability and diversity of Sonoma County’s grapes and wines through dynamic marketing and educational programs targeted to wine consumers and influencers around the world. In 2014, Sonoma County’s winegrowing community embarked on a major initiative to have all Sonoma County vineyards certified sustainable. Today, 99% of the vineyard acreage in Sonoma County has completed certification by a third-party auditor making Sonoma County the most sustainable winegrowing region in the world.  In addition, in 2020, SCW became the exclusive pilot partner for the California Land Stewardship’s Climate Adaptation Certification. In 2022, SCW began envisioning a Farm of the Future which it officially introduced in 2023.  SCW’s sustainability efforts have been recognized with California’s highest environmental honor, the 2016 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA).  Learn more at www.sonomawinegrape.org.

    San Francisco Giants

    One of the oldest teams in Major League Baseball, the 140-year-old franchise moved to San Francisco from New York in 1958. After playing a total of 42 years in Seals Stadium and Candlestick Park, the team moved to the privately constructed, downtown ballpark on the corner of 3rd and King in 2000. The organization is widely recognized for its innovative business practices and baseball excellence having been named in the past decade the Sports Organization of the Year by Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal, Organization of the Year by Baseball America and ESPN’s Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year. Oracle Park is also the only ballpark in the country to have earned Silver, Gold and Platinum LEED certification for an existing building.

    Since opening its gates, Oracle Park has become internationally renowned as a premier venue in the world of both sports and entertainment. On the diamond, more than 67 million spectators have witnessed countless magical moments, including three World Series Championships (2010, 2012 & 2014), the raising of four National League Pennants and eight playoff appearances. The ballpark has also hosted some of music’s biggest acts, including Lady Gaga, Beyoncé & Jay Z, Ed Sheeran, the Rolling Stones, the Eagles, Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, Green Day and Billy Joel.

  • California Funds Nearly $1M in Grant Projects for Adoption of Sustainable Pest Management

    The California Department of Pesticide Regulation recently announced funding for three Alliance Grants to increase the speed and the scale at which safer, more sustainable pest management is adopted across the state.

    This year, DPR is investing more than $957,000 to fund three projects focused on pest management in affordable housing, and specialized training for urban and agricultural pest management professionals. Since 2007, DPR has awarded more than $8.7 million in Alliance Grants.

    DPR’s Alliance Grants Program funds projects that promote integrated pest management (IPM), which is an approach that uses the least-toxic, effective method to solve pest problems. Building on the existing practice of IPM, sustainable pest management (SPM) incorporates broader considerations of human health and social equity, environmental protections, and economic viability into pest management decisions. Previously funded Alliance Grants demonstrated strong partnerships, outreach or education to promote IPM and help execute the vision of the SPM Roadmap to expand the adoption of sustainable pest management tools and practices.

    “California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s Alliance Grants invest in programs that increase awareness, provide technical assistance and support knowledge sharing of integrated pest management,” said DPR Director Julie Henderson. “Our grantees this year build on the Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap’s call for outreach and education in both agricultural and urban settings to accelerate a systemwide transition to safer, sustainable practices.”

    Alliance Grant Projects:

    Decreasing pesticide use in affordable housing – $321,670

    Building on research conducted through a 2019 grant, Sraddha Mehta, Senior Environmental Justice Coordinator at the San Francisco Environment Department, will lead a team to develop an IPM model for affordable housing. This project will focus on increasing adoption of pest prevention techniques in affordable housing to reduce pest infestations and decrease pesticide use. The outreach will include trainings, recommendations and other assistance that can be distributed statewide.

    Urban SPM apprenticeship – $172,575

    Ryan Anderson, Sustainable Communities Manager at the IPM Institute of North America, will lead a team to develop an IPM apprenticeship program for urban pest management professionals. The program will provide training for prevention-based pest and weed control, and sustainable urban landscape design in Sacramento Valley, the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California.

    Agricultural SPM training – $463,313

    Jo Ann Baumgartner, Executive Director from Wild Farm Alliance, will provide SPM training for pest control professionals on soil nutrient management, supporting beneficial biodiversity and other projects specific to addressing pest pressures on California crops including almonds, mixed vegetables, strawberries, walnuts and wine grapes. The project will also build an online peer network where participants can share and access resources on effective, sustainable pest management.

    For more information on past recipients of DPR grants, or to learn more about grant applications, please visit DPR’s Grants Program webpage.

    For more information on the Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap, please visit DPR’s website.

    ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION

    The California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s mission is to protect human health and the environment by fostering safer and sustainable pest management practices and operating a robust regulatory system to monitor and manage the sale and use of pesticides across the state. DPR’s work includes registering all pesticides sold or used in California, conducting scientific evaluation of pesticides to assess and mitigate potential harm to human health or the environment, monitoring for pesticides in the air and water, and enforcing pesticide regulations in coordination with 55 County Agriculture Commissioners and their 500 field inspectors. DPR also conducts outreach to ensure pesticide workers, farmworkers and local communities have access to safety information. DPR invests in innovative research to encourage the development and adoption of integrated pest management tools and practices. More information about DPR can be found at www.cdpr.ca.gov.

  • New Database Helps Californians Understand Proposed Groundwater Plans Under SGMA

    To achieve groundwater sustainability under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, demand management – policies that encourage water conservation – will be necessary, says Ellen Bruno, University of California Cooperative Extension specialist in quantitative policy analysis at UC Berkeley.

    A key feature of the state’s approach to SGMA is that local groundwater sustainability agencies can develop their own plans for achieving sustainable groundwater use, allowing for local flexibility and experimentation.

    Reflecting the open-ended nature of the law, Groundwater Sustainability Plans across the state include a variety of water conservation strategies. Many, but not all, GSPs include tools such as allocations, taxes or fees, pumping restrictions, or efficiency incentives. Understanding these policy choices is important because they will influence the economic costs of SGMA.

    To help people understand groundwater sustainability plans for their area, Bruno and UC Berkeley Ph.D. student Arthur R. Wardle have created a database. They record and explain the demand management proposals made in the state’s 118 submitted groundwater sustainability plans and make these data publicly available in a new online platform called the SGMA Demand Management Action Database (SGMA-DMAD.com).

    “The site allows for bulk download of the data we collected,” Wardle said. “Users can also locate a specific groundwater sustainability agency on a map of California to see what demand management strategies that agency is proposing.”

    The Demand Management Action Database is the first easily navigated collection of the demand management strategies being proposed across California.

    Many GSPs include over 1,000 pages, reflecting the many criteria they are required to satisfy. Among these pages are discussions of hydrogeologic features of the relevant groundwater subbasin, projections of future water demands and supplies, water budgets and other information necessary for the development of an effective management plan. Only one small section of the GSP, usually taking up only about a dozen pages, explains the management actions the agency is proposing to achieve sustainability.

    “GSPs are an imperfect guide to what will actually happen as groundwater agencies implement SGMA,” Bruno said. “The plans laid out in GSPs are subject to change. However, submitted GSPs are the best publicly available evidence of what steps groundwater sustainability agencies plan to take in meeting their SGMA obligations.”

    GSPs often distinguish between plans that will definitely be undertaken and plans that are provisional, subject to external approvals, need for additional funding, or are simply being left in the planning stage due to uncertainty over future water needs. The Demand Management Action Database includes information distinguishing between plans that are or will be implemented, versus those that remain uncertain.

    “Some plans are still undergoing review and approval from the state,” Bruno said. “But even for the plans that have been approved, they have until 2040 to actually achieve their sustainability goals – or 2042 for basins not in critical overdraft – so I’m sure there will be adjustments to these proposals over time.”

    In evaluating the role of demand management in submitted GSPs, the authors categorized demand management actions into a few broad categories – allocations, taxes/fees, pumping restrictions and efficiency incentives – each with a good deal of variation within them.

    For each GSP, the Demand Management Action Database shows whether some policy fitting into each of these buckets is discussed in the GSP, along with details and page numbers for people wanting to know more about how a specific GSP is implementing each policy.

    For those wanting to conduct their own analysis, the site also includes a download button enabling the entire database to be accessed at once. This data is free to use with proper citation.

    Anyone interested in SGMA governance is invited to explore the site and send questions, comments or concerns to Arthur R. Wardle at arw@berkeley.edu.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings the power of UC to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu and support our work at donate.ucanr.edu.

  • Agriculture and Science vs. Climate Change

    An ancient proverb states that the longest journey begins with a single step. Now, a group with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has taken one such step in the worldwide struggle against climate change.

    Roger Thilmony, molecular biologist with the ARS Crop Improvement and Genetics Research unit in Albany, CA, and his team have developed a new variety of wheat that has shown modest improvements in the plant’s ability to withstand drought.

    “Global climate change is a grand challenge for agricultural production,” Thilmony said. “Drought is one of the primary stresses that limit crop productivity and cause economic losses. The creation of drought stress-tolerant crops, like wheat, is important to mitigate these problems and enable good agricultural yields, despite environmental challenges.”

    Thilmony’s team used advanced gene editing technology, known as CRISPR, to locate, isolate, and inactivate wheat’s six Sal1 genes. Sal1 encodes a protein that acts as a sensor of plant stress. When the gene is inactivated in some plants, they appear to have increased tolerance to drought, he explained.

    The result was a moderately successful crop of test plants.

    “The process was relatively efficient at producing the desired [results],” he said. “The modified wheat plants stayed green longer than unmodified wheat plants, but they did not produce more seed than the unmodified plants under drought conditions. That could be interpreted as a form of drought tolerance.”

    Wheat is one of the most widely grown crops in the world and is a critically important food source for its nutritional and health benefits.

    CRISPR gene editing technology is often used to speed up the process of selecting for agriculturally beneficial traits, cutting years – even decades – from the time it would take to produce them using traditional animal husbandry and plant breeding programs.

    “Gene editing can be applied to a wide array of crops, and it is possible that editing can be used in other plants to make them more drought stress-tolerant,” Thilmony said.

    While the project did not produce the “giant leap” of a lunar landing, it was a successful step in the right direction toward mitigating the effects of climate change.

    “Although we did not produce wheat plants that were more productive under drought stress, the research does demonstrate how gene editing is a powerful tool in testing ideas and determining if specific genes [like Sal1] play a role in the tolerance of crops to environmental stresses,” Thilmony said. – By Scott Elliott, USDA-ARS Office of Communications

  • UC Awards Brodt $2M to Advance Soil Health, Climate-Smart Farming Practices

    To accelerate adoption of climate-smart farming practices, the University of California Office of the President has awarded nearly $2 million to a team of UC Cooperative Extension scientists and community partners working on a network of farm demonstration sites. The project will be led by Sonja Brodt, coordinator for agriculture and environment at the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program. This UC Agriculture and Natural Resources project is one of 38 funded with $83.1 million allocated to UC by the State of California for climate action research and innovation.

    Scaling up soil health and other climate-smart agricultural practices to sequester carbon, increase water and nutrient use efficiency, and improve the resilience of farms to climate-related threats like drought and floods is a core pillar identified in California’s Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy.

    Climate-smart agriculture is a systems-based approach that requires localized adaptation across the diverse soils, cropping systems, socioeconomic and cultural contexts throughout California.

    Sonja Brodt

    “Our project will strengthen the nascent California Farm Demonstration Network for on-the-ground, regionally specific demonstration of a range of climate-smart practices,” said Brodt. “Regional farms will demonstrate practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, compost and mulch use, hedgerow planting, irrigation system optimization and more.”

    The $1,999,524 project will pilot a participatory partnership extension model that allows farmers to learn from their peers to reduce adoption risks and adapt knowledge to an ever-changing environment, increasing the likelihood of farmer success and accelerating long-term uptake of complex, place-specific practices.

    Building on the capacity of local trusted organizations, project collaborators will be organized in a hub-and-spoke network with three regional Farm Demonstration Hubs (Sacramento Valley, North Coast and Central Coast), a pilot Hmong/Mien Demonstration Hub, and a statewide Organic Demonstration Hub.

    Collaborators at each hub will be responsible for identifying and nurturing farm demonstration sites, and conducting demonstration trials and farmer-to-farmer outreach activities. Centralized organization and capacity building will be provided by UC SAREP, UC Organic Agriculture Institute, the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, and the California Farm Demonstration Network Advisory Panel.

    In addition to several UC Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists across the state, partners include the UC Hansen Research and Extension Center and the Rodale Institute California Organic Center, both in Ventura County, and the UC Climate Smart Agriculture Program. Eight Resource Conservation Districts will also be involved in leading Farm Demonstration Hubs.

    Hope Zabronsky of the UC Climate Smart Agriculture Program shows the importance of soil structure at a cover cropping workshop.

    The project will also conduct soil health assessment activities to inform soil health and resilience monitoring protocols in future research and extension efforts. Since many existing soil health metrics were designed for agroecosystems in the Midwest and Eastern U.S., this project aims to lay the groundwork for research to adapt soil health metrics to the arid and Mediterranean climates of California.

    “By utilizing relationships built between demonstration hub managers and demonstration farms across different cropping systems, we will gather quantitative and qualitative soil health data, information about growers’ management practices as well as their own perspectives of what they really need to know about their soils in order to better manage for climate resilience and mitigation,” said Brodt.

    Ultimately, the project partners aim to establish an enduring on-farm extension and research system that will help thousands of farmers adopt climate-smart practices tailored to their farms.

    Three other projects involving UC ANR researchers received California Climate Action Seed Grants and Matching Grants subawards:

    • Development of a hydrogel that can work as a soil amendment to help small-scale vegetable farms conserve water led by UC San Diego associate professor Shengqiang Cai with Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, UC Cooperative Extension small farms advisor and interim director of UC SAREP; Mallika Nocco, UC Cooperative Extension specialist; and Matthew Gilbert, UC Davis professor of whole plant physiology. $297,979
    • Development of a tool for predicting climate-water variation led by UC Irvine professor Isabella Velicogna with Tapan Pathak, UC Cooperative Extension specialist. $199,531
    • A study of urban stream corridors led by UC Davis professor Gregory Pasternack with Igor Lacan, UC Cooperative Extension environmental horticulture and urban forestry advisor. $33,824

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings the power of UC to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu.