ANR news blog

Merced 4-H advisor featured in Washington Times story

Merced County UC Cooperative Extension 4-H advisor Richard Mahacek was quoted extensively in a Washington Times story published yesterday about a growing science focus in 4-H. The article precedes National Youth Science Day, set for Wednesday, when 4-H members all over the country will conduct a "National Science Experiment" by combining polymer materials from the inside of baby diapers with water to learn about water conservation.

The Washington Times story included details of Mahacek's work with Merced 4-H youth on robotics. With common household materials -- such as ice-cream-bar sticks, paper cups, paint-stirring sticks and plastic needles -- he helps children better understand various elements of robotics, like pneumatic movement, ratios, gears and motors.

"What we hope happens is, if they do this, they may want to move on and try to learn about advanced robotics," he is quoted.

Mahacek told reporter Andrea Billups that teaching basic book knowledge can leave out important aspects of science, such as investigation and discovery.

"A lot of what we are trying to do is teach 21st-century work-force skills, including communication and problem solving. We know that a lot of kids turn off to science in middle school, so we are focusing right at that age," Mahacek was quoted.

The story also touched on science-related 4-H programs around the nation, including hydroponics gardening on New York rooftops; software, spatial data, cartography and quality-assurance programs in Oregon; and GPS and other mapping systems to identify hurricane evacuation routes in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Richard Mahacek

Fuel prices cut deeply into ag profit

Fuel prices have settled down a little bit since their record highs in the middle of last summer, but farmers are just now tallying up the damage. The first half of a Stockton Record story about the impact of the fuel price surge focused on producers of processing tomatoes. Tomato farmers typically negotiate a fixed price for their crop in late winter to help them secure loans and make planting plans, according to the Record's story. Tomato farmers won a record cannery price of $70 a ton in January, up $7 a ton from the year before.

"When the contract price was negotiated, everybody felt pretty good about it," the story quoted UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Brenna Aegerter. "It seems like ... in retrospect, they probably should have held out for more."

The article said that UCCE cost studies found that total cash costs for producing an acre of processing tomatoes rose to $2,440 this year, an increase of more than $300 from 2007 mostly due to higher fertilizer and fuel costs.

The increasing fuel costs pushed up the price of all inputs related to petroleum, such as diesel, tractor tires, oil and fertilizer. The story said farmer Joe Ratto was satisfied when the $70 a ton contract price was settled, but the rising costs slice deep into that return.

"If we don't get a real decent yield, ... we're going to lose money," Ratto was quoted.

The Stockton Record story also appeared on Macro World Investor.

Food safety program remains unfunded

While the news has been replete with talk about large sums of government money in the last week or so, one UC program considered vitally important by the American Veterinary Medical Association is closing its doors because it couldn't get a cash infusion from the federal government.

AVMA issued a news release yesterday lamenting the impending closure of the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD), administered by the USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service and operating out of North Carolina State University, the University of Florida and UC Davis. The Wall Street Journal's Market Watch Web site ran the release.

FARAD needs $2.5 million per year to continue its work. AVMA's release included indignant commentary about the amount in folksy language we're hearing more often from people frustrated with Washington insiders.

"Really, that’s all it needed… less than a penny per American to help make sure that drugs and pesticides don’t end up in our food. A penny per American, folks. That’s it."

The release said AVMA worked with Congress to have the $2.5 million for FARAD inserted in this year's Farm Bill.

"Unfortunately, the USDA never incorporated the funding in its budget, and Congress has provided neither emergency funding, nor passed the agriculture appropriations bill that could have funded the program. Oh and, FDA hasn’t coughed up any pennies either."

AVMA encouraged the public to contact USDA to request FARAD funding be reinstated.

Elusive, endangered mammal at center of forest debate

Pacific fishers are at the center of a conundrum. Most people have never seen them, but judging from photos of researchers cuddling the furry creatures, they are adorable. The nocturnal and obsessively shy fisher is related to the mink, otter and marten. They once ranged from British Columbia down through California's Sierra Nevada, but only two native populations remain today -- one around the western California/Oregon border, and one in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, according to the Environmental Protection Information Center.

Fishers' preferred home in dead trees and their tendency to move around put them at odds with fire prevention goals, according to a story last week in the Sierra Star. The article was based on a community meeting held by a group of scientists who are working together to protect wildlife and promote forest health. The scientists have formed the Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Plan (SNAMP).

The event, covered by reporter Jill Brackett, was intended to collect community input on management of the local forest and wildlife.

"It's your meeting," the story quoted Kim Rodrigues, the director of UC Agriculture and Natural Resource's North Coast and Mountain Region whose academic specialty is forestry. "The ultimate purpose is collaboration. You are embarking on this with us."

The story said SNAMP is in the early stages of their "adaptive management loop," and that no decisions were made at the meeting. A follow-up discussion was proposed for October.

Researchers hold Pacific fishers

Consider every eventuality before planting vineyard

Sacramento Bee food editor and restaurant critic Mike Dunne devoted two columns in a row to the sad saga of winegrape grower Harmon Overmire. After retiring from the aerospace industry, Overmire planted four acres of Malbec wine grapes in Sheldon, Calif. A somewhat uncommon winegrape variety, Malbec creates an inky red wine with plum-like flavor and is often used for blending, according to the Malbec entry on Wikipedia.

Overmire's sorrow, according to Dunne's first column (published Sept. 24), springs from the inability to find a buyer for his crop. "I haven't found a soul. No one was even interested, and the grapes are ready to pick right now," Overmire was quoted. "I would just like to break even."

In today's column, Dunne looks to a UC Cooperative Extension expert for perspective on Overmire's plight. He spoke to Lynn Wunderlich, the viticulture farm advisor for El Dorado and Amador counties. Growing and making wine is probably one of the more romantic pursuits for whiling away an active retirement. But Wunderlich warns, "If they need to make money at it, think again."

According to Dunne, Wunderlich suggests would-be winegrape farmers must be serious about growing quality fruit. She urged farmers to join the local grape-growers association and to network with winemakers.

And all this should be done early. "Harvest time isn't the best time to sell," Wunderlick told Dunne.

Overall, Dunne said, Wunderlick is upbeat about prospects for new winegrape growers.

"There are still opportunities for growth, but it needs to be well thought out," she was quoted.

A cluster of Malbec winegrapes.

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