- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
With the ongoing interest in the California drought and water issues in general, the University of California's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) is pleased to offer the following expert sources to assist in your coverage.
We've selected UC ANR specialists and advisors from throughout the state who possess a wide range of research and scientific expertise related to water and agriculture, and who have agreed to serve as interview subjects as their time and schedules permit. One of our experts is fluent in Spanish. Another is fluent in Italian.
Please contact a member of the UC ANR news and media staff with additional questions.
Jim Baird, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension turfgrass management specialist, based at UC Riverside
(951) 827-5630
cell (951) 333-9052
jbaird@ucr.edu
Dave Fujino, Ph.D.
Executive director, California Center for Urban Horticulture, based at UC Davis
(530) 754-7739
dwfujino@ucdavis.edu
Missy Gable
Director, UC ANR Statewide Master Gardener Program
Home gardening, landscaping
(530) 750-1266
mjgable@ucanr.edu
Thomas Harter, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension groundwater hydrologist, based at UC Davis (speaks fluent German)
(530) 752-2709
thharter@ucdavis.edu
Mark Lubell, Ph.D.
Professor
Human behavior and water conservation
(530) 752-5880
mnlubell@ucdavis.edu
Loren Oki, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension landscape horticulture specialist, based at UC Davis
(530) 754-4135
lroki@ucdavis.edu
Doug Parker, Ph.D.
Director, California Institute for Water Resources
UC ANR Cooperative Extension specialist, statewide water policy
(510) 987-0036
doug.parker@ucop.edu
Dan Putnam, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension agronomy specialist, based at UC Davis
Alfalfa
(530-752-8982
dhputnam@ucdavis.edu
Samuel Solis Sandoval, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension specialist (speaks fluent Spanish), based at UC Davis
Municipal and agricultural water use
(530) 754-9646
samsandoval@ucdavis.edu
David Sunding
UC ANR Cooperative Extension specialist based at UC Davis
Water resource management
(510) 642-8229
sunding@are.berkeley.edu
Daniel Sumner, Ph.D.
UC ANR agricultural economist, based at UC Davis
Director, UC Agricultural Issues Center
(530) 752-1668
dasumner@ucdavis.edu
Daniele Zaccaria, Ph.D. (Speaks fluent Italian)
UC ANR Cooperative Extension water management specialist, based at UC Davis
(530) 219-7502 cell (email first)
dzaccaria@ucdavis.edu
Central Valley
David Doll
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Merced County
almonds, pistachios, walnuts
(209) 385-7403
dadoll@ucanr.edu
Twitter: @thealmonddoctor
Allan Fulton
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Tehama, Colusa, Glenn and Shasta counties
Irrigation and water resources
(530) 527-3101
(530) 200-2246 cell
aefulton@ucanr.edu
Craig Kallsen
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Kern County
Citrus and pistachios
(661) 868-6221
cekallsen@ucanr.edu
Robert Hutmacher, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension agronomic crops specialist
Director, UC West Side Research and Extension Center
(559) 260-8957
rbhutmacher@ucanr.edu
Dan Munk
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Fresno County
Irrigation and drainage
(559) 241-7521
(559) 284-6674 cell
dsmunk@ucanr.edu
Karrie Reid
UC ANR Cooperative Extension Environmental horticulture advisor, San Joaquin County
Landscaping under drought conditions
(209) 953-6109
skreid@ucanr.edu
Blake Sanden
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Kern County
Irrigation, soil, water
(661) 868-6218
blsanden@ucanr.edu
Central Coast
Michael Cahn
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties
Irrigation and water resources, vegetables and berries
(831) 759-7377
mdcahn@ucanr.edu
Ben Faber
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties
Water, soils and subtropical crops, such as avocado and citrus
(805) 645-1462
bafaber@ucanr.edu
Southern California
Janet Hartin
UC ANR Cooperative Extension environmental horticulture advisor, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Riverside counties
Landscape and turfgrass irrigation/graywater use
(951) 313-2023
jshartin@ucanr.edu
Darren Haver, Ph.D.
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Orange County
Landscaping and drought
(949) 653-1814
Twitter: @DHaverUCANR
dlhaver@ucanr.edu
Dennis Pittenger
UC ANR Cooperative Extension area environmental horticulturist, based at UC Riverside
Landscape irrigation management
(951) 827-3320
dennis.pittenger@ucr.edu
Northern California
Steve Orloff
UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisor, Siskiyou County
Alfalfa and irrigated pasture
(530) 842-2711
sborloff@ucanr.edu
The “Technology and Design Innovation to Support 21st Century School Nutrition” project will assess the impact of using a “SmartMeal” technology platform, distributed points of sale and staff promotion of school meals at 12 SFUSD middle and high schools. Sixty percent of the district's students are eligible for free and reduced-price meals, as part of the National School Lunch Program, the country's largest child nutrition program. The researchers say that improving dietary intake among low-income youth is essential to reducing obesity, and schools are arguably the most important venue for change.
“Improving school meals is critical for addressing social inequities to healthful food access, said Lorrene Ritchie, Ph.D., RD, UCANR Nutrition Policy Institute director, Cooperative Extension specialist and co-primary investigator. “Poor nutrition is a primary cause of the obesity epidemic that threatens the health of American children, especially in low-income communities. We are targeting schools for interventions because most school-age children spend half of their waking hours and consume up to half of their daily calories in school.”
“This project will test whether we can change behavior by addressing the reality of today's adolescent lifestyles,” said Kristine Madsen, MD, associate professor in the School of Public Health and co-primary investigator.
“Mobile phones are ubiquitous among teens from diverse economic backgrounds, which makes this technology an ideal tool for promoting healthful food choices and nutrition education.”
The Nutrition Policy Institute was created in 2014 by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, the division of the University of California charged with sharing research-based information with the public about healthy communities, nutrition, agricultural production and environmental stewardship. NPI seeks to improve nutrition and health in low-income communities in California and the nation by engaging in research and communications that inform, build and strengthen policy. Visit NPI online at http://npi.ucanr.edu. SFUSD's Future Dining Experience (http://www.sfusdfuturedining.org/) is funded by USDA and the Sara & Evan Williams Foundation.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The workshops are designed to help potential applicants understand, develop and submit federal grant applications for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion programs. The 2014 Farm Bill reauthorized this program, which will provide $30 million in grants each year through 2018. The funds will be divided between the Farmers Market Promotion Program and the Local Food Promotion Program.
The workshop instructor is Jennifer Sowerwine, a UC ANR specialist based at UC Berkeley whose research and extension is focused on development of equitable, economically viable and culturally relevant food systems in metropolitan areas.
“The workshop is open to anyone interested in connecting agricultural producers and consumers through local food systems,” Sowerwine said. “This is a great opportunity to strengthen the local economy, support small-scale farmers, and make fresh, healthy food more accessible to the community.”
The workshops are a collaborative effort involving UC ANR, USDA and Regional Rural Development Centers. They will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. as follows:
April 8 - Berkeley. 155 Kroeber Hall at UC Berkeley
April 10 - Modesto. Stanislaus County Ag Center, 3800 Cornucopia Way, Modesto
April 15 - Davis. UC ANR Building, 2801 Second St., Davis
April 22 - Redding. North Valley Catholic Social Services, 2400 Washington Ave., Redding
Each of the workshops will provide an overview of the grant programs and help in developing project ideas, preparing the proposal and completing the application. All applications much be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern May 14. Sowerwine suggests applicants start the application process as soon as possible to ensure they meet the deadline. To apply, go to http://www.grants.gov. Questions about the process will be addressed at the workshop.
Registration is $10 and includes lunch, training materials and resources. The agenda, details and online registration are on the web at http://ucanr.edu/sites/localfoodpromo. For more information about the program, contact Jennifer Sowerwine at (510) 664-7043, jsowerwi@berkeley.edu. For information about workshop logistics, contact Alex Zabelin, (530) 750-1259, or Saundra Wais, (530) 750-1260, or email anrprogramsupport@ucanr.edu.
The University of California Global Food Initiative aims to put the world on a path to sustainably and nutritiously feed itself. By building on existing efforts and creating new collaborations among UC's 10 campuses, affiliated national laboratories and the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the initiative will develop and export solutions for food security, health and sustainability throughout California, the United States and the world.
The U.S. government should promote plain drinking water as the beverage of choice, according to comments submitted today by the University of California's Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI) at a public meeting for oral testimony on the Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The institute also urged the U.S. Department
of Agriculture to add a symbol for water to its MyPlate graphic.
NPI experts said the government should employ strong language encouraging consumption of plain drinking water as a strategy in the fight against childhood obesity. Studies have established that Americans' single largest source of added sugars is sugar-sweetened beverages, that sugar-sweetened beverages are among the top sources of calories for U.S. children and teens, and that there are income and racial disparities in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.
“It is clear from the evidence that a major contributor to obesity is sugary drinks,” said NPI Director Lorrene Ritchie. “And the healthiest alternative to sugary drinks is plain water.”
NPI noted that the Advisory Committee's 2015 scientific report said, “Strategies are needed to encourage the U.S. population to drink water when they are thirsty.” MyPlate – the infographic used by USDA to portray the recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans – is the “ideal platform” from which to encourage water consumption, according to NPI. In its comments, the institute said, “the addition of a water symbol will enable MyPlate to promote water consumption along with its other strong messages about a healthy diet.”
Ritchie said NPI is encouraging the public to join them in sending a message to the government. “Tell Washington to make water first for thirst and ask the USDA to reinforce it with an icon for water on MyPlate,” she said.
NPI developed a “Take Action!” page on its website with easy-to-follow guidelines for submitting comments on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The “Take Action!” web page is located at http://npi.ucanr.edu/water.
The Nutrition Policy Institute was created in 2014 by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, the division of the University of California system charged with sharing research-based information with the public about healthy communities, nutrition, agricultural production and environmental stewardship. The institute seeks to improve eating habits and reduce obesity, hunger and chronic disease risk in California children and their families and beyond. Visit NPI online at http://npi.ucanr.edu.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
UC ANR has chosen Gavin McNicol and Stella Cousins, both UC Berkeley Ph.D. candidates, to receive UC President's Sustainability Student Fellowships.
“Our search for new ways to reduce UC's and California's carbon footprint is sure to benefit from the creativity and innovative ideas brought by these two exceptional student fellows,” said Barbara Allen-Diaz, UC vice president for Agriculture and Natural Resources.
McNicol, a native of Scotland, is studying how much methane is released from restored wetlands in the Sacramento Delta region. The results of his research will inform the development of future wetland restoration plans, encouraging more effective efforts to minimize emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
The UC Office of the President is providing $7,500 to each of UC's 10 campuses and to the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, earmarked to fund student awards in support of the UC Carbon Neutrality Initiative and other UC-based sustainability efforts.
An initiative to enhance competitive and sustainable food systems is part of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Strategic Vision 2025.