UC President James Milliken was among the leaders, elected officials, legislative staffers and community members who visited the UC ANR booths during Ag Day at the Capitol on April 21 in Sacramento.
The annual event – hosted by California Department of Food and Agriculture in partnership with California Women for Agriculture and the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom – aims to educate policymakers and the public about agriculture.
State Senators Tim Grayson and Brian Jones and Assemblymembers Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Sharon Quirk-Silva, Christopher Cabaldon, Esmeralda Soria and Cottie Petrie-Norris were among the legislators who stopped by the UC ANR booth.
UC ANR displayed citrus varieties grown at Lindcove Research and Extension Center and avocado varieties grown at South Coast REC. Darren Haver, interim associate vice president, greeted legislators and answered questions about UC ANR research.
Teams representing UC Master Gardeners, UC ANR Innovate and 4-H also showcased their programs.
Sam Sandoval Solis, UC Cooperative Extension water resources specialist at UC Davis, and agave researcher Yessi Fernandez told visitors about the potential for drought-tolerant agave as an alternative crop for growers dealing with reduced water for irrigation.
Maurice Pitesky, UCCE poultry specialist at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, who recently published the book “Dr. Cluck’s Backyard Chickens,” answered questions about caring for chickens. He wore a lab coat and stethoscope like the book’s main character, “Dr. Cluck,” a cartoon chicken.
Sarah Light, UCCE agronomy farm advisor for Sutter and Yuba counties, spoke with visitors about UC ANR research and extension.
A heavy downpour about halfway through the event sent participants scrambling under tents. After the rain subsided, Anne Megaro, director of Government and Community Relations, spotted President Milliken and introduced him to UC ANR staff and the 4-H State Ambassadors Cecilia O’Geen, Elia Rodriguez, Neha Gaddam and Sharva Parmar, El Dorado County Ambassador William Hallaian, Sheldon 4-H club leader Sherie Looper and Ronda Solano-Lim. He talked with Sheldon 4-H club members Katie L., Gweneth C. and Adele C. about their goats, rabbits and poultry.
UC ANR’s participation at Ag Day was coordinated by Nestor Lopez, assistant director of Government and Community Relations.
UC ANR leaders Janine Woods, executive director of county Cooperative Extension; Kimberly Holmes, 4-H director; Missy Gable, UC Master Gardener Program director; Helle Petersen, interim director of UC ANR Innovate; and Linda Forbes, Strategic Communications director, also participated in the event.
Other participants included Lauren Snowden, UC Master Gardener training specialist; Erica Pettey, statewide 4-H animal and equine science education coordinator; Melissa Womack, UC Master Gardener assistant director of impact and communications; Evett Kilmartin, photographer; Suzanne Morikawa, 4-H marketing and communications specialist; Jocelyn Mobley, UC Master Gardener coordinator; Hanif Houston, UC ANR Innovate associate director for communications and marketing; Jesse Cormier-Adams and Eric Dyer of the Farm Robotics Challenge; and Dora Garay, Mike Hsu, Ethan Ireland, Pam Kan-Rice and student intern Mary Jendricks of Strategic Communications.
The day before Ag Day at the Capitol, Megaro and Lopez led a team around the capitol to drop off a small bag of Tango citrus to each legislator’s office and invite them and their staff to visit UC ANR during Ag Day.
