Blogs: Agriculture and Natural Resource

Mark Bolda's Berry Blog

Big, Bigger and Biggest: Early Season Strawberries
Strawberry season has started to kick into high gear on the Central Coast (at least until this spell of rain), and inevitably comparisons arise of fruit sizes.  The posting of a 154 gram fruit by the CalPoly Strawberry Center on their Facebook page...

Mark's Interview with UC ANR Spanish Language Service
If you read Spanish and want to know more about Botrytis in strawberry with a focus on this year, I include for you below my interview with UC ANR's Spanish language service.  If you listen to Spanish radio, you will have occasion to hear...

Painted Lady Butterflies Just Passing Through
A number of you have checked in about large numbers of larvae and or butterflies that haven't been very common in the past years.  We find them a lot on cheeseweed (Malva), but there is some damage on berries as you can see from the pictures...

Curious Place for a Blackberry to Grow
I've heard it said that blackberries could be grown out of concrete.  While a bit incredulous on that claim, I did come across a blackberry plant growing out of an old railroad tie (how it got there is anybodies guess, as you can see people...

Distinguishing Drosophila Larvae from LBAM Larvae
Sometimes what seems so obvious from the isolated heights of the ivory tower is not so obvious for those working in the field. In a query which is far from the first time, I had a question submitted over the weekend over whether worms emerging from...

Livestock and Range Update Blogs

Prescribed Fire Meeting in San Benito County - June 5 and 6
Would you like to see more prescribed fire on San Benito and Monterey County rangelands? Come learn how on June 5 and 6. On June 5 you will learn about options for prescribed fire on private lands, including details on regulations and permits, unit...

Wildfire Impact of Livestock Survey
The University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine is investigating how California livestock (cattle, horse, sheep, goat, pig, llama, alpaca, bee and other) producers have been impacted by wildfires in the last 10 years.  The following...

Ranch Needed for Ground Squirrel Study
Do you have a ranch in San Benito County or Monterey County with ground squirrels? I'm doing a study looking at the economic impacts of ground squirrels to ranching operations and I'm looking for three ranches to be study sites. At each ranch, I will...

Prescribed Burn Meeting Wed 3/13 in Hollister – Reminder
Greetings This is a reminder that UC Cooperative Extension and San Benito Working Landscapes Group are co-hosting a prescribed burn meeting on Wednesday, March 13th from 2:30-4:30 pm at the Veterans Memorial Building, 649 San Benito Street, Room 218, in...

Prescribed Fire Meeting - March 13 at Hollister Vets Building
Save the Date:  March 13th for Prescribed Fire Meeting hosted by the San Benito Working Landscapes Group and UC Cooperative Extension Throughout California, prescribed burning is being reexamined as a way to prevent catastrophic fires while also...

Salinas Valley Agriculture

Latest information on pest populations in vegetables
We are happy to announce that the diamondback moth capture data, presented as maps, is now housed in our own University of California Cooperative Extension Monterey website. To access to these maps, simply click on the link...

Do it yourself (DIY) tensiometer
A tensiometer is a very useful tool for monitoring soil moisture status of vegetable and berry crops.   Compared to other sensors that often require equipment such as dataloggers or a computer to collect readings, tensiometers can be easily...

Update on area-wide monitoring for diamondback moth, aphids and thrips
We continue the effort of monitoring diamondback moth (DBM) across the Salinas Valley using sex pheromone baited traps, as shown in the picture above. We have been adding additional traps to cover a larger area along Highway 101. We have daily moth...

The new IPM paradigm for the modern ages and the growing world population
Integrated pest management, commonly referred to as IPM, is a concept of managing pests that has been in use for several decades.  The definition and interpretation of IPM vary depending on the source, such as a university, institute, or a...

Causes of Spots on Spinach Leaves
Leaf spots are a common issue that affects spinach and reduces its salability. Spots on spinach leaves are caused by both biotic and abiotic influences. Insects, such as leafminers, frequently cause spots on spinach leaves. Female leafminers stipple...

Small Farm News

Exploring Bay Area Wholesale Market Options
On June 13, the Small Farm Program partnered with UCCE Small Farm Advisor Margaret Lloyd to conduct a tour of wholesale produce markets for Sacramento region farmers. During the bus ride from Woodland to San Francisco, I described the packaging and...

Ag labor management seminars offer keys to success in times of labor uncertainty
UC Cooperative Extension will hold workshops in Temecula Feb. 1 and 2 to help California agricultural employers facing many challenges including labor shortages, wage & hour laws, joint liability, worker safety, workers comp insurance, and...

USDA Announces Streamlined Guaranteed Loans and Additional Lender Category for Small-Scale Operators
USDA recently announced the availability of a streamlined version of USDA guaranteed loans, which are tailored for smaller scale farms and urban producers. The program, called EZ Guarantee Loans, uses a simplified application process to help beginning,...

Economic Impact of Local Food Marketing in the Sacramento Region
Consumers often say that they buy locally produced foods because they want to support their local economy. Our newly released report confirms that buying locally produced foods does support the local economy. Our University of California Cooperative...

UC Small Farm Advisor works with grower to push the "Horticultural Envelope"
This article by Matt Kettman was published in the Santa Barbara Independent on October 6, 2015.  UC Small Farm Advisor, Mark Gaskell, has been providing technical assistance to small-scale growers in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties for...

Bug Squad

This Bug's for You--And That One, Too!
This bug's for you. And this one, too. And that one over there! When UC Davis employees and their offspring visited the Bohart Museum of Entomology during the recent "Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work" Day, reactions ranged from awe to "wow!" They...

Hear That Buzz? It's World Bee Day!
Hear that buzz? Today is World Bee Day! We celebrate honey bees every day, but they are especially celebrated on May 20, World Bee Day. It's an annual day to raise awareness about the importance of bees and beekeeping. It's a day to acknowledge the...

Ag Award Recipient Rachael Freeman Long: A UC Davis Professor Sparked Her Interest in Biocontrol
Rachael Freeman Long treasures her memories as a graduate student in entomology at the University of California, Davis. She remembers eating fried grasshoppers at a party. "They're okay with a lot of spices!" She remembers watching Professor Harry H....

African Odyssey Program: From Lions, Tigers and Elephants to Dung Beetles
When you're an entomologist exploring Africa, you photograph the lions, tigers and elephants, but you don't forget the insects. Never forget the insects! Such was the case when James R. Carey, UC Davis distinguished professor of entomology, and his...

My Old Flame: Looking for Love or a Fast-Food Snack or a Little Sun
Looking for love...or a fast-food snack...or a little sun... A male flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, is a sight to see. The males are fire-engine red or firecracker red, and when they perch on a bamboo stake in your pollinator garden,...

Food Blog

Garbanzo bean production guide published for small but thriving industry
Try topping your salads with some tasty garbanzo beans this summer. Not only are they a healthful source of protein, vitamins and minerals, but the ‘green' legumes are produced in California with a small environmental footprint! California...

Get required produce safety training from UC
The food production environment introduces many potential points of contamination risk from the soil to the table. Consumer demand for food safety practices along with new government regulations for fresh produce have raised grower awareness of the...

Citrus: Preserve it now to serve it safely later
Winter is the time when many backyard citrus trees and roadside fruit stands are laden with mandarins, lemons, navel oranges and limes. A UC Cooperative Extension expert is traveling the state to teach how the fresh taste of citrus can be preserved for...

Making the case for fruits and vegetables
Why do you love fruits and vegetables? Is it their bright colors? Their many shapes and varieties, the way they can makeover your plate with the seasons? The opportunity to taste local terroir in a very fresh bite of fruit or forkful of salad? Is it...

Eating healthy on a limited budget is possible, but any cuts in SNAP or rise in food costs make it harder
The affordability of healthy food is often cited as a barrier to low-income families eating nutritious meals. A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that with menu planning and access to stores selling items...

Blog de Alimentos

Voluntarios del Programa Maestro para Conservar Alimentos de UC trabajan con comunidades tribales
In English El Programa Maestro para Conservar Alimentos de UC mantiene una participación activa con las comunidades tribales de los condados de Humboldt y Del Norte. De hecho, los voluntarios de este programa han estado preparando mermelada...

¡Celebrando 50 años de EFNEP!
Un día, hace poco más de dos décadas, la peruana Nelly Camacho se encontró con una joven inmigrante que buscaba un banco de comida. En la ciudad de Hayward al este del condado de Alameda, la inmigrante acudió a un...

¿Qué le atrae de las frutas y verduras?
In English ¿Por qué le gustan las frutas y verduras? ¿Por sus colores brillantes? ¿Por sus muchas formas y variedades o la forma en que transforman su plato con las estaciones? ¿La oportunidad de probar la tierra local...

Un recorte a SNAP o incremento en el costo de alimentos haría más difícil comer de forma saludable con un presupuesto limitado.
  In English La asequibilidad de los alimentos saludables se menciona con frecuencia como una barrera para que las familias de bajos ingresos consuman comidas saludables. Un nuevo estudio publicado por el Journal of Nutrition Education and...

La industria apícola contribuye con más de 4,700 millones de dólares a la economía nacional
In English La industria apícola de los Estados Unidos está prosperando, de acuerdo con un nuevo estudio del Centro para Asuntos Agrícolas de la Universidad de California (University of California Agricultural Issues Center) o...

Forest Research and Outreach

Strawberries, succulents and saplings make unique ‘living diplomas’
Reposted from UC Berkeley News For UC Berkeley students graduating with a degree in conservation and resource studies, a paper diploma just won't do. At a special alternative graduation ceremony held in Tilden Regional Park on Sunday,...

Lassen Is UC Davis’ Newest Natural Reserve
Landscape of Volcanoes, Forests Offers Unique Research and Outreach Opportunities Reposted from UC Davis News Lassen Peak, also known as Mount Lassen, at Lassen Volcanic National Park, California. It...

Coast Redwood and Giant Sequoia Mega-Genomes Sequenced: Sequencing Brings Modern Tools to Redwood Conservation Efforts
Reposted from UC Davis news  Scientists have successfully sequenced the coast redwood and giant sequoia genomes, completing the first major milestone of a five-year project to develop the tools necessary to study these forests' genomic diversity....

UC Cooperative Extension ramps up its climate change response
Reposted from UCANR News While scientific reports continue to mount confirming that global climate change is increasing temperatures, causing more frequent weather extremes and raising the sea level in California, UC Cooperative Extension is...

Falling levels of air pollution drove decline in California’s tule fog
Reposted from the UC Berkeley News Cranes glide through the tule fog at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo by Steve Corey via Flickr) The Central Valley's heavy wintertime tule fog – known for snarling traffic and...

Oak Conservation

Proceedings Available - 7th California Oak Symposium: Managing Oak Woodlands in a Dynamic World
Overview: Beginning in 1979, there have been a series of symposia held every 5 to 7 years addressing the state of our knowledge about science, policy and management factors affecting California's oak resource. This program, held November 3-6, 2014 in...

Irrigating Oaks in the Drought
To water or not to water….an oak. That's the question. If only Shakespeare could answer our questions as eloquently as in his plays. In a state where the motto has become “brown is the new green” as people allow irrigated lawns to...

Call for Papers: 7th California Oak Symposium - Nov. 3-6, 2014 - Visalia, CA California
The 7th California Oak Symposium: Managing Oak Woodlands in a Dynamic California, will be held November 3-6, 2014 in Visalia, California. Complete details on the Symposium can be viewed on the website.  We are requesting abstracts for oral...

7th California Oak Symposium: Nov. 3-6, 2014 - Visalia, CA
General Overview Beginning in 1979, there have been a series of symposia held every 5 to 7 years addressing the state of our knowledge about science, policy and management factors affecting California’s oak resource. This upcoming program...

Oaks in the Urban Landscape - October 10
  Oaks in the Urban Landscape: Selection, Care, and Preservation is the most current and comprehensive handbook available for the management of oak trees. Join authors Larry Costello, Bruce Hagen and Katherine Jones, along with UC...