Blogs: Agriculture and Natural Resource

Mark Bolda's Berry Blog

Roasting Late Summer Heat Does a Number on Central Coast Blackberries
Posted 9/15/2017 - The savage heat of the past few weeks has really wreaked havoc on our blackberries.  Normally thought of as being fairly stalwart sorts of plants, relatively easy to grow with few disease and insect issues, blackberries seem to be revealing...

One of the Reasons I Write (and a Reason Why Maybe You Should Too!)
Posted 9/9/2017 - Perfectly formulated exposition on one of the advantages of writing.  Don't get me wrong, I like to write anyway, but I too have found myself with a much better understanding of a topic once I've gone through the process of writing about it....

Sphecid Wasp of the Genus Pemphedron in Raspberries
Posted 9/8/2017 - There have been some reports of a small black wasp (photos 1& 3 below) associated with hollowed out raspberry laterals and some lateral death this past summer.  What confounded us was actually getting a live sample, but we finally had a good one...

Big Bounce in Organic Berry Sales
Posted 9/6/2017 - This just out of Growing Produce magazine: http://www.growingproduce.com/vegetables/organic-fruit-sales-surge-12/ "While berries as a whole have been on a strong upward trend for some time, organic growth continues to be at a faster pace than its...

Strawberries Make the Pages of the 'New Yorker'
Posted 8/18/2017 - I've had this forwarded to me a bunch of times over the past few days, and finally did have a chance to read the whole thing.  Although I trend more towards the meat and potatoes fare of the Wall Street Journal, it's always a pleasure to read...

Livestock and Range Update Blogs

Selected Yellow Starthistle Treatment Options
Temperatures are starting to cool down a bit, a nice reprieve from the consistently hot summer we've been having.  Maybe we'll get some rain in the next three or four weeks and get some good germination.  Hopefully, we won't get too much yellow...

Update on Foothill Abortion and the Vaccine
Dr. Jeff Stott, UC Cooperative Extension Professor of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology at UC Davis, recently gave a talk on foothill abortion at a producer meeting in San Luis Obispo County. Click this link to see his PowerPoint presentation:...

Ranching in Carnivore Country: Livestock Protection and Compensation Programs on the Central Coast
This is the twice-a-year meeting of the Central Coast Rangeland Coalition. The goal of this meeting is to improve economic security for livestock operators on the Central Coast by preventing livestock-carnivore conflict and providing potential resources...

Economic Tools For Ranchers
University of California and University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension recently held two workshops, one in King City and the other in Arroyo Grande, to share information about economic ranching tools, livestock health & nutrition, and rangeland...

Effective Herbicides for Controlling Central Coast Rangeland Weeds
Do you have yellow starthistle, Italian thistle, Himalaya blackberry, white top, or other common Central Coast rangeland weeds on your ranch? If so, you may be wondering which herbicides are most effective, how much they cost, what is required to...

Salinas Valley Agriculture

New CIMIS weather station available in the Salinas Valley
Posted 9/11/2017 - The California Irrigation and Management Information System (CIMIS) operates and maintains more than 145 weather stations throughout California.   The CIMIS program is funded by the California Department of Water Resources.   Most...

Agricultural Order Listening Sessions
Posted 8/2/2017 - Agricultural Order Public Scoping Meeting  Monday, August 7th    9 am – 11:30 am  Monterey County Agriculture Conference Room 1432 Abbott St. Salinas CA   The current Agricultural Order which regulates water...

Costs and returns for Central Coast lettuce and broccoli examined
Posted 7/7/2017 - Studies that examine crop production and harvest costs, as well as capital costs and net returns, can be helpful to growers in making production decisions, preparing budgets, and evaluating production loans. Cost and return analyses can also assist...

Chloride concentration can be an important factor in spinach cadmium uptake
Posted 6/16/2017 - The factors controlling cadmium (Cd) uptake by leafy greens, particularly spinach, have been the focus of intensive study since 2014.  By far the largest influence is the soil test Cd level (Fig. 1A).  Coastal soils vary from in total Cd...

Rapid diagnosis of soilborne diseases of strawberry and other crops
Posted 5/18/2017 - Finally. Under the guidance of USDA-ARS and other researchers, and with the help of the California Strawberry Commission and other supporters, the UC Cooperative Extension diagnostic laboratory in Salinas finally has joined the 21st century...

Small Farm News

Exploring Bay Area Wholesale Market Options
Posted 6/26/2017 - 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
Posted 1/17/2017 - 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
Posted 11/17/2016 - 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
Posted 7/14/2016 - 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"
Posted 11/10/2015 - 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

Bee-ing All You Can Be and See and Do
Posted 9/20/2017 - What a weekend for bee and gardening enthusiasts! It's a shame we all can't clone ourselves and be in two places at the same time! The 40th annual Western Apicultural Society conference at the University of California, Davis, just concluded and now...

Bohart Museum Open House: How to Pin a Butterfly
Posted 9/19/2017 - When the UC Davis Bohart Museum of Entomology hosts an open house, "Insects and U" on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 24, for the public to get acquainted with insects, it will also be a time to get acquainted with entomologist Jeff Smith, curator of the...

The Day That The Beetles Invaded the Bohart
Posted 9/18/2017 - Just call it "The Day that the Beetles Invaded the Bohart." That would be the recent open house at the Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California, Davis, on "Bark Beetles and Forest Health," coordinated by USDA Forest Service research...

Bohart Museum Open House: 'Insects and U'
Posted 9/15/2017 - Mark your calendar! Here's an opportunity--especially for new students and prospective students at the University of California, Davis and their families--to learn about insects. While students are moving into the dorms on Sunday, Sept. 24, an open...

The Sneaky Cuckoo Bee
Posted 9/14/2017 - You could call it a slacker, a deadbeat, a moocher, a sponger, or a loafer. Or you could call it a cuckoo bee. Take the cuckoo bee, Xeromelecta californica, a parasite of the digger bee, Anthophora. When the female Anthophora leaves its nest to...

Food Blog

Partnering with produce providers
Posted 9/13/2017 - What's one way to combat food waste, save money, and expand food knowledge? Ask a UC Master Food Preserver. Or rather, have a group of dedicated volunteers do a hands-on demo at a CSA pick-up location. Tanaka Farms, located in Orange County, did just...

The beautiful and healthful pitahaya thrives in Southern California
Posted 8/31/2017 - Farmer Arian Williams is successfully tending 16 acres of avocados in the De Luz area of Temecula, but he and his wife came to the 10th annual UC Pitahaya Festival in August to see whether there is commercial potential in...

Sunpreme raisins a hit at the UC Kearney Grape Day 2017
Posted 8/11/2017 - Excitement over the new Sunpreme raisins was evident at UC Kearney Grape Day Aug. 8, 2017. As soon as the tram stopped, dozens of farmers and other industry professionals rushed over to the vineyard to take a close look and sample the fruit. Raisins...

#Collabatition: A new network of food hubs looks past competition to help each other succeed
Posted 8/10/2017 - In today's food system, large scale food distribution has become the standard way food moves from farm to market.  The system works well to feed a lot of people, and has allowed us to eat tomatoes in December and send produce far distances while...

Go back-to-school with a garden
Posted 8/8/2017 - It's that time already when the kids start heading back to school and meals go back to a strict schedule. It can be easy to turn to take-out and other convenience foods to make meal times more manageable, especially during the rush of back-to-school....

Blog de Alimentos

Colaborando con los proveedores de frutas y verduras
Posted 9/21/2017 - In English. ¿Cuál es la mejor forma de combatir el desperdicio de alimentos, ahorrar dinero y expandir el conocimiento sobre alimentos? Pregúntele a los Conservadores Maestros de Alimentos de la UC (UC Master Food Preserver...

La hermosa y saludable pitaya crece en el sur de California
Posted 9/14/2017 - In English. El granjero Arian Williams atiende con éxito 16 acres de aguacates en el área de Temecula conocida como De Luz, pero él y su esposa llegaron al Festival de la Pitaya de la UC, realizado el pasado mes de agosto,...

Pasas Sunpreme, un éxito en el evento del Día de la Uva 2017 de UC Kearney
Posted 8/18/2017 - In English. El entusiasmo sobre las nuevas uvas Sunpreme fue evidente en el Día de la Uva 2017 de la UC Kearney efectuado el pasado 8 de agosto. Una vez que el tranvía paró, docenas de granjeros y otros profesionales de la industria...

Regreso a clases con un huerto en la escuela
Posted 8/14/2017 - In English. Es de nuevo esa época del año cuando los niños regresan a clases y las comidas vuelven a un horario estricto. Puede resultar fácil recurrir a la compra de comida para llevar u otros alimentos de conveniencia para...

#Collabatition: una nueva red de centros de alimentos con el fin de ayudarse mutuamente
Posted 8/10/2017 - In English. En el sistema alimentario de hoy día, los distribuidores a gran escala se han convertido en la manera estándar para transportar alimentos desde la granja al mercado. El sistema funciona bien para alimentar a mucha gente y nos...

Forest Research and Outreach

Satomi joins UCCE as forestry advisor
Posted 8/31/2017 - Ricky Satomi joined UCCE on May 15, 2017, as an Area Forestry and Natural Resources Advisor in Shasta, Trinity and Siskiyou counties. Satomi earned an M.S. in forestry from UC Berkeley and a B.S. in...

Expert: Grizzly Peak Wildfire Response Reveals a Potential Flaw
Posted 8/11/2017 - Reposted from California Alumni Magazine Detail of photo by Bobby Lee / The Daily Californian Expert: Grizzly Peak Wildfire Response Reveals a Potential Flaw Last week's wild fire on Grizzly Peak Boulevard...

How to study cannabis
Posted 8/2/2017 - Reposted from California Agriculture 71(2):53-54.  Soon after Van Butsic arrived in California in 2013 to join UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, he noticed a pattern. “Fire, water and weed are the three...

Science Tuesday: Toasted Ticks
Posted 7/26/2017 - Reposted from the Fire Adapted Community Learning Network Blog I'm sure many of you are familiar with the kids' book “Going on a Bear Hunt.” The family in the book is on an adventure that takes them through rough terrain: a swirling,...

Working with wild horses and water controversies in rural California
Posted 7/19/2017 - Reposted from the Confluence, California Institute for Water Resources Blog   Watering holes can be hard to come by in the high desert of northeastern California. Pronghorn, deer, cattle, and wild horses are all visitors to the...

Oak Conservation

Proceedings Available - 7th California Oak Symposium: Managing Oak Woodlands in a Dynamic World
Posted 12/10/2015 - 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
Posted 7/15/2015 - 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
Posted 2/14/2014 - 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
Posted 1/8/2014 - 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
Posted 9/16/2013 -   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...