UC Agriculture & Natural Resources

03/25/2023

Our California 4-H program is hiring a Community Education Specialist in .

This position’s primary focus will be on conducting, managing programs, and assessing the needs of youth and families.

APPLY HERE: http://spr.ly/6189O6MPf

03/24/2023

UCCE Master Gardeners of Orange County volunteers Monica Mehren Thompson, and Robbie Prepas create a -to-table experience for adults with disabilities.

The garden has only experienced two plantings so far: spring and fall of 2022. When it's time to harvest, the residents eagerly gather to taste the fresh vegetables and herbs. During the week, dinners are prepared by a professional chef, who incorporates ingredients pulled from the garden.

UC Master Gardener Program

https://bit.ly/40zPFO8

03/24/2023

UC Cooperative Extension researchers are looking for ways to reduce contamination from groundwater .

Light irrigation before flooding stimulates microbes to remove nitrates from .
https://bit.ly/40ddhIk

03/23/2023

From UC Master Gardener Program.

Ready to start your home vegetable garden? Check out these 7 Tips for Success When Planting Your Vegetable Seedlings Into the Garden from UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County.

From choosing the right location to watering techniques, these tips will help ensure a bountiful harvest. Don't forget to share your own gardening tips in the comments! 🌱🥕 🍅

1. Be patient and wait until the soil is at the optimum temperature.
2. Avoid letting plants become pot-bound.
3. Harden off young plants to prepare them for their life outdoors.
4. Keep your plants safe from hungry pests- snails, slugs, earwigs, and birds.
5. Consider space requirements for healthy vegetable plants.
6. When transplanting be sure to take up some soil with each plant as you carefully remove it from its container.
7. Give your plants some shade after planting in the garden.

Learn more ⬇️
http://bit.ly/3K3KZKE

03/22/2023

Home — Water Talk

On this , we highlight the Water Talk Podcast, a with UCCE water experts Mallika Nocco, Faith Kearns, and Sam Sandoval.

MEET WATER TALK
Water Talk aims to bring communities across California together to talk about water issues, including climate change, scarcity, and access.

Go here for past episodes ⬇️

A conversation with Dr. Katerina Gonzales (EPA Climate Adaptation Advisor) and Dr. Daniel Swain (UCLA) about atmospheric rivers, climate extremes and futures, and climate science communication. Rereleased March 17, 2023 with original recordings from June 30, 2020.

03/21/2023

Thank you to legislators, officials, staff, and community members who attended Ag Day at the Capitol 2023 and visited with our California 4-H youth, UCCE Sacramento County Master Gardeners, UC Extension, The VINE, and staff.

We hope the conversation, cute animals, citrus, and avocados were worth getting wet on this soggy day! Thank you for your support of our work.

California Department of Food and Agriculture

03/20/2023

JH-2.mp4

Here's another from UCCE Advisor for Southern , Janet Hartin. What other questions do you all have about tree ?

03/20/2023

Happy !
Have a gardening question?

Are you interested in learning more about your local county-based UC Master Gardener Program? Find the UC Cooperative Extension office near you to answer your questions.

https://mg.ucanr.edu/FindUs/

03/19/2023

We're a Forestry & Natural Resources Advisor to work with landowners, government & non-government agencies to reduce risks of & manage post-wildfire revegetation while focusing on creating healthier communities. https://bit.ly/3LtowIg

03/18/2023

Our UCCE Sacramento County Master Gardeners brings us this beauty.

Flower Power – Sparaxis or Harlequin Flower

This lovely drought-tolerant bulb is planted in the fall to bloom now. Besides this red, they can be orange, white, pink, burgundy and lots of splashes of black and white in their throats.

03/18/2023

Join our team in . We're an Area Fruit & Almond Advisor who will implement an innovative extension education program that includes labor-saving approaches, pest & disease, nutrition & irrigation management.
https://bit.ly/40dwHfU

03/17/2023

Our VP Glenda Humiston and California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross form part of Lieutenant Governor's California ag delegation to for World Smart Energy Week, highlighting trade and establishing connections on .


https://plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov/wordpress/?p=25759

03/16/2023

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County offer information for growing container gardens.

Get started here: https://bit.ly/3lo8gxB

03/15/2023

An estimated 53 million people in the U.S. turned to food banks and community programs for help putting food on the table in 2021.

UCCE nutrition specialist Cassandra Nguyen led a team of researchers in developing a new tool that helps assess policies and practices at food banks to better promote nutrition and health.

https://ucanr.edu/News/?routeName=newsstory&postnum=56441

03/14/2023

Along with our UC Master Gardener Program we recognize the growing concern of urban heat islands in California and their far-reaching impacts. That's why we're taking action to combat them by increasing the number of urban green spaces, like parks and gardens, across the state. Working alongside community organizations to identify drought and climate-resilient trees, we also provide free help and resources to ensure they're properly maintained for future generations.

We're committed to creating a healthier, more sustainable future for California, and we're grateful for your support. Join us in our mission to combat urban heat islands and create a greener, more vibrant community!

Connect with us! mg.ucanr.edu

03/14/2023

Timeline photos

03/14/2023

Our UC Master Gardener Program strives to make an impact in communities by promoting . Through education and support, they increase access to fresh, healthy produce and promote sustainable food systems.

Join the movement, connect with them and start growing your own food today! 🌱🥕

https://mg.ucanr.edu/FindUs/

03/13/2023

Our Los Angeles County 4-H program cultivates a future generation of stewards.

During a water recycling facility tour, students saw firsthand the equipment & essential staff members that help produce nearly 40 million gallons of recycled water daily.

https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=56370

03/12/2023

Join us for Diagnosis and Management of Almond Canker Diseases, March 22, 2-4 pm.

In this webinar, UCCE Specialist Florent Trouillas will introduce common fungal and bacterial canker diseases affecting California almonds and share the best management strategies. https://bit.ly/3mCyUTv

03/11/2023

Are you a 🥕🥦🧅 crop expert?
We're an Assistant Specialist for Vegetable Crops Production and Management who will assist in all phases of applied vegetable production and management research efforts in the northern San Joaquin Valley.
https://ucanr.edu/About/Jobs/?jobnum=2451

03/10/2023

From UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County

Insects:
Soldier beetles are beneficial insects and they look a lot like lightning bugs, but don't have light-producing organs.

They are also known as "leather wings", and get their name from the soft, cloth like wing covers, which when they are brightly colored, are reminiscent of soldier's uniforms. The adult beetles' blackish and red coloration also alerts predators that they don’t taste good.

The adults are active during the day and they are predators, eating caterpillars, eggs, aphids, and other soft-bodied insects. They will also eat nectar and pollen if no insects are around. Because of their frequent contact with flowers, soldier beetles are important pollinators. They do not damage flowers or other plants and are harmless to people.

To attract them to your garden, do not use pesticides. Also provide them with a variety of flowers. They favor ones in the Asteraceae and Apiaceae families, as well as other species with clusters of small flowers, such as milkweeds.

Some examples of Apiaceae flowers are carrots, celery, parsley, fennel, chervil, dill, and Queen Anne’s Lace.

Some examples of flowers in the Asteraceae family are yarrow, coreopsis, sunflower, dahlia, zinnia, aster, cosmos, and Black-eyed Susan.

More info about soldier beetles: https://www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/natural-enemies/soldier-beetles/

More info about flower families:https://ucanr.edu/sites/placernevadasmallfarms/files/170644.pdf

Photo: Kathy Keatley Garvey, UCCE

03/10/2023

Safeeq Khan, specialist in water and watershed sciences, is among the collaborators that safely treated over 700 acres of federal land using a combination of mastication, mechanical thinning, hand thinning, and prescribed fire.

https://bit.ly/3FegbnK

03/09/2023

Our UC Cooperative Extension advisors have compiled information to help you stay safe before, during, and after a flood.

During a Flood:

Determine the best course of action: This
depends on the type of flooding. Local authorities
will typically provide instructions.
• Evacuation
• Moving to higher ground
• Staying where you are

-Avoid driving: Stay off the roads unless it is an
emergency, or you are directed to evacuate.
You can seek shelter: You can find a safe place to shelter.

-Remain in place until the water has receded
Turn around, don’t drown: Do not attempt to drive,
walk, or swim through flood waters.

-As little as six inches of moving water can
knock a person down, and one foot of moving
water can sweep a vehicle away.
• Drowning is the number one cause of death
in floods.

-Stay off bridges: Bridges that are over fast-moving
water can be hazardous.

-Beware of electrocution: Electrical currents can
travel through standing water.
• Electrocution is the second leading cause of
death in floods.

More resources herehttps://ucanr.edu/sites/Disaster/files/374726.pdf

03/08/2023

From UC Statewide IPM Program, Urban/Community

Join UC IPM for this free webinar on Preventing Pest Problems at Seeding, March 16th from 12 to 1pm PST. 🌱

Register here https://ucanr.zoom.us/.../register/WN_09bVXrQGR8GVivcpcz8Rmg

03/08/2023

Women in Ag Panel

Our Vice President, Glenda Humiston, participates in California Grown's Women in Ag panel. Listen in! (AUDIO BEGINS AT MINUTE 13)

On this , we celebrate the achievements of women in the world.

03/07/2023

From UCCE Placer County Master Gardeners

Do you have frost damaged plants after this past week's freezing temps? Should you prune damaged areas? Should you leave it?

No decision should be made for frost damaged plants until the weather warms. Wait until at least April. And for some plants, especially plants that are marginal for this region, wait until June.

At that time, look for new growth and then decide what to remove. Most frost damaged trees and shrubs will recover if given time. Plants most at risk are not necessarily those most sensitive to low temps but plants that have very recently leafed out, even those that are normally hardy to very cold temps. In addition, fruit tree blossoms may experience frost damaged and not produce fruit. For densely foliaged plants that suddenly dropped all their leaves due to frost, you may wish to protect the bark with diluted latex paint.

Read more about that, and about frost damage here:https://ucanr.edu/sites/ucmgplacer/files/171566.pdf

03/06/2023

From our UC Master Gardener Program.

Spring is on its way which means your local pollinators are going to be more active. Why not give them some support? 🐝🦋🕷
A few pollinator-supporting plants you can grow are:
• Native Milkweeds
• Lantana
• Honeysuckle

For more March gardening tips check out our latest blog! http://bit.ly/3KUHuqV

03/06/2023

Join us this to uplift women who contribute to 's mission.

Meet Yu-Chen Wang, pathology advisor working to find long-term solutions for impatiens necrotic spot virus ().
https://bit.ly/3kYP7BY

03/05/2023

Join us in congratulating Laura Snell, UCCE director and livestock and natural resources advisor for , who received the Young Range Professional Award from the Society for Range Management.

“When Laura first came to California, she had not worked west of the Rocky Mountains, yet she swiftly gained an in-depth knowledge of the rangeland systems in Modoc County,” wrote David Lile, UCCE director and livestock and natural resources advisor for Lassen County in his nomination letter.

https://bit.ly/3kIYDJz

03/05/2023

Fungal pathogens that cause die-back in , , , nut, and other crops have found a new host and infect conifer trees, causing pine ghost canker in urban areas of Southern California.

https://bit.ly/3ERLPaw

03/04/2023

We seek an Administrative Officer to support the California Institute for Water Resources, Climate Smart, and internal ANR grants. The ideal candidate will be a customer service and team-oriented individual familiar with budgets, financial reports, and sponsored projects. Based in .

https://bit.ly/3ZCjQ6x

03/03/2023

If you're in the area on March 11, participate in 2023 North Bay Science Discovery Day.

Families are invited to this FREE festival to spark wonder and curiosity about science, engineering, and mathematics.
https://www.northbayscience.org/

03/03/2023

Fire Advisor Yana Valachovic and team evaluated factors contributing to home loss during recent . Lessons from the 2022 wildfire season offer hope.
Fire Solutions - UC ANR

https://bit.ly/3kSB54O

03/03/2023

We've been awarded a $1 million UC Climate Action Innovation & Entrepreneurship grant for our The VINE Climate Smart Agrifood Innovation Program.

The VINE will use the grant to develop new technologies that help California farmers adapt to climate change. https://bit.ly/3ZhTMOj

03/02/2023

Our Fire team is here to answer your questions! Ask in the comments.

Fire Solutions - UC ANR

03/01/2023

Join us in welcoming new advisors, specialists & academic coordinators who bring expertise in drought, wildfire, food systems, urban and small-scale farms, livestock, 4-H youth development, pest management, wildlife, nutrition and environmental horticulture and more.

UC Cooperative Extension advisors work directly with community members to apply research-based information to improve the lives and livelihoods of Californians.

https://bit.ly/41A1Rzp

02/28/2023

New research suggests that modest modifications to many carbon storage practices can yield large benefits to without diminishing climate outcomes or economic benefits to farmers.

Read the findings here ➡️(https://bit.ly/3ZnHtzI) and subscribe to California Agriculture journal for free at https://calag.ucanr.edu/Subscribe/.

📸: Sam Earnshaw

02/27/2023

From UCCE Sacramento County Master Gardeners

Aloe or agave? Learn how to distinguish between these two succulent groups.
Video by the UC Master Gardeners of San Luis Obispo County.
�https://youtu.be/5haM61eOa4M

02/26/2023

Interested in learning about growing and selling beans? Join Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program - SAREP's webinar to hear from two farmers discussing their experiences growing dry beans, marketing strategies, and the supply chain in .
March 14, 4-5:30 pm. Register: http://ow.ly/leje50N28qk

02/26/2023

From our UC Master Gardener Program

Protect your outdoor plants from freezing temperatures ⬇️ https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=56299