UCCE Centennial - history, accomplishments & photos

Please help us collect 100 major accomplishments/milestones of UC Cooperative Extension's first 100 years. To add photos, scroll down to the second half of this survey.

Here are some examples:

Bill Weir, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor emeritus in Merced County, collaborated with an innovative grower to develop the first spindle picker in the world capable of picking cotton in 30-inch rows. Weir's subsequent research on cotton grown with 30-inch spacing showed a 10 percent increase in yield. Within 10 years, the pickers for narrow-row cotton were being developed commercially. Today nearly 90 percent of Merced County cotton is grown on narrow rows.

UC Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists, in collaboration with the UC Integrated Pest Management Program, have developed IPM approaches and alternative control strategies that have reduced the use of the highest risk insecticides (carbamates and organophosphates) in California by 80 percent to 90 percent in almonds, grapes and tree fruit since 1995.

Research and extension work by three UC Cooperative Extension advisors - Manuel Jimenez in Tulare County, Richard Molinar in Fresno County and Mark Gaskell in Santa Barbara County - helped lead the way to the introduction of blueberry production in California. In 2011, California ranked sixth in the nation for its blueberry production and fifth in the nation in terms of fresh production.

In 1975, retired businessman Richard J. Elkus and his wife Ruth donated a former dairy farm and cattle ranch to the University of California to create an outdoor 4-H educational center for kids. Since then, thousands of children have visited the 630-acre ranch five miles south of Half Moon Bay to enjoy hiking, camping and other outdoor activities while learning about nature, gardening and helping others.

Scan your photos and upload up to five at the end of the survey. In the fields below, please note the file name or number of the photo and add any information you have about the people in the photo or what appears in the photo.

A few guidelines for your photos:

• Scan at 300 dpi or higher
• Don't submit each and every picture you have. Select the best.
• Keep track of your originals. If we need a print-ready copy, we'll be in touch.
• Any questions? E-mail jewarnert@ucanr.edu.