Orchard Systems Farm Advisor

Franz Niederholzer has been the UC Orchard Systems Farm Advisor in Sutter and Yuba Counties since September, 2002. His primary responsibilities are to 1) conduct applied research and 2) deliver educational programs in support of the dried plum and almond industry of these two counties. He will also work with pear growers in the region, as well as growers of other tree crops that make up a relatively small component of the total orchard acreage in those two counties. The economic and environmental sustainability of these growers are his primary objectives.

Franz's parents owned and operated a commercial prune orchard in Glenn County, California for 25 years. Experience on this parents' farm convinced him to pursue a career in agriculture after receiving a BA in History from Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. He then earned an MS and PhD in Soil Science from the University of California, Davis. At Davis, Franz worked primarily with faculty and staff in the Pomology Department, specializing in orchard nutrition. Since leaving Davis, he has worked in production agriculture in both the public and private arenas. He has been the County Horticulture Agent for Oregon State University Extension Service in Hood River, Oregon, and a PCA for United Agri Products, prior to accepting his current position with UCCE in Yuba-Sutter Counties.