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Posts Tagged: agriculture
They Quickly Learned What All the Buzz Was About
They quickly learned what all the buzz was about. The bees. When longtime beekeeper...
Ettmarie Peterson, known as "The Queen Bee of Sonoma County," stands by her bee observation hive at the Vacaville Museum Guild's Children's Party. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Honey Bee (Dr.George Stock, a retired physician) peeks around to see what's happening by the bee observation hive. Beekeeper Ettmarie Peterson (right) is chatting with Hunter Banks, 3, and his grandmother, Margaret Banks. Hunter is wearing his "Buck, Buck, Moose" t-shirt. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Beekeeper Ettmarie Peterson (right) discusses bees with Damian Strzelczyk, 3, and his mother, Marta Strzelczyk. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Emeline Swank and her grandmother Maryann Henn (far left), a member of Museum Guild, learn about bees from beekeeper Ettamarie Peterson. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A Honey of a Bee
Is there a doctor in the house? Is there a doctor in the courtyard? Is there a doctor in the honey...
Hear that buzz? The Honey Bee (Dr. George Stock) enters the courtyard. With him are Vacaville Museum Guild members Georganne Gebers (right) of Vacaville, and Sharon Walters of Dixon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Children expressed excitement as they circled The Honey Bee. In the back is a cutout banner of a California dogface butterfly, the state insect, from the Bohart Museum of Entomology. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Little Eloise Vieira loved The Honey Bee. In back is Vacaville Museum Guild member is bee assistant Sharon Walters. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Solano County Sheriff's Department, Vacaville Police Department and California Highway Patrol all participated in the Museum Guild's Children's Party. The Honey Bee took time out to pose with several of the officers. From left are CHP Officer Mike Barday, Sheriff Sgt. Rex Hawkins, and CHP Officer Erica Tatum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Honey Bee poses with "Queen Bee" Ettamarie Peterson of Petaluma, who displayed her bee observation hive at the event. At right is a costumed McGruff the Crime Dog from the Vacaville Police Department. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Honey Bee gets acquainted with Stanley, a 20-year-old donkey brought to the party by Tina Currie of the Vaca Valley Grange. (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>ANR hires expertise in urban pests, plants and small farms
From Siskiyou County through Riverside County, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources has hired UC Cooperative Extension experts to help Californians address challenging issues.
The eight recently hired UC Cooperative Extension specialists, advisors and coordinators bring expertise in urban pest management, healthy families, regenerative agriculture, plant science, small farms and food safety to their communities.
Since 1914, UC Cooperative Extension researchers have been working directly with community members to improve their lives and livelihoods.
To see a list of UC Cooperative Extension experts who have joined in the past few months, visit https://ucanr.edu/About/DirectorySearch/Recent_Hires. The most recently hired scientists are introduced below.
Lee brings expertise in urban pest behavior to Capitol Corridor IPM role
Sang-Bin Lee joined UC ANR as the urban integrated pest management advisor for the Capitol Corridor – comprising Sacramento, Yolo and Solano counties – to help communities manage urban pests such as cockroaches, termites and ants.
“My high-level hope is to improve public health and the well-being of people in the Capitol Corridor region by implementing and improving the IPM program,” Lee said.
A native of South Korea, Lee earned his bachelor's in biology from Pusan National University. After working in the food manufacturing sector (which included a stint in Brazil, where he learned basic Portuguese), Lee decided to pursue his passion for studying animal behaviors. During his master's program in ecology at Pusan National University, Lee investigated behavioral changes in zebrafish after pathogen infection.
“My goal was to detect fish with symptoms much earlier than conventional methods to prevent the spread of pathogens in fish farms,” he said.
Intrigued by research on social insects, Lee went on to earn a Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Florida, where he studied the social behaviors of termites. Lee has published 34 peer-reviewed articles in professional journals and has received several awards from Entomological Society of America and other professional societies.
He said that he finds urban pest management to be a fascinating discipline – and a very rewarding endeavor – in the field of entomology.
“My interests lie in the behavior of urban pests, and studying their behavior often provides a great opportunity to improve control measures,” Lee explained. “I have had many opportunities to communicate with people from the pest control industry and homeowners; conversations with these people often inspire me to work harder to help those who need my assistance.”
Lee is based in Fairfield, at the UC Cooperative Extension office in Solano County, and can be reached at sablee@ucanr.edu and (530) 574-9835. He is on X/Twitter @SangBinLee4.
New farm advisor Singh to bring latest research to Siskiyou County
Jagdeep Singh recently joined UC ANR as the agronomy advisor for Siskiyou County. In this capacity, Singh will primarily focus on crop production in alfalfa, pasture and small grains, as well as pest control and water management.
Originally from Punjab, India's agriculture-rich state, Singh brings a unique perspective to his work.
“My passion lies in directly impacting the lives of farmers who feed the world,” he said. “I'm driven by a constant thirst for knowledge and a commitment to bridging the gap between the most up-to-date research and practical, on-farm solutions. What motivates me is understanding farmers' needs and providing science-based answers to their questions.”
Singh earned a B.S. from Punjab Agricultural University, an M.S. from New Mexico State University, and a Ph.D. from Auburn University.
During his Ph.D. studies, he assessed 70 years of cotton breeding impacts on yield, nutrient relations and root architecture, while also studying cover crops for soil health improvement. His M.S. work focused on guar, evaluating its growth, yield, water extraction patterns and water use efficiency under deficit irrigation, as well as identifying cold-tolerant germplasm for cooler regions of the Southern High Plains.
In his new role at UC ANR, Singh aims to build strong relationships with the local community, certified crop advisers and industry groups, leveraging the well-established extension system.
Singh can be reached by email at fgssingh@ucanr.edu or by calling the UCCE Siskiyou office at (530) 842-2711.
Rosenberg joins UCCE as regenerative agriculture farm advisor
Sara Rosenberg joined UCCE as a regenerative agriculture farm advisor for Mariposa, Merced and Stanislaus counties.
Her disciplinary focuses are agroecology, sustainable nutrient management, and extension research and methodology. Her past research centers on understanding the implications of diversification (with a focus on crop rotations and cover crops) for California rice systems. For her master's program thesis, she conducted a countywide assessment to learn from rice growers about their experiences with crop rotations and understand barriers to adoption, opportunities, and required resources for successful implementation. This two-year study engaged grower communities to help develop research goals for her Ph.D. studies.
Her doctoral research explored how different summer crop rotations affect multiple sustainability factors including soil health, crop yields, weeds, input use and economics. She also assessed different cover-crop species performance in rice environments and their carbon and nitrogen contributions.
She earned a master's in international agriculture development and a Ph.D. in horticulture and agronomy from UC Davis.
Prior to working on her Ph.D., Rosenberg was an agriculture advisor in the Peace Corps for more than three years. She worked closely with smallholder farmers in West Africa, implementing conservation agriculture programs and increasing agricultural resilience in both annual crops and tree crops, mainly in the cashew forestry sector. In California, she has worked on farms for more than eight years, including running her own small, diversified farm in Woodland.
She is passionate about community-led development and using participatory research as a powerful tool for developing sustainable solutions. Her aim is to develop collaborative programming that will support a wide range of farm types, including commercial and small-scale, organic and conventional, annual crops, tree and vine crops, and livestock production systems.
She is developing a robust research program aimed at assessing farm sustainability impact across ecological, agronomic, social and economic factors. She will be collaborating with farmers to help overcome barriers to adopting regenerative practices and build their capacity to advance sustainability goals. Rosenberg also will be developing and promoting tested integrative management practices that increase climate resilience and ecosystem sustainability across diverse farming environments.
Rosenberg is based in Mariposa and can be reached at srosenberg@ucanr.edu and (209) 966-2417 ext. 1417.
Sangha joins UCCE as community water systems advisor
Laljeet Sangha joined UCCE as a community water systems advisor for Kern, Tulare and Kings counties.
To enhance community resilience, Sangha will lead an integrated extension education and applied research program in water resource management and community development.
He will address critical questions regarding the impacts of environmental stressors, such as chronic long-term droughts, water contamination and increased groundwater demand. Additionally, he will assist in water system consolidations and help communities meet regulatory goals such as those set by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP).
Originally from Punjab, India, Sangha earned his undergraduate degree in agricultural engineering from Punjab Agricultural University. He received his M.S. in biosystems engineering from Auburn University and his Ph.D. in biological systems engineering at Virginia Tech.
Sangha's early research focused on the influence of climate variability on ecologically sustainable water withdrawals from streams for irrigation. For his doctoral studies, he evaluated the impact of permit exemptions, climate change and demand growth on water supply. Additionally, he developed methods to quantify unreported water use for crop irrigation.
Sangha also has collaborated on projects in the Colorado River Basin, which explore why the Colorado River no longer reaches the sea. His work includes evaluating the effects of limited water availability on irrigation operations and developing adaptive options for farming communities in the basin.
Sangha is based in Bakersfield and can be reached at lsangha@ucanr.edu.
Beveridge joins ANR's Small Farms team
Claire Beveridge joined UC ANR as a small farms water-conservation academic coordinator for Fresno, Tulare and Madera counties. She is also part of the statewide UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, or SAREP.
As an academic coordinator, Beveridge supports small-scale, diversified and socially disadvantaged farmers in Fresno and surrounding areas in on-farm water conservation through education, technical assistance, outreach and research activities. This encompasses aiding farmers with improved irrigation practices and technologies, groundwater regulation compliance and on-farm groundwater recharge.
She also facilitates small-scale farmer access to state incentives for water and energy efficiency, as well as drought and flood relief programs. Beveridge also helps to inform state water policy on the unique needs of small-scale farms.
She is broadly interested in fostering sustainable water resource management through interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches among communities, decisionmakers and researchers.
Beveridge holds a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering with an emphasis in hydrology from the University of Washington. She conducted postdoctoral research at Florida International University and earned her bachelor's degree in civil and environmental engineering from UC Berkeley. She is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer in California, an inaugural editor of the Community Science Exchange journal and resource hub, and recently completed a USDA International Agriculture Education Fellowship in Uganda.
“I grew up in Madera and am excited to be serving my home region as part of UC ANR,” she said.
Beveridge is based in Fresno and can be reached at cbeveridge@ucanr.edu.
Pourkhalili to promote healthy families and communities
Azin Pourkhalili joined UCCE as a youth, family and community advisor for Kern, Inyo and Mono counties.
In her role, she will promote healthy families and communities by designing, delivering and evaluating strategies for encouraging nutrition and physical activity in youth and their families. Additionally, she will provide academic oversight of community education and outreach program staff who work with families and youth, including the UC 4-H Youth Development Program, CalFresh Healthy Living UC Nutrition Education Program, Expanded Food Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and Juntos.
Pourkhalili brings over six years of experience in conducting health intervention research programs, including their development, implementation and evaluation.
Before moving to California, Pourkhalili was a Virginia Cooperative Extension research scientist. She worked on multiple health intervention projects, including nutrition education for older adults through the Elder Nutrition and Food Safety program and the prevention and management of chronic diseases through programs such as the Lifestyle Change Program, Diabetes Prevention Program, Balance Living with Diabetes, and Kick'n Cancer. She also collaborated with the Virginia Department of Health on various projects.
Pourkhalili's academic background encompasses the latest research in nutrition and physical activity education programs, chronic disease prevention programs and health education programs for different age groups. Building on her experience in implementing and evaluating nutrition education programs, her future research aims to address the unique health education needs of diverse communities in California. She plans to continue researching the evaluation and effectiveness of health education programs, such as CalFresh Healthy Living UC, EFNEP and 4-H.
She holds a Ph.D. in human nutrition, food and exercise, specializing in community and behavioral science, and a graduate certificate in gerontology from Virginia Tech.
Pourkhalili is based in Bakersfield and can be reached at apourkhalili@ucanr.edu.
Atume to provide small farms SGMA technical assistance
Ngodoo Atume joined UC ANR as a Sustainable Groundwater Management Act small farms technical assistance coordinator in the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.
She will provide technical information, services, policy analysis and recommendations needed to engage and protect small-scale farmers in the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
Before joining UC ANR, Atume worked as a water policy analyst advocating for the implementation of the Human Right to Water in California. She also worked on the inclusion of underrepresented stakeholders in SGMA, Central Valley Salinity Alternative Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) and the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP).
Born and raised in Nigeria, Atume earned her bachelor's degree in water resources and environmental engineering at Ahmadu Bello University, where her research focused on the treatment and reuse of wastewater. She has a master's degree in sustainable water management from Tufts University.
Atume is based at the UC ANR office in Davis and can be reached at natume@ucanr.edu.
Fujiyoshi joins Capitol Corridor small farms team
Phillip Fujiyoshi joined UCCE small farms team in the Capitol Corridor as an extension and research associate. Working with Margaret Lloyd, UCCE small farms advisor, Fujiyoshi supports underserved farmers in Yolo, Sacramento and Solano counties by providing them with financial and agronomic technical assistance and making extension materials available in Spanish.
Born and raised in Santa Maria, Fujiyoshi earned his bachelor's degree in biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His academic knowledge of Spanish transformed into bilingual proficiency thanks to his life experiences of living with Spanish roommates, participating in a tree-planting brigade in Nicaragua and setting up a Spanish-speaking household with a Nicaraguan partner. The Nicaragua trip also sparked his lasting interest in agriculture, leading him into doctoral studies in agroecology at UC Santa Cruz.
After completing his Ph.D., Fujiyoshi performed molecular assays, contributed to phylogenetic studies, and led a spore-trapping field study in a lab studying grapevine trunk diseases. In addition, he pursued outside interests in agriculture, including winning an individual grant to study cabbage aphid behavior, pursuing informal cover crop trials in a community garden plot, volunteering on the UC Davis Student Farm, and giving agronomic advice to growers at the farmers market.
Fujiyoshi is based in Woodland and can be reached at (530) 666-8143 and pfujiyoshi@ucanr.edu.
Barnes brings hometown knowledge to UCCE in Lake, Mendocino counties
New Cooperative Extension director has worked extensively with Native American communities, youth groups
Growing up in Upper Lake, along the “North Shore” of Clear Lake, Matthew Barnes lived near several of the Lake County region's seven federally recognized tribes. Although he counted several Native Americans among his diverse circle of childhood friends, and was very familiar with those communities, Barnes was nonetheless quite nervous when he was appointed in 2009 as the inaugural executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of the Pomo Nation.
Barnes – a non-Native of European and Filipino descent – vividly remembers the tribal administrator paying him a visit on one of his first days on the job. “He said, ‘Hey, you have two ears and one mouth, so listen twice as much as you speak and you'll be fine,'” Barnes recalled. “And that's definitely stuck with me.”
That approach is continuing to guide Barnes in his new role as University of California Cooperative Extension director for Lake and Mendocino counties. He will guide and support research, outreach and education activities to meet the area's agriculture, natural resources, and youth and community development needs.
Since starting in May, Barnes has been getting a crash course from UCCE advisors and staff on viticulture research, pest management practices, 4-H camps, and a host of other projects and programs – while also meeting with local communities on the region's most pressing challenges.
“What I've been doing – and will continue to do – is just to listen and learn, and when I can add value to a conversation or project, then I'll do that,” Barnes said. “But leadership to me starts with the relationships we build – with our staff and with the community.”
Bringing a range of experiences in youth programs, social services
One area in which Barnes will certainly add value is developing youth and community programs. During his time with Boys & Girls Club of the Pomo Nation, it was one of only three Boys & Girls Clubs established on tribal land in California. In that role, Barnes faced the unique challenge of integrating the Boys & Girls Club curriculum into a community for which it was not originally designed.
By adapting the curriculum to include culturally relevant topics, Barnes transformed the program into a model that eventually aided in the creation of a Native American-focused branch, Boys & Girls Clubs of America Native Services.
“This initiative now serves as a national standard for Boys & Girls Clubs on tribal lands,” Barnes said.
He later became a director of California Tribal TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), a direct cash assistance and supportive services program for Native American families in 17 counties across the state.
During his decade of TANF work, Barnes launched career development programs, alcohol and other drug counseling programs, and cultural revitalization initiatives. Some of the programs are still running and serving communities to this day.
“The trick is making those programs something that participants can see the value in,” Barnes explained. “And to do that, you go into the communities and talk to people and listen to what they need – instead of you telling them what they need.”
Barnes' experience partnering with Native American communities is just one of the many strengths he will bring to UCCE and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.
“We're very excited to have Matthew join the UC ANR family,” said Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty, UC ANR's director of County Cooperative Extension. “His personal knowledge of Lake and Mendocino counties and his previous work with Indigenous populations will be a tremendous asset to extending and elevating our work.”
Immediately prior to joining UC ANR, Barnes served as director of Lake County's Upward Bound program, which helps students from three local high schools experience and prepare for higher education.
“Overall, what drives me personally is the opportunity to make an impact on communities, on youth, and on people in general through program development and management,” Barnes said.
Inspiring young people as a mentor
Barnes' passion for youth development – and the impetus for his bachelor's degree in social work from Cal Poly Humboldt – can be traced to his AmeriCorps experience while he was attending Mendocino College. For two years, he worked as a tutor for young people, in Lake County and then in Sonoma County, and saw firsthand the difference educators and mentors can make in their lives.
“You could say I kind of caught the bug – just seeing the light bulbs go on when you're helping a youth of that age,” Barnes said.
From there, Barnes took a position directing teen programs for the Boys and Girls Club of Healdsburg, where he began to fully appreciate the importance of trusted adults simply “being there” for young people as a listening ear for whatever they want to talk about.
Among the many teens Barnes worked with, “Rodrigo” was a middle schooler who was pegged by his school and community as someone who could “slip through the cracks.” Rodrigo was the last to go home at the end of each day, and Barnes would chat with him – answering his questions about life or just talking about a new rap album.
“I realized I was ‘that person' for him – that person outside his house, outside his school,” Barnes said.
Even after Barnes left the Boys and Girls Club, Rodrigo – bound for university – invited him to his high school graduation. Barnes said it is tremendously gratifying to know he had a “small role” in shaping the path for Rodrigo – and countless others.
“Their success is still theirs; it's not necessarily because of me,” Barnes added. “My job is to do what I can in the moment to hopefully plant some seeds that may sprout in the future.”
Settled in Middletown, not far from his hometown, where he and his wife are raising two children, Barnes is now positioned to help nurture a flourishing Lake County and resilient Mendocino County.
“I feel like my past experiences, both in life and my career, have prepared me for this,” Barnes said.
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