Posts Tagged: Q
Moths and Butterflies: What Are the Differences?
What are the differences between moths and butterflies? That was a key question asked at the...
Iris Quayle of the laboratory of Jason Bond, director of the Bohart Museum, explains the differences between moths and butterflies. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
UC Davis doctoral candidate Iris Quayle answering questions from the visitors at the Bohart Museum open house. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Jeff Smith (left), curator of the Lepidoptera collection at the Bohart Museum, and Bohart associate Greg Kareofelas talk to open house attendees and show moth specimens. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Could empty lots be growing food, economic opportunity?
UCCE scientists study feasibility of specialty crops for small urban growers
The vacant lots around your neighborhood could be growing fruits and vegetables and making local produce more accessible – while reducing energy needed to transport and distribute the food. Could turning those empty lots into small farms also become opportunities for economic development?
To answer this question, a team of researchers from University of California Cooperative Extension in San Diego County are investigating the economic feasibility of growing high-value specialty crops in urban settings like vacant lots. The project – led by Eric Middleton, UCCE integrated pest management advisor for San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles counties – is currently in progress at The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, a seasonal attraction for locals and tourists.
Tucked away in the back of the field is the Small-Scale Urban Ag Demonstration Site where Middleton and his team established a small farm on approximately 17,000 square feet, starting fall 2023. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the farm is designed to evaluate containerized production both outdoors and under high tunnels.
Growers don't necessarily need land, just space
High tunnels, also referred to as hoop houses, are semi-permanent structures that act similarly to greenhouses in providing a controlled environment. For the experiment, Middleton will compare cost, effort and durability of two types of high tunnels: one made of steel and the other out of PVC pipes.
“We want to give interested growers information on as many options as we can,” said Middleton, who explained that the project is motivated by the challenges of urban settings, including limited space and lack of arable land.
In the trial, they are growing turmeric, ginger and blueberries. The high-value crops were selected because of their potential to earn a profit. Data evaluating plant variety, soil mix, fertilizer, growth performance, yield and pest and disease pressures will be collected and reported when the project concludes in 2026.
As the crops develop in containers – blueberries in pots and turmeric and ginger in grow bags – Middleton pointed out the mobility aspect of the study, noting that growers don't necessarily need land, just space.
Whether it's a backyard or a rooftop, containerized production means easier transport, especially since vacant land doesn't always remain vacant forever and urban lots may often need soil remediation. Growing in containers solves the anticipated problem of having to relocate.
Where to set up shop in San Diego County
Jan Gonzales, project coordinator and community education supervisor for UCCE San Diego County, is leading the effort to identify available urban land in San Diego County as well as the policies and procedures for growers to access these spaces.
Gonzales is collaborating with community members who are working on similar projects to identify space for prospective growers.
“This has been done before for different objectives and for specific areas in the region, but the information was either project-specific and not publicly available, or not easy to find,” Gonzales said.
Having spoken with people associated with previous or ongoing agricultural land mapping projects, Gonzales has agreed to coordinate and facilitate an advisory work group to discuss areas of potential collaboration and develop project efficiencies. She anticipates holding the first group meeting before the end of the summer.
A production guide to help community members re-create the project
The ideal audience for a study like this is anyone who wants to grow specialty crops, according to Lindsey Pedroncelli, interim director of UC South Coast Research and Extension Center in Irvine, who worked on the project alongside Middleton when she was a staff research associate with UCCE San Diego.
“If you're a new grower or a grower who wants to diversify your crop production, what we're learning here can be applied to you,” said Pedroncelli.
Pedroncelli has been instrumental in bringing the experiment to life and documenting its step-by-step workflow thus far. The production guide, which is being created as the study unfolds, will include instructions detailing how to replicate the experiment from the ground up. Currently, it contains information on how to design your farm, the materials to buy, building structures, irrigation setup and crop management.
The most intriguing open question, whether the operation is profitable, is the driving force behind the production guide and will certainly be addressed, Pedroncelli said.
Book a tour and visit the farm
When visiting the farm, you'll encounter three varieties of blueberries: Star, Snowchaser and Misty. Snowchaser has been a top producer since it was planted in January, but the variety is known to be an early season producer.
Using only one variety of each, the turmeric and ginger were planted in late March-early April. With some unanticipated cold weather in San Diego County, both crops struggled when transitioning out of dormancy, leading to very slow progress, which the team is still navigating today.
Visually, Middleton and his team have noticed differences between the crops growing under the high tunnels versus those grown outdoors, although the data has not been analyzed to confirm or explain notable differences.
Attempting to demonstrate how to profitably grow high-value crops in urban settings using limited space and resources, Pedroncelli said she hopes this study will also encourage people to grow culturally significant crops for their communities.
To tour the Small-Scale Urban Ag Demonstration Site at The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, email Eric Middleton at egmiddleton@ucanr.edu with "Urban Agriculture Demonstration Site Tour" in the subject line.
To learn more about the project and its progress, visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/socalIPM/Small_Scale_Urban_Agriculture_Project_/.
/h4>Blacklighting at the Bohart: They Saw the Light
They saw the light. The insects, that is. Bohart Museum of Entomology research...
John "Moth Man" DeBenedictus, a research associate at the Bohart Museum of Entomology, showed part of his moth collection at the Bohart open house. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
John "Moth Man" DeBenedictus, answers questions at the Bohart Museum of Entomology Moth Night. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Identify and Learn About the 73 Dragonfly Species (Anisoptera) in California
If you're like me, your heart skips a couple of beats when you encounter a dragonfly, especially...
Kathy Biggs (left) and Sandra von Arb are co-authors of the newly published "Dragonflies (Anisoptera) of California."
Dragonfly experts participating in a 2015 Bohart Museum of Entomology open house included (front, from left) Andrew Rehn of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Kathy Biggs, author of dragonfly books, and Sandra von Arb, then a senior biologist at the Pacific Northwestern Biological Resources, McKinleyville, Calif. In back are Rosser Garrison (left), now retired from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and Bohart associate Greg Kareofelas.
A flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Announcing Plasticulture Field Day July 30
Mark here - I've got an admin responsibility on the same day, so won't be at this meeting, but nevertheless encourage one and all who are interested in seeing firsthand our team's trial of various biodegradable plastics in the field to attend.
The flier for this event is attached below.
I am sharing that there will be FREE in-person Plasticulture Field Day, titled Enhancing Plasticulture Sustainability, scheduled for July 30, 2024 in Moss Landing, CA. Spanish Interpretation will be available.
Join us as we cover agricultural plastic recycling, plastic mulch alternatives such as soil-biodegradable mulches, and the latest research on the impacts of plasticulture on soils. See first hand, a commercial trial of soil-biodegradable mulches. We will also hear about mechanical mulch retrieval and the dry-wash processing line that makes mulch recycling possible. Get insights from ReGen Monterey, about local opportunities to recycle drip tape and hoop house plastics. Flyer is attached for more information and for posting. Please share this event with others that might be interested. Don't miss out on this exciting event! Register here:https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/mhuzuy8
Coffee and snacks will be provided. If you have any questions email Alena Anousinh – alena@californiamsf.orgor Jazmine Mejia-Munoz at jazmine@californiamsf.org.
Enhancing Plasticulture Sustainability
Registration: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/mhuzuy8
Date: July 30, 2024
Time: 8:30-11AM
Location: Satsuma Farms, Moss Landing, CA 95039
GPS Pin: 36.860269, -121.762852
Monterey Plasticulture Event 2024