Blogs: Agriculture and Natural Resource
Mark Bolda's Berry Blog
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Meeting Announcement-California Berry Cultivars May 7
California Berry Cultivars (CBC)will host a field day in Watsonville on Tuesday, May 7th starting at 10:30AM. Content will be solid; along with a presentation and field walk around by CBC staff and a talk on soil...
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Special Seminar: Recent Research Developments on Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) Insecticide Resistance in the Monterey Bay Area
Nationally recognized and long time California strawberry entomologist Frank Zalom will join Christine Tabuloc and myself this coming Friday April 19 at my office in Watsonville to discuss recent developments in insecticide resistance in...
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Watsonville Strawberries Ready to Rip
Just on a walk this morning (or was it afternoon, time change) on the levee outside of Watsonville and spied the gorgeous site below. Lots of red, and more importantly plenty of flowers, which with no rain in the forecast for the next couple of...
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Anthracnose is Around Right Now – Caution Advised
We had picture brought in by a grower on Friday of some fruit from his field showing clear signs of anthracnose. That is to say, dark, lens shaped lesions on the fruit. It's understood that these are very early fruit and they have been exposed to some...
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Computer Coaching for Public Speaking?
2/22/2024 Just working this morning on a talk happening two weeks down the road and came across the option from the Powerpoint menu pictured below. I'm curious, have any of you ever used this? While I think this would be useful in a...
Santa Cruz Forests
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Coast Redwoods Stewardship Webinar planned for June
I'm excited to announce we have a great webinar planned in June covering coast redwood ecology and stewardship both pre- and postfire! Join me and two of my amazing UCANR colleagues Kristen Shive and Cleo Wölfle Hazard. Sign up free at...
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Ceanothus in the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Burn Footprint
Whether you've been hiking or driving through the CZU Fire burn footprint in the Santa Cruz Mountains, you might have noticed that the understory of the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forests look quite different from how...
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Pile Burns in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Conditions in the Santa Cruz Mountains have been ripe for pile burning recently. You may have noticed slight hints of smoke in the air as regional forest managers work quickly to burn woody material that has been carefully piled in fuel and forest health...
Livestock and Range Update Blogs
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Please Fill Out the 2023 Crop Report Survey
The San Benito County Agricultural Commissioner's Office is accumulating figures for the 2023 County Crop Report and they would greatly appreciate your assistance in collecting accurate data. If you've got cattle in San Benito County, please fill out the...
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Midpen Grazing Leases
Please see below announcement from Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (District), regarding a Request for Proposals (RFP) to lease District property for conservation grazing... The District has released an RFP for three grazing units in San...
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San Benito County Cattlemen's Membership Drive with Dinner and Dancing
Join the San Benito County Cattlemen's Association for their membership drive, which will include dinner and dancing. This will be a fun event with live music by Jesse Daniel. You'll also hear from key note speakers and get updates from other local...
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New factsheets on fire for ranchers
The UC ANR Fire Network recently developed three factsheets that might be of interest to the ranching community. Keeping Livestock Safe and Healthy During Wildfires Land Stewardship and Vegetation Management Wildfire Preparedness for Farms,...
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Rancher Seminar - December 6, 2023
Join the San Benito County Weed Management Area for the 22nd Annual Continuing Education Seminar for Ranchers. It will be at the Oaks Room at Bolado Park this year. 2.5 hours of pesticide continuing education credit (including 1 hour of Laws and...
Salinas Valley Agriculture
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Predators by drone: Biological control research
Two of the worst pests plaguing lettuce growers in the Salinas Valley area are aphids, specifically lettuce-currant aphids (Nasovonia ribisnigri), and western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis). Lettuce-currant aphid is an invasive pest that sets...
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CropManage Hands-on Training, Salinas CA Wed. April 3, 2024
Date: Wed. April 3rd, 2024 Course 8:30 am – 12 pm Location: Monterey County Agriculture Conference Room 1432 Abbott St, Salinas CA 93901 Learn how to use CropManage to support irrigation and nutrient...
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Workshop on adapting Vegetable, Berry, and Grapevine Production to Changing and Variable Climates, Wed. March 6, 2024
Date: Wednesday, March 6th, 2024 (8 am – 2 pm) Location: UCCE Monterey County 1432 Abbott St., Salinas, CA 93901 With: UC Davis, UC Merced, UCCE Monterey County, Land IQ, UC ANR Free Registration includes coffee breaks, lunch, workshop...
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CropManage Hands-on Workshop and Drop-in Office Hours, Watsonville CA, March 7
Date: Thursday, March 7, 2024 Course 10:30 am – 2 pm Drop-in office hours 2-3:30 pm Location: Watsonville Public Library 275 Main St., Suite 100, Watsonville, CA 95076 Learn how to use CropManage to support irrigation and...
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2024 Irrigation and Nutrient Management Meeting
2024 Irrigation and Nutrient Management Meeting Tuesday, February 20 7:55 am to 1:30 pm Habrá traducción al Español Registration Link: 7:30 Sign-in and...
Small Farm News
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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
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A Special Day for UC Davis Distinguished Professor Walter Leal
Today (April 30) was a special day for entomologist Walter Soares Leal. “I got two phone calls almost simultaneously on my two cell phones, so I thought this could not be a prank, but I am still in disbelief,” said Leal, a UC...
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The Day That Barbie, Bugbie and Bugs Swept Briggs Hall
Think pink? Of course! Marielle Simone Hansel Friedman, a second-year doctoral student in the lab of urban landscape entomologist Emily Meineke, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, got swept in the Barbie movie craze last...
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California Honey Festival Is the Place to 'Bee'
Show me the honey? Show me the California Honey Festival. The annual event, which emphasizes the importance of bees, and promotes honey and honey bees and their products, will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, May 4 in downtown...
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An Incredible Salute to Entomologist Lynn Kimsey
When a noted entomologist retires, what do you do? Give them a 21-insect net salute. That's what occurred at a recent retirement celebration honoring the legacy of UC Davis distinguished professor emerita Lynn Kimsey, director of the...
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USC Biologist on 'Trends of Bee Biodiversity in North America'
Bee biodiversity? It promises to be an interesting seminar. Assistant professor Laura "Melissa" Guzman of the University of Southern California (USC) will discuss "Using Occupancy Models to Infer Trends of Bee Biodiversity in North...
Food Blog
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College students eligible for food assistance deterred by confusing requirements
Modifying Farm Bill could reduce barriers to SNAP for students and improve nutrition Inadequate access to food can harm college students' health and academic performance. A recent University of California research study in the Journal of...
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Grape seeds, stems and skins can reduce dairy cattle emissions
Low-cost wine industry additive also improved feed efficiency and milk quality Researchers at University of California, Davis, added fresh grape pomace left over from winemaking operations to alfalfa-based feed for dairy cows and found that methane...
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AI and sustainable farming focus of May 7 workshop with UC, partners
On May 7, scientists from University of California, Riverside, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, Colorado State University Extension, Kansas State University, University of Arizona, Central Arizona Project, and USDA-Agricultural Research Service...
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Young orchard water and nutrient management workshops offered in Modesto, Merced, Fresno, Bakersfield
Growers invited to discuss young almonds, pistachios, walnuts, olives and citrus orchards starting May 9 To help growers manage irrigation and nutrients for young and immature orchards, UC Cooperative Extension is offering workshops in Modesto,...
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New UC study estimates costs for growing strawberries on the Central Coast
A new study that can help growers and other readers estimate costs and potential returns for growing strawberries on California's Central Coast was recently released by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Cooperative Extension and the UC Davis...
Blog de Alimentos
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Expertos en agricultura hablan sobre los desafíos a los que se enfrenta esta industria en California
La agricultura genera 59 mil millones de dólares y emplea a cerca de 400 mil individuos en California. La industria, sin embargo, frecuentemente se ve amenazada ante los desafíos que representan los cambios climáticos, la...
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No solo sobre la preparación de comida aprenden jóvenes de 4-H en la Fiesta de los Alimentos
Podría sonar raro, pero para los participantes del Programa de Desarrollo Juvenil 4-H del condado de Orante, saber cocinar y tener habilidades para hablar en público van de la mano. Y eso se pudo observar durante la pasada Fiesta de los...
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UC ANR ofrece talleres virtuales sobre el desperdicio de alimentos y nutrición
Cómo reducir el desperdicio de alimentos y mejorar el nivel nutritivo en el sistema penitenciario de California, son los temas de una serie de talleres virtuales gratuitos presentados por la División de Agricultura y Recursos Naturales de...
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Productores de almendras en alerta ante posible brote de patógeno
El invierno húmedo y El Niño crean condiciones favorables para una infección con el patógeno Phytophthora aéreo Antes los pronósticos de lluvias torrenciales en California, expertos de Extensión...
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Recuerdan a los centros de distribución de alimentos sobre la importancia de evaluar sus sistemas de seguridad alimentaria
Los meses de invierno que proceden a las fiestas decembrinas, cuando los centros de distribución de alimentos registran una de las mayores actividades del año, ofrecen una buena oportunidad para que estas empresas realicen una...
Forest Research and Outreach
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Supporting Community Wildfire Preparedness: A Conversation with Tahoe RCD’s Jason Brand
When looking to improve a region's wildfire resiliency, considering the impact of neighborhood level action cannot be understated. By tapping into existing community ties, the Tahoe RCD's Network of Fire Adapted Communities (Tahoe Network) program is...
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Connecting California’s forest landowners with CA Tree School
While trees and forests are often emblematic of constancy in a fast-paced world, our state's forests are actually changing before our eyes. Since 2020, the UC ANR Forest Stewardship Education (FSE) program has been helping California's...
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Trunk to Table: Forest Stewardship visits the modernized UC Wood Products Lab at the Richmond Field Station
Today, the revitalization of the UC Wood Products laboratory at the Richmond Field Station outpost is led by Berkeley's UCCE Assistant Professors and Extension Specialists Dr. Daniel Sanchez and Dr. Paul Mayencourt. Sanchez leads the Carbon Removal...
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Empowerment and Incentivization for Forest Management
Social Media Summary Protecting California's forests and building climate-resilient communities and ecosystems requires forest landowners, managers, and natural resource professionals to actively engage in stewardship. UC ANR's Forest Stewardship...
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Forest Stewardship and Industry: Mendocino and Humboldt Redwood Co.'s John Andersen
Before he became the director of forest policy for a timber company, John Andersen was working next door to one. During his time as a consulting forester, several family forests Andersen visited were adjacent to parcels of industrial forestland that...
Oak Conservation
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...