I am asking for your support for two research and extension positions in berries we are proposing to UC ANR.
So you know, these positions don't just pop out of the ground like mushrooms after a rain. They took a lot of work to put together and shape to address what is truly needed right now. We spent serious time and effort this past winter meeting with industry leaders and scientific colleagues to accomplish this and get the best fit for our berry production enterprise in California.
What is key now for you as the reader to understand is that these are PROPOSALS, and there is no guarantee that they will be given the nod from UC ANR to fill the position. The competition for placement promises to be intense, indeed, if you look through the entire 138 position proposal list, you will see a lot backed by large acreage crops with plenty of influence or powerful lobbies in areas of prominent public interest.
The way forward for us with our two positions and get more UCCE and UC people for our berry industry is for you to demonstrate your support by writing a note or letter in the space provided under the online proposal. Just know that no or little support will mean to the people evaluating these things that, well written as they are, there is little interest in them and let's all move on to the next one. The bottom line is that without your notes and letters all of our effort will have been for naught and you're not going to be seeing any new UCCE people in berries for a while.
It's up to you.
A few comments on the positions and followed by the links to the proposals:
CE Specialist in Small Fruit Production: This position is to be based in Salinas, and would have the reach across the state to collaborate on any number of projects and any number of other scientists. That said, the position would also have the capabilities to generate funded and meaningful work in its own right on any number of subjects within the berry industry - fumigation, diseases, weeds, even automation if that is what is needed.
Proposal and write in your support here:
CE Specialist in Vines and Berries and Fruit Trees: This position will really add to the UC research and extension work being done on berry diseases. The load of diseases we are dealing with right now is tremendous - anthracose, mildew, Botrytis not to mention two major emerging soil diseases and who knows what is yet to come. This position can address all of it.
Proposal and write in your support here: