- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
A story made the rounds the past week or two about efforts by Morro Bay city officials to stop excessive use of nitrogen-based fertilizers suspected of tainting a key source of drinking water.
According to the brief AP version of the story that appeared in the San Jose Mercury News, city officials are now asking farmers to voluntarily stop using nitrogen-based fertilizers.
Reporter Sonya Patel sought comment from UCCE farm advisor Hugh Smith, who said asking farmers not to use nitrogen-based fertilizers is like asking them not to use water, according to...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The effort to plant 1,000 oaks on a private ranch in San Luis Obispo County has been well covered in the media. The coverage now also includes a comprehensive feature story with seven color photos in the March 2008 edition of Farmer and Rancher Magazine, a publication of the San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau.
The story says 60 volunteers from the San Luis Obispo Native Tree committee, Cal Poly, local 4-H and agricultural and community groups joined rancher Jack Varian and UCCE natural resources specialists Bill Tietje and Doug McCreary to plant the oak...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
UC Davis Cooperative Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen appeared on ABC's Good Morning America today in an interesting nearly four-minute-long segment on bees. The story opened with scenes from a 1978 horror movie "The Swarm," and then dispelled myths about Africanized honey bees, aka "Killer Bees."
Mussen said contrary to bees' portrayal in movies, "Bees are not out to get you. You probably can't get further from the truth."
The story then turned to colony collaspe disorder and its threat to the American food supply.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The Sacramento Bee today ran a story about research by a retired Texas A&M professor that points to wood decay following a wildfire as a major source of carbon in the atmosphere. The professor, Thomas Bonnicksen, is quoted in the story as saying the effects of wildfire negates any efforts to reduce California's carbon footprint.
"No matter what anybody does in California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as long as these forests are burning, they are wasting their time," Bonnicksen is quoted.
Bonnicksen's report said removing dead trees and storing the carbon they contain in solid wood...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Hidden camera footage of animal treatment at a Chino slaughterhouse has raised public interest in meat production. A few days ago, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune (Los Angeles County) ran a piece to shed light on the types of cattle that enter the food chain.
Jim Oltjen, livestock specialist with the department of animal sciences at UC Davis, told reporter Mark Petix, "They're all edible," including Hereford, Angus, Waygu and dairy cattle.
In addition, "If you did a blind taste test, not many would be able to tell the difference," Oltjen is...
