California Ag Network

Tag: UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

  • UC ANR Hires Experts in Disaster Resilience, Food Systems, Economics & More

    To help Californians meet a variety of challenges in their lives and livelihoods, the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources has placed more UC Cooperative Extension experts with a wide range of skills and experience across the state.

    As California faces increasingly extreme weather and wildfires, UCCE has added two new positions to focus on disaster resilience. Other new UCCE specialists, advisors, coordinators and educators around the state are bringing to their communities a range of experience and expertise in environmental horticulture, agricultural economics, Indigenous food, youth development, forestry, food preservation, livestock and natural resources to their communities.

    Since 1914, UC Cooperative Extension researchers have been working directly with community members to develop science-based solutions on many pressing issues.

    Tymon brings environmental horticulture to UCCE in Inland Empire

    Lydia Tymon has joined UC Cooperative Extension as an environmental horticulture advisor serving San Bernardino and Riverside counties. She will be developing and extending horticultural knowledge in areas including climate-adapted landscape trees and integrated pest management to nursery, landscape and urban forestry professionals and community organizations.

    Tymon brings extensive experience in applied pathology and nursery production. She previously held research and leadership roles at Washington State University where her work focused on the management of fungal and bacterial pathogens and pests affecting vegetable and small fruit growers in the state.

    Most recently, she was the senior director of Bio R&D at Mast Reforestation, where she worked with nursery growers and foresters on projects focused on seedling survival, drought tolerance, and disease and pest management.

    She holds a Ph.D. in plant pathology from Washington State University, as well as a master’s degree in forestry and bachelor’s degree in botany, both from the University of Washington.

    Throughout her career, she has emphasized translating science into practical solutions and she is looking forward to applying that approach to her work in California.

    Tymon is based at the UCCE office in Riverside and can be reached at ltymon@ucanr.edu.

    Woodke joins UCCE Central Sierra as Indigenous disaster resilience advisor

    Robert “Bob” Woodke completed his Ph.D. in geography from UC Davis this summer and is now serving as the Indigenous disaster resilience advisor for UC ANR in the Central Sierra.

    Woodke conducted his doctoral research in Northern Senegal, where he helped pastoral women build forages to combat animal death in the face of drought. He also completed a master’s degree in community development at UC Davis and spent two and a half years in the Peace Corps in the West African countries of Mali and Benin.

    Woodke is interested in grassroots development, working with communities to meet their needs. According to Woodke, highlighting local ingenuity and rural/Indigenous voices is vital in countering ineffective development and is central to his extension strategy. He is excited to understand and improve disaster resilience while building community-serving projects.

    Originally from Humboldt County, Woodke is now based in Sonora and says he is “stoked to be in the beautiful Central Sierra and ready to engage with the community.”

    Woodke can be contacted at rlwoodke@ucanr.edu.

    Schmidt joins UCCE as food systems advisor for Los Angeles, Ventura counties

    Li Schmidt has joined UC Cooperative Extension as a food systems advisor serving Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

    Schmidt brings a diverse range of experiences to the position, including being a small-scale grower and founder of Cultural Roots Nursery, a plant nursery that produces culturally relevant foods for Asian diaspora communities.

    Prior to joining UC ANR, Schmidt worked as a research-based podcaster and storyteller, covering food and agriculture issues in California. As a farmer and community educator, she created culturally responsive garden and farm workshops and curriculum geared towards young and beginning growers.

    Schmidt also served on the farmer governance board at the California Farmer Justice Collaborative, where she organized and advocated for underserved farmers and ranchers on a statewide level.   

    As a graduate student, Schmidt worked with the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP) and is excited to return to UC ANR to support growers and food justice efforts in the counties she serves.

    She holds a master’s degree in community development with a focus on sustainable food systems from UC Davis.

    Li is based at the UCCE office in Ventura County and can be reached at lschmidt@ucanr.edu.

    Chávez hired as Indigenous food sovereignty advisor in San Diego, Riverside counties

    Marisela Chávez is a Chicana environmental social scientist with a passion for work centered on Native and Indigenous ancestral foodways, biocultural heritage stewardship and social justice.

    As a UCCE Indigenous food sovereignty advisor in San Diego and Riverside counties, Chávez is building an applied research and extension program in collaboration with Native American tribes, tribal communities and tribe-serving organizations across Southern California.

    Chávez has worked in conservation projects and conducted research across the Americas, from Mexico to Brazil, to deepen her understanding of how food connects people; the relationships that are ingrained in all of the ways that food is produced, acquired, eaten and shared; and community-centered food sovereignty initiatives.

    Most recently, her research in southern Mexico focused on understanding how two Indigenous communities navigated climate change impacts on the production and availability of native crops and wild foods.

    Chávez earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, an master’s degree in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from the University of Kansas, and a Ph.D. in forest and conservation science from the University of Montana.

    Chávez is based in San Diego and can be reached at mvez@ucanr.edu.

    Guillen becomes 4-H advisor for San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties

    Melissa Guillen has taken a new position with UC ANR as a 4-H youth development advisor serving San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

    In February, Guillen joined UC Cooperative Extension as the academic coordinator for the CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE program, part of the federally funded SNAP-Ed program that is ending.

    Prior to joining UCCE, she served as chief operating officer at Backyard Bowls, where she led strategic growth, operations and team development. Previously, she managed youth and nutrition programs at the San Luis Obispo Food Bank, focusing on food literacy, food security initiatives and public health advocacy. Her expertise spans program development, business strategy and cross-sector collaboration.

    Beyond her professional work, Guillen is deeply involved in her community. She serves as chair of the board of directors for Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara and as president of the board for Standing Together to End Sexual Assault. She was also a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Luis Obispo County, a foster parent and an exchange student host – roles that reflect her dedication to creating safe, supportive environments where young people can thrive.

    She holds a master’s degree in nutrition from Meredith College and a bachelor’s degree in animal science from North Carolina State University.

    Guillen is based at the UCCE office in San Luis Obispo and can be reached at mpguillen@ucanr.edu.

    Rocha joins UC ANR as agricultural economics specialist

    Adauto Rocha Jr. has joined UC ANR as an assistant professor of Cooperative Extension in the UC Santa Cruz Economics Department.

    Rocha is an agricultural economist specializing in production economics and policy evaluation for small and family farms.

    At UC ANR, Rocha’s program will focus on the impact evaluation of policies and social programs, cost studies, and the development of accessible digital tools to support profitability, resilience and equitable rural development across California’s small-farm sector. In his new role, he is most excited about strengthening small-farm community resilience and competitiveness and contributing to more sustainable food systems.

    “I look forward to contributing to this mission and collaborating with colleagues, producers and stakeholders across California,” Rocha said.

    Rocha’s research has focused on production economics and the evaluation of agricultural and environmental policies. He has published in journals such as The Review of Income and Wealth and The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, and contributed to major reports for the World Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and Brazilian ministries.

    Much of his work centers on family farming and conservation, with an emphasis on understanding how policies and practices shape economic outcomes and resilience in rural communities.

    Before joining UC ANR, he was an assistant extension professor at the University of Missouri, Columbia, where he conducted research and outreach on livestock economics, conservation programs and risk-management tools.

    He holds two doctoral degrees – one in applied economics from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, and another in agricultural economics from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, where he received the J.B. Hassler Ph.D. Research Citation for outstanding research in agricultural economics.

    Rocha is based at UC Santa Cruz and can be reached at arochajr@ucsc.edu.

    Quintana joins the forestry team in Shasta, Trinity and Siskiyou counties

    Camila Quintana Del Carpio has joined UC Cooperative Extension as a forestry and natural resources advisor for Shasta, Trinity and Siskiyou counties. She serves as a resource for forestland owners, professional foresters and anyone else interested in the management of California’s forest resources.

    Quintana brings a wide range of skills from seven years of working for private industry and forestry consulting companies. She began her career marking timber, flagging watercourses and cruising for carbon projects, and grew into managing the reforestation program on 168,000 acres of timberland for FWS Forestry. She is a licensed pest control adviser and a California Registered Professional Forester (RPF #3192).

    In May, she completed a master’s degree in forest resources, with an emphasis on forest business, at the University of Georgia. Her studies at the University of Georgia gave her the foundational business skills used by premier timber companies and insight into forestry practices from the leading lumber producing region of the United States. She holds a bachelor’s degree in forestry and environmental science from UC Berkeley.

    With a passion for reforestation, Quintana has participated in the Forest Vegetation Management Conference and the California Forest Pest Council, where she explored new opportunities for fundraising and chaired the committee for the annual woods tour.

    Quintana, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, brings a fresh perspective to Northern California forestry as an immigrant from Peru. With her fluency in Spanish, she has fostered connections with migrant reforestation workers, enhancing inclusiveness in California forestry.

    “I am looking forward to working with forest landowners, registered professional foresters, agencies and others interested in forestry and natural resources,” she said.

    Quintana is based at the UC Cooperative Extension office in Redding and can be reached at caquintana@ucanr.edu

    Vigil joins UCCE as livestock and natural resources advisor for Shasta, Trinity counties

    Justin Vigil joined UC Cooperative Extension as the livestock and natural resources advisor for Shasta and Trinity counties.

    Vigil, who grew up on Dixie Valley Ranch in Lassen County, southeast of McArthur, succeeds Larry Forero, who retired.

    Vigil earned a bachelor’s degree in business economics from California State University, East Bay. Under the tutelage of Kasey DeAtley, Chico State University professor of animal science, Vigil conducted graduate research investigating bovine bone degradation in livestock mortality compost.

    After earning a master’s degree in regenerative agriculture, Vigil found work not behind a desk, but on the back of a horse.

    “For the last year, I worked for a horse trainer in Red Bluff and as a day worker on various ranches where I learned valuable lessons in horsemanship and forged connections with ranchers which will serve me in this new role,” Vigil said.

    “As I step into this position, I am excited to meet individuals of the livestock and natural resources community, listen to questions or concerns, and develop research projects that provide conclusions that will improve the stewardship of livestock and natural resources,” he added.

    Vigil is based at the UC Cooperative Extension office in Redding and can be reached at jusvigil@ucanr.edu and (530) 224-4900.

    Thaoxaochay becomes UCCE disaster resiliency, planning and policy advisor

    Lilian Thaoxaochay is now the UC Cooperative Extension disaster resiliency, planning and policy advisor for San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

    She joined UC ANR in 2021, working with the UCCE Small Farms team in Fresno County. For four years, she provided technical assistance for small-scale growers affected by COVID-19 and various extreme weather conditions including drought and flood. She also assisted with research on specialty crop production projects including long beans, moringa and jujubes.

    Thaoxaochay, whose family has a 20-acre farm in Fresno County, also provided program support and Hmong translation for irrigation efficiency, integrated pest management and soil health education.

    She holds a master’s degree in anthropology from UC Santa Cruz and bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Stanford University. She has a background in community organizing, policy, racial/ethnic health disparities and cultural competency in medical education, curriculum development, the history of agriculture in Southeast Asia, and refugee and immigrant farming in California.

    Thaoxaochay is based in San Luis Obispo and can be reached at lilthaox@ucanr.edu.

    Matteucci joins UC Master Food Preservers

    Kelsie Matteucci joined UC ANR as a community education supervisor for the UC Master Food Preserver Program. She supports the statewide program manager and county coordinators in training volunteers and implementing educational programs across California.

    Matteucci holds a master’s degree in climate science and policy from Scripps Institute of Oceanography and a bachelor’s degree in sustainability from San Diego State University.

    She has dedicated her career to exploring sustainable food systems and sharing this knowledge with learners of all ages, emphasizing the benefits of local, seasonal eating.

    Her background includes work with small-scale agricultural operations and educational cooking programs, experiences that have sharpened her food preservation skills. She has led a variety of community classes and events focused on building kitchen confidence, increasing food literacy and preserving the seasonal harvest in diverse ways.

    Matteucci is committed to expanding and strengthening farm to fork and food preservation education across the state.

    Matteucci is based in Davis at the UC ANR building and can be reached at kmatteucci@ucanr.edu.

    Mashiri brings livestock and natural resources expertise to Central Coast

    Fadzayi Elizabeth Mashiri is now UC Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources advisor for San Benito, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.

    For the past 12 years, Mashiri has served as county director and UCCE livestock and natural resources advisor for Mariposa and Merced counties, where she helped land managers and ranchers increase their economic viability and ecological sustainability.

    Her work included projects on weed management, impacts of rangeland conversion, ecosystem services payment for working rangelands, fire risk-reduction using grazing and prescribed fire and integrated livestock grazing in orchard systems.

    Before joining UC ANR, Mashiri was a senior research specialist at the University of Arizona where she studied adaptive grazing and collaborative management strategies to promote rangeland resilience and productivity. She launched her career as a lecturer and senior agricultural extension officer in Zimbabwe, which sparked her passion for community-based extension work.

    Mashiri holds a Ph.D. in rangeland management from the University of Arizona, a master’s degree in management of natural resources and sustainable agriculture from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from University of Zimbabwe.

    “In the coming months, I am excited to meet with ranchers, land managers and partners across the region,” Mashiri said. “I look forward to learning about local needs and priorities and using that insight to develop relevant, practical, research-based programs that directly support land managers and ranchers in the region.”

    Mashiri is based at the San Benito County office in Hollister and can be contacted at fmashiri@ucanr.edu and (831) 637 5346, Ext. 103. You can follow her work on the Livestock & Range blog at https://ucanr.edu/blog/livestock-range.

    Diaz joins EFNEP team in Contra Costa County

    Mariana Diaz joined the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program in Contra Costa County as a youth nutrition educator.

    After graduating from UC Davis with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and management and a minor in education, she spent several years in a variety of educator roles, such as a sixth grade outdoor school naturalist, an environmental science educator at Yosemite National Park and an after-school STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) teacher for K-6 girls.

    Diaz is based in Concord and can be reached at mxdiaz@ucanr.edu.

    Fatino joins UCCE as subtropical crop advisor

    Matthew Fatino joined UC Cooperative Extension as the subtropical crop advisor for San Diego and Riverside counties.

    Fatino, who grew up in Southern California, earned a bachelor’s degree in crop and fruit science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he worked in the citrus and avocado groves on campus. After graduating from Cal Poly, he earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. at UC Davis in horticulture and agronomy with an emphasis in weed science.

    During the past six years at UC Davis, Fatino focused on branched broomrape management in California processing tomatoes, as well as evaluating weed management strategies in a variety of tree and vine crops in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys.

    Fatino looks forward to sharpening his horticultural, entomology and pathology skills to meet the needs and challenges faced by growers in San Diego and Riverside counties.

    Fatino is based at the UCCE San Diego office and can be contacted at mfatino@ucanr.edu or (949) 466-6288.

    Singh joins UCCE as agronomy advisor for Capitol Corridor

    Mandeep Singh joined UC Cooperative Extension as the agronomy advisor for Sacramento, Solano and Yolo counties.

    Singh completed a Ph.D. in agronomy and horticulture with a specialization in weed science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he focused on herbicide interactions, water use and the management of volunteer corn.

    He continued there as a postdoctoral researcher, working on integrated strategies for managing herbicide-resistant weeds and developing an open-access image database to support site-specific weed management technologies.

    “From an early age, I was involved in managing row crops like alfalfa, wheat, cotton, rice, sorghum and oats, as well as caring for livestock, on my family’s farm,” Singh said.

    “As someone new to the area, I am excited to make the most of every opportunity to learn, collaborate and work with all of you,” he added. “Over the next couple of months, I’ll be spending time learning about the area and connecting with growers, pest control advisers, farm managers and the broader community to better understand the needs of agronomic cropping systems in our region.”

    He encourages colleagues and stakeholders to reach out with ideas, insights, requests, suggestions or questions as he begins setting priorities for his new role.

    “I look forward to collaborating on a research and extension program that reflects local needs and addresses challenges in agronomic crops such as corn, safflower, alfalfa, dry beans, hybrid seed production, wheat and other small grains – while delivering practical, relevant, and impactful solutions,” Singh said.

    Singh is based at the UCCE Capitol Corridor office in Woodland and can be contacted at mdpsingh@ucanr.edu or (530) 666-8704. His social media handle is @uc_agron on X and Instagram.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, economic growth, nutrition 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.

  • Growers & Landscapers Invited to California Nursery Conference Sept. 10-11

    Nursery owners and landscapers – do you know about the latest invasive pest lurking in greenhouses? Are you getting the most efficiency out of your irrigation systems? What are you doing to protect your plants from the next record-breaking heat wave?

    Scientists from University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources will address these pressing questions and other research findings at the 2025 California Nursery Conference on Sept. 10-11 at the Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula.

    For more than 40 years, this conference has assembled UC researchers to catch horticultural business owners up to speed on science that can influence their bottom line.

    The first day of the conference will feature seminars, demonstrations and poster sessions in English and Spanish. Day two will offer hands-on experiences, with attendees invited to tour local nurseries, greenhouses and landscapes. Stops will include Seaside Gardens, Boething Treeland and more.

    To see the agenda and register, visit https://ucnfa.ucdavis.edu/events/california-nursery-conference-2025.

    During last year’s California Nursery Conference, growers demonstrated plant propagation and pest management practices in greenhouses. Photo by Saoimanu Sope.

    Photo Caption: During last year’s California Nursery Conference, growers demonstrated plant propagation and pest management practices in greenhouses. Photo by Saoimanu Sope.

    Tapping into low-water landscaping

    Nursery agriculture is a billion-dollar industry in California, generating more value than processing tomatoes or broiler chickens. It’s also diverse in its products, including backyard citrus trees, flower bouquets or native plants used for habitat restoration.

    Despite the industry’s size and broad offerings, there are some challenges all nursery growers must contend with, says UC Cooperative Extension horticulture advisor and conference organizer Gerardo Spinelli. Water is at the top of that list.

    “Whether you grow a dieffenbachia in a big greenhouse, or you grow an agave outdoors, you need to irrigate it. There’s no way out of it in California,” Spinelli said. “Irrigation efficiency is something that is relevant for everybody.”

    “Low-water” plants and landscapes are a hot topic for discussion in this drought-prone state, and this conference taps into the issue. Seminar topics will include water retention in various substrates, managing pathogens in recirculating irrigation systems and advice on successfully managing a low-water landscape.

    Knowledge exchange goes both ways – input shared by horticultural professionals may inspire the next research projects taken on by UC scientists. Spinelli is looking forward to this social aspect of the conference and hopes to understand the market pressures growers may be facing. For example: which flowers are selling well this year? Which are out of fashion?

    “Nursery and floriculture is an industry that is always very dynamic…the trends are fast,” Spinelli said. “You are more picky when you choose something that has to do with beauty.”

    The event is intended to meet growers’ specific needs, while offering broad value to more general audiences as well. In fact, the conference agenda was developed to include issues facing landscaping professionals, according to Natalie Levy, UC Cooperative Extension soil health and organic materials management advisor.

    Levy is looking forward to the landscaping session, which will include a talk highlighting the market demands and extreme climate conditions weighing on nursery growers and landscapers alike. Growers may want to consider selling plants that have been evaluated through research as being high performing under low-water treatments, such as those Blue Ribbon Winners identified in the UC Landscape Plant Irrigation Trials. That recognition from scientists could be a marketable quality.

    “This information just gives another edge of marketability to the grower,” Levy said.

    The California Nursery Conference 2025 will have hands-on learning components, including demonstrations and field trips. Photo by Saoimanu Sope.

    Photo Caption: The California Nursery Conference 2025 will have hands-on learning components, including demonstrations and field trips. Photo by Saoimanu Sope.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices 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.

    To read more UC ANR news, visit our newsroom at ucanr.edu/News.

    Follow @UCANR on LinkedIn, Instagram, X (Twitter), Bluesky, Threads and Facebook.

  • New Video Series to Sharpen Skills of California Vegetable Growers

    To train new people to work with California specialty crops and update the skills of current workers, educators from University of California, Davis and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, Fresno State, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Chico State and five California community colleges are producing educational videos. The training video series is available to the public for free on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@jeffreymitchell759/playlists.

    “As California’s farmers age, shortages of suitably trained agricultural workers increase, and workers increasingly come from non-farming backgrounds, the role of agricultural colleges in teaching both the theory and practice of agriculture is key today,” said Jeff Mitchell, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis.

    “The average age of agricultural producers in California is currently about 59.2 years,” said Mitchell, who is based at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier in Fresno County. “Therefore, there is an urgent need to encourage and recruit young people into agriculture to sustain current and future production.”

    It is also vitally important that those entering the workforce receive adequate training in current production practices of the state’s particularly dynamic specialty crop industries.

    “In response to the growing demand for online education following COVID-19, I have strategically incorporated YouTube video clips – particularly those produced by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources – into my course material to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes,” said Sophia Marin, Bakersfield College adjunct professor. “One of the greatest challenges in teaching agriculture in a virtual setting is the inherently hands-on nature of the industry.”

    Marin has been using videos produced a few years ago. The video curriculum series currently being developed includes integrated weed management, postharvest technology, crop breeding, microgreen production, soil management, labor and specialized farm machinery.

    Many key concepts, especially those related to plant pathology and crop management, are difficult to fully convey through traditional textbooks or static images alone, Marin noted.

    “To address this gap, I began supplementing my lectures with real-time video recordings captured during farm visits, with the consent of local growers,” she said. “These video clips provide students with invaluable exposure to real-world agricultural practices and allow them to observe phenomena such as plant diseases – including Southern Blight – in a way that is far more dynamic and informative than text-based descriptions.”

    “Through visual media, students can see subtle distinctions in plant symptoms, understand how and why spores develop, and gain deeper insight into diagnostic and treatment processes,” Marin noted.

    In addition to addressing current practices, the training video series also anticipates the challenges that producers will face.

    Vegetable farmers – who tend to have greater labor needs than many in other agricultural sectors – face mounting worker shortages and need to modernize their farm workforce.

    “Vegetable production systems need to be dynamic to keep pace with unpredictable economic, social, environmental and regulatory changes,” Mitchell said. “These systems must continually adapt to innovations and must have a workforce that understands and can implement ever-changing technologies.”

    Visiting farms and viewing videos give Bakersfield College students a clearer idea of the kinds of jobs they would like to pursue, according to Marin.

    “These professionally produced clips complement textbook topics such as urban agriculture, propagation, transplanting and field packing, offering students a visual context that supports their understanding of the material,” Marin said. “What I have noticed is these resources promote active learning: students tend to engage more deeply in discussion boards via Canvas, conduct independent research to supplement course content, and demonstrate increased confidence in both their academic progress and career aspirations.”

    Development of the teaching modules to train workers for California’s vegetable crops industry is funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The videos will be used and rigorously evaluated by the four universities and five community colleges that serve as key conduits for agricultural workers to the state’s vegetable production regions.

    The first training video of the new series, “Contemporary and future approaches to plant breeding,” is available. New videos will be added at https://www.youtube.com/@jeffreymitchell759/playlists weekly until the 25-part series is complete.

    Other project partners include Madera College, Merced College, Santa Rosa Community College, Hartnell College and Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association in Salinas.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, economic growth, nutrition 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.

  • Farm Robotics Challenge Awards to Spotlight Next Generation of Ag Innovation

    Winners of the 2025 Farm Robotics Challenge Awards will be announced on May 8. UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems will host a virtual awards ceremony on Thursday, May 8, at 2-3 p.m. PDT. The event will celebrate student teams who have developed cutting-edge robotic solutions to address real-world farming challenges.

    The ceremony will announce winners from more than 20 participating colleges and universities across the United States and internationally. Over the past several months, these teams have designed innovative solutions leveraging robotics, artificial intelligence and automation. Competition projects addressed critical farming issues such as autonomous navigation, advanced data collection, harvesting assistance, weeding and more.

    “What makes this challenge unique is its focus on practical solutions developed in partnership with actual growers,” said Kelly Scott, competition director. “The innovative solutions these students have developed demonstrate the incredible potential for technology to transform farming and address pressing challenges facing farmers today.”

    The 2025 competition will award over $50,000 in prizes across multiple categories, including the prestigious $20,000 Innovation Award sponsored by farm-ng and Western Growers. Additional awards will recognize excellence in productivity, regenerative agriculture, small farm applications and judges’ choice categories. Select teams will also receive travel stipends to attend FIRA USA 2025, North America’s leading ag tech conference, and will have the opportunity to pitch at the Plug and Play Tech Center Summit in June.

    Now in its third year, the annual competition continues to expand in scope and impact. Previous winners include UC Davis’s Team Amiggie, which designed a robot to assist human pickers and monitor risky postures, and Olin College of Engineering’s Team PhoenixBot, an autonomous mechanical weeding system built to support smallholder farmers.

    The Farm Robotics Challenge aims to inspire students to pursue careers in agriculture while helping farmers solve real-world challenges through emerging technologies. Participating teams include undergraduate and graduate students from both two-year and four-year institutions.

    The awards ceremony will be livestreamed on the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/kW1BEKtYkwE.  For more information about the competition and to watch the ceremony, visit www.farmroboticschallenge.ai.

    PhoenixBot, last year’s grand prize winner, is an autonomous mechanical weeding machine.

    About the Farm Robotics Challenge

    The Farm Robotics Challenge is organized by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems, with support from technology partner and sponsor Farm-ng, as well as Western Growers, F3 Innovate, Beck’s Hybrids, Google.org, Taylor Farms, the California Tomato Research Institute, Linak, and Plug and Play. The competition challenges college-level teams to identify and solve real-world agricultural problems using advanced robotics technology.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, economic growth, nutrition 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.

  • New UCANR Climate Scientist to Deliver Keynote at Upcoming Irrigation Conference

    Daniel Swain joined University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources on Nov. 1 as a climate scientist in the California Institute for Water Resources. Swain studies the changing character, causes and impacts of extreme weather and climate events on a warming planet – with a particular focus on the physical processes leading to droughts, floods and wildfires.

    “We are very excited to have Daniel Swain join UC ANR,” said Glenda Humiston, UC vice president for agriculture and natural resources. “He brings a unique blend of skills and expertise that are crucial to meet the challenge of climate change, here in California and across the globe. Daniel’s research – and his ability to clearly explain the latest findings in climate science – can equip fellow academics, policymakers and communities with the vital tools they need to forge effective and sustainable solutions.”

    Swain is known for his exceptional science communication skills, explaining weather and climate in terms easily understood by the public.

    “I spend a great deal of time engaging directly with the public in California and beyond on weather, climate and disaster-related topics, so I’m thrilled to be joining UC ANR—where broad dissemination of research-based information is a key part of the mission,” Swain said. “I’m grateful for ANR’s support for my unusual hybrid climate research and science communication role, and look forward to helping expand ANR’s virtual and statewide reach in the years to come.”

    In November, Swain was named one of Vox’s Future Perfect 50 – “the thinkers, activists and scholars working on solutions to today’s (and tomorrow’s) biggest problems.” Vox wrote: “Our communities and institutions are largely unequipped to fully understand, let alone deal with, the impacts of climate change. That’s where climate experts should, theoretically, come in. But knowing the science is one thing – being able to effectively communicate it is a whole other ballpark. Climate scientist Daniel Swain is that desperately needed liaison.”

    On his widely read Weather West blog, Swain has been sharing his perspectives on California weather and climate since 2006. He hosts regular “virtual office hours” for the public on YouTube. On X/Twitter, he has more than 101,000 followers.

    The “Weather Whisperer” fields hundreds of calls from reporters every year and has been the single most-quoted expert in recent years at UCLA, where he was a climate scientist in the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. Last year, when Swain was seeking institutional support that would allow him to do science communication as well as research, a Los Angeles Times columnist wrote, “I certainly rely on Swain and other scientists to tell environmental stories.”

    The term “Ridiculously Resilient Ridge” was coined in 2013 by Swain on his Weather West blog to describe the large, formidable high-pressure mass that persisted over the West Coast during winter and diverted storms away from California, contributing to the state’s 2013-2017 drought.

    Before joining UC ANR, Swain, who grew up in the Bay Area, was at UCLA and held a concurrent appointment as a research fellow in the Capacity Center for Climate and Weather Extremes at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research since 2018. While holding a 100% appointment with UC ANR, he will maintain his associations with UCLA and NSF NCAR.

    Swain holds a Ph.D. in Earth system science from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in atmospheric science from UC Davis.

    He will be the keynote speaker at the California Irrigation Institute’s annual conference on Jan. 27 in Sacramento. His talk is titled “Drier and Wetter in 21st Century California? Managing Increasing Hydroclimate Whiplash in a Warming World.”

    In addition to posting on his blog at weatherwest.com, Swain is also on Twitter/X @Weather_West, Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/weatherwest.bsky.social, YouTube https://youtube.com/@weatherwest, Threads https://threads.net/@weather.west and Mastodon https://mastodon.social/@weatherwest.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, economic growth, nutrition 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.

  • Preparing Soil for Winter can Protect Soil Health

    Farmers placed clumps of soil into metal mesh baskets, submerged the baskets into jars of water, then watched to see if their soil held together. The slake test, conducted at the Soil Health Field Day in Woodland, measured soil health. Healthier soil, which contains more organic matter and bioactivity and can better support plant growth, stays intact.

    “Participants said that it was particularly useful to see the slake test on a variety of soils to better understand the nuance of how soil health management practices such as cover cropping and reduction of tillage intensity could affect soil aggregation,” said Sonja Brodt, UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program coordinator for agriculture and environment, who attended the field day alongside Vivian Wauters, SAREP project scientist.

    Katharina Ullman, Organic Agriculture Institute training and technical assistance coordinator, left, and field day participant view results of soil health test.

    Technical assistance providers, farmers and other soil health professionals gathered at the Center for Land-Based Learning on Nov. 19 to learn about preparing soil for winter with a specific focus on how soil health impacts soil structure, as well as the ability for water to move through soil as opposed to puddling or running off a field.

    “Soil with stable aggregates can withstand this submersion and stay intact, whereas a soil with poor aggregation will fall apart in the water,” Wauters explained.

    This in-field test can produce dramatically different results, where poorly aggregated soil colors the water, while the stable, aggregated soil will leave the water column relatively clear.

    Farmers were invited to bring their own soil samples to perform slake tests at the field day. Kabir Zahangir, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service regional soil health specialist, compared soils from different management practices and discussed how to assess aggregate stability and soil water infiltration.

    Margaret Lloyd, UC Cooperative Extension small farms advisor for the Capitol Corridor, and Lindsey Kelley, UCCE small farms community education specialist, discussed regional benchmarks for soil health.

    Attendees also heard from experienced growers Scott Park of Park Farming Organics and Andrew Brait of Full Belly Farm, who described how they assess soil health on their farms.

    By collaborating with others, Brodt said farmers and researchers are achieving benefits through learning together in real time. “We will also be able to benefit from aggregating soils data from across regions to begin to develop a statewide soil health database, which is a critical step in order for researchers to be able to determine relationships between farming practices and soil health outcomes under California conditions in the future,” she said.

    Lindsey Kelley discussed regional benchmarks for soil health.

    Slake tests can be performed on soil from one’s own backyard, garden or farm to better understand the health of the soil. Additionally, the NRCS principles of soil health – minimized disturbance, maximized biodiversity, maximized soil cover and maximized living roots – can be applied across all scales, though the specific practices will vary based on the type of yard or farm as well as the local climate and soil type.

    Brodt and Wauters, who coordinate the California Farm Demonstration Network, emphasize that it’s important to have local examples of innovative conservation practices across the state so people can see what is working to protect and enhance the soil health in their specific region. They encourage farmers and technical assistance providers to visit https://www.calfarmdemo.org/ to find local farms that are showcasing innovative practices. Farmers interested in being a farm demonstration site are also encouraged to contact Brodt (sbbrodt@ucanr.edu) and Wauters (vwauters@ucanr.edu).

    They hope to continue to support the learning and sharing of knowledge around climate-smart farming practices to help California’s farmers adopt climate beneficial practices.

    “CDFA has funding programs, such as their Healthy Soils grants, that farmers in our network can apply for to help cover the costs of implementing soil health practices,” Brodt said.

    Current work on the California Farm Demonstration Network is funded through a University of California Office of the President Climate Action Grant. — By Judith Eppele, UCANR

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, economic growth, nutrition 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.

  • UCANR Adds New Advisors/Specialists All Over California

    As California faces new challenges, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources has been hiring UC Cooperative Extension experts with different skills to help Californians across the state, including residents in urban areas.

    Recently hired UC Cooperative Extension specialists, advisors and coordinators bring expertise in youth development, pest management, healthy families, soil health, urban water quality, urban agriculture, animal science, woody biomass and forest products, small farms, livestock and innovation for small food-related businesses to their communities.

    To better connect Californians with research developed at UC campuses, UC ANR has hired its first UCCE specialist based at UC Irvine.

    Since 1914, UC Cooperative Extension researchers have been working directly with community members to improve their lives and livelihoods.

    To see a list of UC Cooperative Extension experts who have joined in the past few months, visit https://ucanr.edu/About/DirectorySearch/Recent_Hires. The most recently hired scientists are introduced below.

    Berris to advise on water management, soil health in northern Bay Area

    Helaine Berris joined UC Agriculture and Natural Resources on Nov. 4 as the UC Cooperative Extension water and soil advisor for Sonoma, Marin, Napa and Mendocino counties. Berris will conduct research and extension activities that promote sustainable, innovative and economically viable on-farm water management.

    “My program will be shaped around practices that help agricultural producers improve water efficiency and soil health, meet local regulations and adapt to environmental extremes,” Berris explained. “This may include soil health practices to improve water-holding capacity, irrigation management, research around soil-plant-water dynamics and more.”

    Originally from northern Nevada, Berris attained her bachelor’s degree in eco-hydrology from University of Nevada, Reno. She went on to earn a master’s in hydrologic sciences – and another master’s in international agricultural development – from UC Davis, where she studied farmer needs in water-stressed basins and soil-water dynamics in cover-cropped rice systems.

    Her career path included some time at an agricultural technology company and four years as a teacher in China and Spain. Most recently, Berris worked as a soil conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Seattle.

    “I love working on applied projects that have tangible outcomes, and working with passionate people,” Berris said. “I’m constantly inspired by the many incredible scientists, partners and producers working in this space – and it’s a great feeling when we can all combine our strengths for a common goal.”

    Berris said she looks forward to developing collaborations with clientele and community members to solve challenges across Sonoma, Marin, Napa and Mendocino counties.

    “My main career goal is that my work is relevant to the local community; for me, that’s what being an advisor is all about – to live and work in a few counties, where I can focus my energy on really understanding the nitty-gritty of the water/agriculture challenges at a local scale,” Berris said. “These challenges will be continuously changing, which will require me to be constantly learning and adapting – but that’s the fun of the job.”

    Based in Santa Rosa at the UCCE office for Sonoma County, Berris can be reached at hmberris@ucanr.edu or (707) 565-2621.

    Belt to improve family, community health along North Coast

    Grace Belt joined UC Agriculture and Natural Resources on Nov. 1 as the UC Cooperative Extension youth, families and communities advisor for Humboldt and Del Norte counties. She will be designing, delivering and evaluating programs that alleviate local challenges surrounding food security, health, and youth and community development.

    “I am responsible for providing leadership and research expertise in nutrition and youth development, as well as providing academic oversight of the local 4-H Youth Development Program and the local Expanded Food Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP),” Belt said. “I have lived in Humboldt for many years and am excited to make a difference in a community that means so much to me.”

    While earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Cal Poly Humboldt, Belt became interested in research related to the improvement of communities large and small – which motivated her to pursue a master’s in psychology from the same school.

    “The focus of my research projects, both qualitative and quantitative, has been on community success, economic development and social motivations for human behavior,” Belt said.

    Equipped with that academic foundation, Belt is excited to share her perspective and partner with people and organizations along the North Coast to improve lives and livelihoods.

    “I’ve always aspired to a position that allows me to bridge the gap between research and community improvement strategies,” Belt explained. “In this advisor role, I can bring novel, evidence-based solutions and strategies to challenges facing my community.”

    Belt is based at the UC Cooperative Extension office in Eureka and can be reached at kbelt@ucanr.edu.

    Daly joins 4-H as community education specialist in Alameda County

    Tanya Daly joined UC ANR on Oct. 23 as the community education specialist for the 4-H Youth Development Program in Alameda County.

    The long-time 4-H volunteer is excited about being involved again with 4-H. A former homeschooling parent, Daly said her focus has been on education.

    Daly earned a bachelor’s degree in art history at San Francisco State University and recently completed her master’s degree in museum studies with an emphasis on education and public programming at San Francisco State University. She is interested in applying that background to educating children through 4-H.

    Daly is based at the Hayward office and can be reached at tdaly@ucanr.edu.

    Sung-Jereczek named UCCE’s first beneficial burning and tribal land stewardship advisor

    Ally Sung-Jereczek joined UC Cooperative Extension on Oct. 1 as the first beneficial burning and tribal land stewardship advisor for Mendocino and Lake counties.

    In this new role, Sung-Jereczek will be working alongside tribes to help identify needs and build capacity towards long-term sustainable land stewardship goals that align with the tribes cultural, social, and economic priorities.

    She is currently working on connecting and listening to each of the tribes throughout the region. She hopes to build relationships to provide tools, resources and funding opportunities for partnerships among tribes, state agencies, private landowners, organizations and policymakers to support beneficial burning, climate adaptation planning and resiliency projects.

    Born and raised on Muwekma Ohlone land in the East Bay Area, Sung-Jereczek always had an interest in humans and their connections to place and the environment. She earned a bachelor’s degree in geography and conservation biology at UCLA.

    Following graduation, she worked as an environmental planner and wildlife biologist. “I began to notice how our personal connections to the land shape our perspectives and define our decision-making,” she said.

    Sung-Jereczek earned her master’s degree at the University of Michigan, working on an interdisciplinary degree at the School for Environment and Sustainability specializing in environmental justice, behavior change, communication and ecosystem science management.

    Her graduate research primarily focused on community-based participatory research and strengthening university and tribal partnerships alongside the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, facilitating listening circles and developing an ecological assessment that would support the priorities of the tribe for stewardship of the Chase Osborn Preserve (~3,000 acres of hemiboreal forest) located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She also worked on the Western Forest Fire Initiative at Michigan studying the relationship between wildfire, forests and communities in a changing climate as a social-ecological system.

    “I am looking forward to going beyond checking the regulatory box set by federal and state regulators and working towards building reciprocal relationships rooted in cultural humility, respect and responsibility,” Sung-Jereczek said. “Although I understand the current fear and trauma of fire that climate change and fire suppression regimes have caused, I also hope to empower communities and shift the ways in which we currently think, interact and live with fire in the future.”

    She will also be working alongside the UCANR Fire Network supporting the use of fire as a tool for land managers and climate resilience.

    Sung-Jereczek is based out of the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center on ancestral and unceded Shóqowa (Sho-Ka-Wah) territory and can be reached at asungjereczek@ucanr.edu.

    Warner becomes UCCE livestock and natural resources area advisor

    Andrea Northup-Warner started working as a UC Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources area advisor for Placer, Nevada, Yuba and Sutter counties on Oct. 1.

    Excited to serve the community in which she grew up, Warner will help ranchers solve their most pressing issues. Currently, small ranchers with up to 15 cows, for reference, need support establishing their operation. Commercial ranchers, however, are interested in technology and developing research that will help improve health and nutrition of their cattle.

    “If a rancher’s animals aren’t healthy, they can’t make money,” she said. “If they can’t make money, they can’t support their family or their business.”

    Despite profitability being “priority zero” for consumers, Warner said that staying in business and/or expanding business operations is a primary goal for many ranchers. As an advisor, she’s excited to not only support ranchers’ endeavors to increase profits, but challenge consumers’ perspectives on the matter, too.

    Although a new advisor, Warner has worked for UC Cooperative Extension since 2022. First hired as a staff research associate at the Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center in Yuba County, Warner said her research work has focused on nutrition and health of beef cattle, oak regeneration and rangeland management.

    Warner earned a master’s degree in animal science from Oklahoma State University and a bachelor’s in animal science from California State University, Chico. While her academic training will certainly be useful, Warner said that the mentorship she’s received from colleagues has been instrumental during her transition.

    She succeeds Dan Macon, UCCE livestock and natural resources advisor, who transferred to UCCE in Calaveras County.

    Warner is based at the UCCE Placer-Nevada counties office in Auburn and can be reached at alnwarner@ucanr.edu.

    Palta named first UCCE specialist based at UC Irvine

    Monica Palta joined UC ANR on Sept. 1 as a UC Cooperative Extension specialist in urban water quality, health and justice. She is the first UCCE specialist to be based at UC Irvine.

    Palta is an urban ecosystem ecologist and environmental scientist who has conducted applied research in aquatic and coastal ecosystems throughout the U.S. Before taking the position with UC ANR, she was an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Studies and Science at Pace University in New York City.

    The main goal of Palta’s research is to develop sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships between natural ecosystems and human populations in urban watersheds. A central focus of her work is on interactions between infrastructure, ecosystem functions and associated environmental benefits to humans in urban waterfronts, and how these interactions may be altered by global change.

    Her research investigates sources and mitigation strategies for water pollution, as well as develops green infrastructure and environmental management strategies to facilitate greater environmental benefit, equity, access and resilience in marginalized waterfront communities.

    In 2023 she co-founded Participatory Science Solutions, LLC. This organization has provided research, training and evaluation on the social impact of urban environmental restoration projects (e.g., restoration of urban forests, wetlands and oyster reefs) conducted by nonprofit organizations and government agencies.

    Palta earned a Ph.D. in ecology and evolution from Rutgers University and conducted postdoctoral work at Arizona State University. She earned a master’s in ecology from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Grinnell College.

    In her new position with UC ANR, she is excited to collaborate with UC faculty and UC ANR colleagues from diverse disciplines as well as local communities and water managers. Her work will inform management for long-term resilience and reliability of water resources in Southern California under climate change, with a strong focus on strategies that sustain health and social equity within local populations.

    Palta is jointly based at UC Irvine’s Department of Civil Engineering (School of Engineering) and the Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy (School of Social Ecology) and can be reached at mpalta@uci.edu and @MonicaMPalta on X.

    Azadfar joins UCCE as woody biomass and forest products advisor

    Ali Azadfar joined UC ANR on Sept. 3 as the UC Cooperative Extension woody biomass and forest products advisor for Siskiyou, Shasta and Trinity counties. In this role, he will focus on promoting sustainable forest products and woody biomass use to enhance forest resilience and support local communities.

    His work will involve collaborating with forestland owners, rural communities and local organizations to develop science-based solutions for managing woody biomass, reducing wildfire risks and advancing forest products.

    “I am committed to developing innovative strategies for forest management that empower communities and protect our natural resources,” Azadfar said. “By working closely with stakeholders, we can create sustainable practices that benefit both the environment and the people who rely on it.”

    Originally from northern Iran near the Hyrcanian forests, Azadfar grew up immersed in the rich biodiversity of these ancient woodlands, which inspired his lifelong dedication to forest stewardship. His early experiences witnessing the impact of forest degradation on both the environment and local livelihoods motivated him to pursue a career in natural resources.

    “The moment I saw how utilizing old, corrugated container waste for paper production could reduce the need for deforestation was a pivotal turning point in my career,” Azadfar said. “It showed me the power of innovative, sustainable solutions in protecting our natural resources while still meeting industrial needs.”

    Azadfar holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in natural resources engineering with a focus on wood science and engineering from Iran, as well as a Ph.D. in biological and agricultural engineering from Washington State University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Washington State University’s Composite Materials and Engineering Center, where he specialized in sustainable woody biomass utilization.

    “I look forward to working with local communities to continue addressing their needs by advancing sustainable woody biomass utilization and forest products, and improving forest resilience,” he said.

    Azadfar is based at the UC Cooperative Extension office in Yreka and can be reached at mazadfar@ucanr.edu.

    Beal joins UC IPM as advisor for Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito counties

    Dylan Beal joined UC ANR on Sept. 3 as the UC Integrated Pest Management entomology advisor for Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. In developing sustainable IPM programs, Beal said he aims to support farmers and communities in the Salinas Valley and beyond.

    “I hope to serve the growers of the three counties and develop more sustainable integrated pest management programs that are centered on their experiences and knowledge,” he explained. “My major goal is to support growers of leafy greens, cole crops, berry crops, grapes and other crops in ways that empower and elevate growers.”

    A native of Valencia in Los Angeles County, Beal ventured east to Cornell University where he earned bachelor’s degrees in entomology and plant sciences. As an undergraduate research assistant at Cornell, he had his first experiences with Cooperative Extension and the mission of the land-grant university system.

    After attaining a European master’s degree in viticulture and enology from Montpellier SupAgro in France and Universita degli Studi di Torino in Italy, Beal returned to the U.S. to complete a Ph.D. in environmental science, policy and management at UC Berkeley. His dissertation focused on studying spittlebug vectors of a bacterial pathogen, Xylella fastidiosa, which causes Pierce’s disease in vineyards of California’s North Coast.

    Beal then went to Washington State University, where he worked as a postdoctoral researcher with growers on sustainable management strategies for spotted-wing drosophila in Washington cherry orchards and blueberry farms.

    “Inspired by my Extension mentors at Cornell, UC Berkeley and WSU, I aim to be a bridge between growers and researchers,” he said.

    Beal is based at the Monterey County UC Cooperative Extension office in Salinas and can be reached at djbeal@ucanr.edu and (831) 759-7359.

    Okella joins UCCE as 4-H animal science youth advisor

    Hedmon Okella joined UCCE on Aug. 1 as the 4-H animal science youth advisor for San Benito, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. He is developing an extension and applied research program in agriculture, with an emphasis on livestock for positive youth development. In addition, he will support the statewide 4-H Youth Development Program to help youth reach their full potential.

    “My focus is to partner with local communities to create new and innovative approaches that are responsive to the unique needs of the communities so as to strengthen and expand the 4-H animal science experience,” Okella said.

    Prior to joining UC ANR, he was a postdoctoral researcher in veterinary science and molecular biology at the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center.

    Originally from Dokolo, Uganda, Okella was born and raised in an extended family that cherishes goats, sheep, swine and poultry farming – a childhood experience that nourished his passion in animal science. In the past 15 years of his career, Okella witnessed the infinite potential of young people amid limited or no opportunities among the underserved youth living in multicultural communities of Uganda, India and United States.

    “I envision extending more support with emphasis on animal science so that young people can discover and develop their full potentials,” he said.

    Okella earned a Ph.D. from Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Uganda, with a focus on fish immunology, specifically bioprospecting of novel antimicrobial peptide drug candidates for potential application in veterinary and human medicine. He also holds a master’s degree in biotechnology from Saurashtra University, Gujarat, India, and a bachelor’s degree in science education (biology major) from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

    “I hope to leverage my expertise to develop and implement applied research and extension programs focusing on animal science, particularly centered on livestock such as cattle, swine, sheep and goats, tailored for youth in San Benito, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties,” he said. “I am so excited to partner with the groups and community organizations to continue to address the needs of the communities we serve.”

    Based at UC Cooperative Extension’s San Benito County office in Hollister, Okella can be reached at hokella@ucanr.edu.

    Weinberg joins F3 as academic coordinator for food innovation and small business

    Yonatan Weinberg joined UC ANR on July 1 as an academic coordinator for food innovation and small business to support the Farms, Food, Future Initiative, also called F3. The F3 Initiative mission is to encourage economic development in the San Joaquin Valley through its regional food system.

    Weinberg will help promote specialty crops and support food business development in the valley. By enhancing local food distribution, processing and preparation, he hopes all valley residents get to taste the region’s delicious food and benefit from the value it provides.

    Before joining UC ANR, Weinberg studied European and Asian food systems. He earned master’s degrees in resilient farming and food systems from Wageningen University in the Netherlands and in agroecology from Institut supérieur d’agriculture Rhône-Alpes in France. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in history, technology and society from Georgia Tech.

    His master’s thesis centered on why conventional farmers in England transitioned to organic and regional markets on their own. He then researched the effects of indigenous farmers’ transition to conventional practices in Cambodia. Later, he worked for a local nongovernmental organization to build a farmers market in Battambang.

    Weinberg said he seeks to “harness his research and professional interests to nourish a bright future for the San Joaquin Valley’s farming and food systems.” He will be working with food entrepreneurs who process, cook, sell and distribute local produce and foster connections among them across the food system in the valley.

    “We are building out Instagram pages for F3Local and our flagship event Central Valley Flavor Fest,” he said. “We very much would love some follower-love from the community; our handles are @cvflavorfest and @f3local.”

    He earned masters degrees in resilient farming and food systems from Wageningen University in the Netherlands and in agroecology from ISARA in France. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history, technology and society from Georgia Tech.

    Weinberg is based in Fresno and can be reached at yweinberg@ucanr.edu.

    Levy becomes UCCE soil health and organic materials management advisor

    Natalie Levy began as the UC Cooperative Extension soil health and organic materials management advisor serving Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties on June 3.

    To reduce food waste and greenhouse gas emissions, Levy is working on recovering edible food for human consumption and diverting organic material from landfills. She will collaborate with diverse clientele to develop closed-loop systems that replicate natural decomposition cycles that sequester carbon and improve soil health in both urban and agricultural settings.

    “I am particularly excited to be working towards solutions to climate change and to promote carbon sequestration in California. What makes this role interesting is that the pathway to achieving these broader goals is through simple but powerful solutions,” said Levy.

    For instance, applying a 3-to-4-inch mulch layer in a landscape not only improves soil water retention but also sequesters carbon and reduces landfill emissions by diverting and repurposing green waste. “In this role, I am also very excited about supporting food waste recovery and addressing food insecurity in the three counties that I serve,” she added.

    Prior to becoming an advisor, Levy worked for UC ANR as a staff research associate at South Coast Research and Extension Center in Irvine, where she partnered with the California Department of Pesticide Regulation to study urban runoff and water quality monitoring in Orange County.

    Later, she became a UCCE associate specialist for water resources at South Coast REC, focusing on all phases of applied water resource management research and extension efforts. As a specialist, she managed national and statewide collaborative projects centered on water conservation, including the UC Landscape Plant Irrigation Trial program and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded, multistate Climate Ready Landscape Plants project.

    Levy earned a Ph.D. in agricultural and extension education and evaluation from Louisiana State University. Her dissertation research studied the types of management practices Louisiana homeowners were using to apply fertilizers in urban landscapes. Through this exploratory research, she identified behaviors that can increase nonpoint source nutrient runoff and designed Cooperative Extension programming to help change those behaviors. She also obtained a master’s degree in agronomy from LSU and a bachelor’s in environmental science from UC Berkeley.

    Levy is based at South Coast REC and can be reached at nlevy@ucanr.edu.

    Smith aims to improve community health, nutrition in Central Valley

    Jasmin Smith joined UC ANR on Aug. 1 as the community nutrition and health advisor for San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties. Smith will work to research, identify and address community health concerns – as well as support CalFresh Healthy Living programs and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) in the region.

    “My focus is on promoting nutrition and health initiatives responsive to the unique needs of the communities and ensuring that the programs are impactful and sustainable,” Smith said.

    Originally from Champaign, Illinois, Smith also lived in Thailand, the Dominican Republic and Kenya during her youth, as her father worked for the Foreign Agricultural Service. Her experiences overseas were a significant motivating factor in pursuing a career in community nutrition and health.

    “Witnessing health disparities firsthand in different areas of the world highlighted the critical need for equitable access to nutrition and health care,” she explained. “These experiences have fueled my passion to address the root causes of these disparities and work towards creating healthier communities.”

    Smith earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from North Carolina A&T State University, and a Ph.D. in human sciences from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, where she studied obesity prevention in rural communities.

    That focus continues in her current role, as Smith seeks to partner with local communities to promote health and wellness in underserved segments of California’s population.

    “I hope to leverage my experience to develop and implement strategies and programs that promote equitable access to healthy lifestyles,” she said. “I am also excited to collaborate with the teams and community partners to continue to address the needs of the communities we serve.”

    Based at UC Cooperative Extension’s San Joaquin County office in Stockton, Smith can be reached at jasm@ucanr.edu.

    Robinson returns as urban ag, food systems and environmental issues advisor

    Derrick Robinson began working as the UC Cooperative Extension urban agriculture, food systems and environmental issues advisor in San Diego County on July 1. In this role, Robinson is focused on improving food production and delivery systems, economic success and sustainability, as well as science literacy and youth development.

    Currently, he aims to serve San Diego County residents, especially those in urban interfaces. Robinson brings a wealth of knowledge about San Diego County’s food system to his advisor role and his network consists of nonprofits and their members in North County and in the City of San Diego, mostly concentrated in low-income and traditionally marginalized communities in the region.

    “I’m also eager to identify policy issues that need to be addressed, especially as it relates to my scope of work – policies involving worker standards or climate-change impacts, for example,” said Robinson.

    His new role builds on work he did for UCCE in the past. From 2016 to 2019, he was a UCCE academic coordinator serving California. He developed and taught the “Living on My Own” curriculum for 14- to 24-year-olds, an expansion of the “Money Talks” financial literacy series promoting positive youth development. Before returning to UC ANR, Robinson worked for the Center on Policy Initiatives, a policy think tank focused on economic justice policy issues.

    Originally from Atlanta, Robinson moved across the southeastern part of the U.S. in pursuit of higher education. He earned a doctorate in applied economics from Auburn University in Alabama after obtaining bachelor’s degrees in communication and economics from the University of North Florida. Robinson also earned an associate’s degree in geography from Florida State College.

    Before moving to California, Robinson was an economics professor at the University of North Florida as well as at Tuskegee University in Alabama, where he taught agricultural economics. While in graduate school, Robinson conducted coastal resource evaluations with Sea Grant as a collegiate fellow for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

    Just prior to returning to UCCE, he helped to develop San Diego County’s State of the Food System 2020 report and the Food Vision 2030 plan based on his outreach and community organizing.

    Robinson is based at the UCCE office in San Diego County and can be reached at drobinson@ucanr.edu.

    Babu joins UCCE Imperial County as entomology advisor

    Arun Babu joined UCCE on July 8 as the entomology advisor for Imperial County. Babu is responsible for developing and implementing research and education programs on managing insect pests of vegetables, forage, field and specialty crops in Imperial County.

    Babu earned his undergraduate degree in agricultural science from Kerala Agricultural University in Kerala, India. He started his career as an agriculture consultant on a project sponsored by the government of India, serving as an advisor for small-scale subsistence farmers of Southern India, providing technical assistance to a diverse clientele of underserved growers in making crop management decisions.

    In 2011, Babu moved to the United States to join the master’s program in entomology at Mississippi State University, where he studied why Helicoverpa zea, corn earworm, was becoming resistant to Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) (Bt) toxins in transgenic field corn.

    During his Ph.D. studies and postdoctoral research at North Carolina State University, Babu worked extensively on integrated pest management in field crops, focusing on pests such as brown stink bugs, Euschistus servus, corn earworm and aphids in various crop systems. These studies generated tangible results with direct economic benefits for growers and crop consultants.

    In further postdoctoral research at the University of Georgia, he focused on monitoring and sampling, behavioral and chemical management of the invasive pest Drosophila suzukii in small fruit crops. Results from his trials enhanced adoption of IPM practices in managing D. suzukii in small fruit crops and helped growers reduce their dependency on frequent insecticide applications.

    As an entomology advisor for Imperial County, Babu is committed to working with growers, pest control advisers, industry partners, government agencies and others. He is dedicated to developing practical, cost-effective solutions for the various pest management problems faced by the growers in Imperial County.

    Babu is based at the UCCE Imperial County office in Holtville and can be reached at arbabu@ucanr.edu, (442) 265-7708 and @_ArunBabu_ on X.

    Kraus named small farms advisor for Fresno County

    Emily Kraus joined UCCE on July 1 as the small farms advisor for Fresno County.

    Kraus aims to find solutions to small farms’ production issues such as pests and soil nutrition. Some of her specific goals are to investigate the range and management strategies for Mexican rice borer, identify pest problems for longbean, and determine sustainable strategies for diversified cropping systems.

    Prior to joining UC ANR, Kraus was a Cooperative Extension scientist for pesticide knowledge and safety in the Pesticide Information Office at the University of Florida.

    The Indiana native earned her bachelor’s degree in entomology at Purdue University, where she focused on both biological control and medical entomology. She earned her master’s degree at Kansas State University, studying mosquito-transmitted diseases.

    Then she took a break from academia to serve in the U.S. Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa. Upon her return, she resumed her studies by working in integrated pest management in rice production at Louisiana State University.

    While working on her Ph.D. she traveled extensively to rice-producing regions of the world. Her desire for travel carried her through her postdoctoral fellowship at Rhodes University in South Africa, where she again studied biological control. This experience set her up for a position with the Florida Department of Agriculture.

    Kraus is based in Fresno and can be reached at ekraus@ucanr.edu.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, economic growth, nutrition 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.

  • Unique Conditions in Modoc County Drive Organic Ag Adaptations

    Modoc County, home to 8,500 people and tucked in the remote northeastern corner of California, has been a leader in advancing organic agriculture through its significant ranching and agronomic crop production, namely of potatoes and hay.

    In fact, Modoc County is California’s number one county for organic beef cattle production (119,782 acres in 2022), and consistently in the top five counties for total harvested certified organic acres in the state, according to the most recent California Department of Food and Agriculture statistics.

    “Modoc County farmers and ranchers in many ways exemplify the values of organic agriculture, adapting and tailoring their operations to the contexts of the unique landscapes we live in,” said Laurie Wayne, University of California Cooperative Extension nutrition, community health and food systems advisor for Modoc, Siskiyou and Lassen counties.

    Laurie Wayne

    This past summer, Wayne and Rob Wilson – UCCE farm advisor and director of the Intermountain Research and Extension Center operated by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources – shared their insights with a visiting team from the UC Organic Agriculture Institute.

    Established in 2020 as an institute under UC ANR, OAI was created to develop research, extension and education support for certified, transitioning and aspiring organic farmers and ranchers across California. The OAI team has been visiting different regions to better understand the unique conditions of organic agriculture in those areas.

    “These tours are our chance to build relationships with local farmers, partner organizations and colleagues and see how organic agriculture has grown and developed in that specific region,” said Houston Wilson, OAI director. “We also get to learn directly from farmers and ranchers about how regional contexts and community goals influence organic agriculture in their area.”

    Modoc County’s geography, climate spur adaptive strategies

    Wayne, who previously operated a farm in Modoc County and also co-founded the Surprise Valley Saturday Farmer’s Market and Modoc Harvest Food Hub, was the perfect person to introduce the OAI team to local agricultural producers.

    “I hoped to show our visitors just a glimpse at the many lessons I’ve learned and inspiration I’ve gained from the agriculture community in Modoc,” Wayne said.

    A common theme across Modoc County is the use of innovative and place-based strategies to farm within diverse ecosystems. For example, extensive rotational grazing is well-suited to the region’s vast sage steppes, perennial grasslands and sagebrush ecosystems.

    333 Ranch – a third-generation ranch in Lake City owned and operated by Sophie Sheppard, Lynn Nardella, and their son, Jason Diven – raises rotationally grazed beef cattle and calves, hogs and Icelandic sheep and grows organically managed vegetables.

    One of several beaver dams can be seen in a creek at 333 Ranch, where high tensile fencing has been installed alongside the creek. Photo by Houston Wilson

    Half of 333 Ranch is under conservation easement to preserve natural resources and wildlife. Their land stewardship practices include working with the Savory Institute – a nonprofit that supports the health of grasslands and the livelihoods of people on those landscapes – on ecological grazing techniques. They also partner with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to convert barbed wire fencing into high tensile fencing for riparian habitat restoration. Sheppard reported that one year after the fence conversion, the ranchers saw beavers building dams in their creek and nesting Greater Sandhill Cranes.

    Leah Larsen of Bidwell Canyon Farm in Fort Bidwell said she learned high tunnel production from Sheppard at 333 Ranch and others in the area. High tunnels allow farmers to extend their growing seasons to accommodate diverse crop rotations and opportunities for local food production.

    Larsen – who grows vegetables, fruit trees and berries on 1.5 acres (including in two high tunnels) – also raises milk goats and chickens, maintains grazing pasture and operates a farmstay rental. With 11 years of experience farming in Modoc’s high desert climate, Larsen offers mentorship to other growers in the region and shares information through channels such as the region’s high tunnel Facebook group.

    Canyon Creek Ranch in Alturas uses prescribed burns to manage invasive tree species in the sagebrush steppe. Richard (Dick) Mackey and his family operate 3,300 certified organic acres, with 350 head of cattle and 500 acres of hay, pasture and alfalfa. In addition to organic certification, Canyon Creek Ranch is also Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV)-certified; EOV is a program of the Savory Institute that gathers ecosystem data to verify that ranching practices are regenerating the land.

    Dick Mackey (middle) of Canyon Creek Ranch leads the OAI team on a tour of his property, and points out various conservation efforts, such as prescribed burns to manage invasive tree species. Photo by Houston Wilson

    Mackey, whose family has owned and operated the ranch since 1946, brought the OAI team to an area of their property that is managed with fire, demonstrating how their agroecological stewardship has improved the land and suppressed invasive species.

    “It was remarkable to see the difference ecological management such as prescribed burning and targeted grazing can make in promoting both healthy ecosystems and more productive organic agricultural systems,” said Krista Marshall, OAI policy and partnerships coordinator. “I feel incredibly grateful to have gotten the opportunity to learn from the innovative and thoughtful farmers and ranchers across Modoc County about how we can accomplish multiple goals in agroecosystems.”

    Another example of ecological and agricultural goals being met simultaneously can be found at Tule Lake, where rotations incorporate a wetland wildlife refuge and crop production. Rob Wilson noted that this “Walking Wetlands” program has benefited organic producers with good pest and disease control from the flooded years in the rotation.

    “The Walking Wetlands program is a great example of public and private land managers working together to meet land use objectives,” said Wilson, the UCCE farm advisor. “The program results in hundreds of acres of restored marshland habitat for migrating waterfowl each year, while providing organic potato and small grain growers with productive farmland largely devoid of soilborne pathogens and nematode pests.”

    Farm labor support, meat processing infrastructure investment needed in region

    All ranchers on the OAI tour commented on the lack of U.S. Department of Agriculture-accredited meat processors in the county. Ranchers explained that they must transport animals hundreds of miles to other counties or across state lines to access facilities.

    Jon and Kelsey Arreche of Cow Creek Meat, Inc. at Arreche Farms in Cedarville said that the year-long wait lists for processing complicates planning.

    Lambs and calves enjoy a snack at Cow Creek Meat, Inc. at Arreche Farms in Cedarville. Photo by Houston Wilson

    The Arreches manage 1,300 acres of pasture, alfalfa, wheat, barley and hay and raise 110 grass-fed and grass-fed/grain-finished beef cattle, as well as hogs, lamb and poultry. Cow Creek Meat was certified organic for 12 years and continues to farm organically despite not pursuing certification currently.

    Jon Arreche commented that prices for commodities like alfalfa are not stable but rather fluctuate between organic and non-organic markets, with some years offering a better premium than others. He said that they may pursue certification again in the future.

    “Greater investment in processing infrastructure and the need for organic market development are two concerns we heard consistently on the tour,” said Shriya Rangarajan, a postdoctoral researcher with OAI. “We have to ensure the long-term economic viability for these local ranchers.”

    The remoteness of Modoc County also has contributed to labor challenges for farmers and ranchers across the region. Some growers have pursued hosting farm apprenticeships or internships, through programs like World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) or through direct hire.

    Bidwell Canyon Farm has a farm internship program, which helps with labor on the farm and also contributes to mentoring and teaching the next generation of farmers. There was widespread interest in developing training programs, akin to Rogue Farm Corps in Oregon, to link beginning farmer apprentices with host mentor farmers.

    “Hands-on experience working on farms is the best way to inspire and train the next generation of farmers,” said Marshall. “Farmers in Modoc are already creating these types of apprenticeship programs on their farms, so network and capacity building to support these efforts would benefit the agricultural community.

    At Oz Garden, Kay Antunez de Mayolo (second from right) shows what’s growing to the OAI team of (from left) Lexie Wilson, Shriya Rangarajan and Laurie Wayne. Photo by Houston Wilson

    Markets often dictate whether organic certification is useful

    The number of certified organic farms and ranches in Modoc County declined from 34 in 2018 to 19 in 2022, according to CDFA statistics. The OAI visitors learned from growers in the region that markets often dictated if formal certification made business sense for their organically managed operations.

    Kay and Erik Antunez de Mayolo grow vegetables, herbs, berries and natural dye plants on a quarter-acre and heritage apples, peaches and other fruit trees on an additional three acres at Oz Garden in Eagleville. They manage their farm organically, but are not certified. Kay Antunez de Mayolo, who markets produce and value-added goods at the Surprise Valley Farmers Market in Cedarville and the Alturas Farmers Market, also contributes to the Modoc Harvest Food Hub.

    Most Modoc growers, certified or not, know their customers through direct sales and build trust around the integrity of their operations. Many farmers and ranchers ultimately don’t see the financial benefit of certification because of these direct relationships with their customers – especially given the certification cost and administrative effort required.

    While cost-share programs for organic certification fees exist (such as the USDA Organic Certification Cost Share Program), applying for and maintaining certification status takes valuable time – in addition to direct financial outlay.

    Modoc growers contribute to conserving plant diversity

    The lively local food and farming community in Modoc County also includes smaller-scale vegetable and fruit farms; the State Organic Program reported 1,281 organic vegetable acres in Modoc in 2023. Modoc fruit and vegetable growers are conserving heritage crops on farm and preserving unique plant varieties while producing food for the community.

    Known for its stark natural beauty, Modoc County also supports a variety of agricultural activities through the efforts of innovative farmers and ranchers. Photo by Houston Wilson

    At Oz Garden, the apple trees are over 125 years old. Through the Modoc Harvest Heritage Fruit Tree Project, Kay Antunez de Mayolo and others work to identify these cultivars through research and DNA fingerprinting at the UC Davis Genetics Lab. Oz Garden grows diverse plant varieties, including the “Old Fashioned Surprise Valley Tomato,” a locally adapted beefsteak variety stewarded by Modoc resident June Perry.

    Bidwell Canyon Farm introduced the OAI team to honeyberries, also known as Haskap berries, which look like an elongated blueberry but have a distinct honeyed flavor and produce well in Modoc County.

    “That bit of honeyberry was symbolic of the entire tour – a small but memorable taste of the richness and diversity of Modoc County organic agriculture,” Marshall said. “We are so grateful to Laurie and all the farmers and ranchers for taking the time to share their experiences and feedback with us.” — By Lexie Wilson, UC Organic Agriculture Institute

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices 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.

  • Will Importing Workers Lead to Importing Crops?

    A dwindling and aging agricultural workforce, coupled with higher labor costs, have added pressure on U.S. farms over the past decade. A recent study by University of California agricultural economists Alexandra Hill and James Sayre explores these changing trends in U.S. and Mexican farmworker demographics and the potential implications for U.S. farms.

    They found that the incentives to enter the United States under the H-2A visa program for farmwork far outweigh the incentives to immigrate for farm work without proper work authorization. However, because these H-2A workers come at a steep cost to employers, this could mean that several crops with high labor costs may increasingly move production to Mexico in a quest to reduce costs.

    Over the last two decades, several trends have led to a shortage of domestic crop workers in the United States. A major contributing factor is that fewer immigrant farm workers are migrating to the United States from Mexico. This trend is generally driven by a declining share of Mexican citizens working in agriculture as the country’s economy moves into manufacturing and service industries, coupled with declining birth rates, rising education levels, and increases in U.S. immigration enforcement.

    The H-2A program — which provides legal authorization for foreign workers to engage in temporary work on U.S. farms — is the one source of foreign crop labor that is on the rise. Employers are required to pay H-2A workers either the local minimum wage or the local H-2A minimum wage (called the adverse effect wage rate, or AEWR), whichever is higher. The H-2A AEWR is often four to five times higher than the average farmworker wages in Mexico, leading to a substantial wage gap that helps pull Mexican workers into U.S. farm work.

    “While the high costs associated with the H-2A program will pull in workers, they may also push farms out of the United States,” said Hill, assistant professor of Cooperative Extension at UC Berkeley.

    This is due to the fact high H-2A wages are reducing the profitability of U.S. farms that employ H-2A workers, particularly in states such as California and Washington, which have a greater number of high-labor crops, such as fruits and nuts. Mexico’s lower labor costs and suitable climate for fruit and vegetable crops allow the country to have an increasing competitive advantage compared to states like California, which have increasingly high AEWRs.

    Mexican production of some of these high-labor crops has increased dramatically over the last two decades: From 2003 to 2022, the value of blueberry production grew 2,600-fold, raspberries grew 140-fold, and strawberries 13-fold. Large increases in exports of these crops from Mexico to the United States have occurred over this same period, confirming that high-labor crops are at a greater risk of losing market share to Mexico.

    To learn how the changing demographics of U.S. and Mexican farmworkers could affect U.S. agricultural production, read the full article by Alexandra E. Hill and James E. Sayre: “As Mexican Farmworkers Flock North, Will U.S. Farms Head South?” ARE Update 28(1): 9–12. UC Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics, online at https://giannini.ucop.edu/filer/file/1730229662/21163 or in Spanish at https://giannini.ucop.edu/filer/file/1732133779/21191/.

    ARE Update is a bimonthly magazine published by the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics to educate policymakers and agribusiness professionals about new research or analysis of important topics in agricultural and resource economics. Articles are written by Giannini Foundation members, including University of California faculty and Cooperative Extension specialists in agricultural and resource economics, and university graduate students. Learn more about the Giannini Foundation and its publications at https://giannini.ucop.edu.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, economic growth, nutrition 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.

  • New UC Study Estimates Costs for Growing Coastal Organic Strawberries

    A new study that can help growers and other readers estimate costs and potential returns for Central Coast organic strawberries was recently released by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Cooperative Extension and the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

    Organic strawberries represent approximately 13% of all strawberries produced along the Central Coast.

    “This study provides growers with a baseline to estimate their own costs, which can help when applying for production loans, projecting labor costs, securing market arrangements, or understanding costs associated with water and nutrient management and regulatory programs,” said Brittney Goodrich, UC Cooperative Extension specialist and study co-author.

    The cost study models a management scenario for a 30-acre farm, 27 acres of which are planted to organic strawberries.  The remaining acres are for the irrigation system, roads, and buildings.  The study describes the cultural practices used in organic strawberry production and harvest, including land preparation, soil fertility and pest management, irrigation and labor needs.

    The 20-page study shows costs for each operation, material inputs and costs, and cash and non-cash overhead costs in a variety of formats for one production and harvest cycle.  A ranging analysis is also included and shows potential profits or losses over a range of prices and yields.

    The new study, “2024 Sample Costs to Produce and Harvest Organic Strawberries,” can be downloaded from the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics website at https://coststudies.ucdavis.edu.

    For a detailed explanation of the assumptions and calculations used to estimate the costs and potential returns for each crop, readers can refer to the narrative portion of each study.

    Sample cost of production studies for many other commodities grown in California are also available at https://coststudies.ucdavis.edu.

    For more information about the organic strawberry cost study, contact Mark Bolda, University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor, at mpbolda@ucanr.edu or Jeremy Murdock in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at jmmurdock@ucdavis.edu.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, economic growth, nutrition 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.