“We are seeking help in this needs assessment regarding animal health concerns on small-scale farms and for peri-urban and urban animal agriculture in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington State,” said Pires, who is leading the study with Dale Moore of Washington State University and Ragan Adams of Colorado State University.
Peri-urban and urban animal agriculture refers to raising food animals within residential areas with the goal of producing animal products to eat themselves or to distribute locally. The farms included in this study have gross annual sales of less than $500,000 with a maximum of 500 goats or sheep, 100 cows or 100 pigs, or are poultry producers who process or sell fewer than 1,000 chickens per year.
The increasing popularity of local food production and sustainability has boosted interest in small-scale farming and urban animal agriculture.
“This survey aims to identify the needs of livestock and poultry owners related to animal health, animal husbandry and food safety; and the role that veterinarians play on small farms,” Pires said. “This study will serve as a benchmark for designing effective educational programs to train farmers, backyard producers and veterinarians working within this sector.”
The survey takes about 15-20 minutes and can be accessed at http://ucanr.edu/smalllivestocksurvey.
All answers will remain completely confidential and no personal information will be recorded.
For more information, contact Pires at (530) 754-9855 or apires@ucdavis.edu. A flyer can be downloaded at http://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/files/240951.docx.
The UC ANR Research to Policy Training and Program Team Meeting will be held Oct. 12-13 at UC Davis ARC and UC Davis Plant Sciences. Anyone (including ANR and non-ANR personnel) who wishes to participate in the program teams that will be meeting should attend.
Wednesday, Oct. 12:
Research to Policy Program Team In-Service Training: “Pathways to Successful Engagement in Agricultural, Natural Resources, and Food Issues”
The in-service training will bring together people working on agricultural, natural resources and food issues and focus on how to use research to effectively engage in public policy. The following are some highlights:
- Two leading, diverse experts in the role of science in policymaking will provide keynote presentations.
- A science panel comprised of UC researchers who have successfully engaged in the public policy arena will share “lessons learned.”
- A policy panel comprised of state agency and Senate/Assembly members will discuss how they use research.
- Workshop modules on UC policy engagement, science communication and policymaking will be presented.
The training modules will enable participants to build a toolkit for successful policy engagement that incorporates both technical skills as well as analytical frameworks.
Thursday, Oct. 13:
First meeting of the Research to Policy Program Team
On Thursday, we will continue the momentum by discussing collaborative opportunities, future training needs and next steps at the first Research to Policy UC ANR Program Team meeting.
More details on agenda and registration will be posted on the UC ANR Program Team website as it becomes available.
If you would like to join the Research to Policy listserv on Collaborative Tools, email UC ANR Program Support Unit.
For more information about the program, contact Clare Gupta or Leslie Roche. For logistics, contact the UC ANR Program Support Unit, Lauren McNees at (530) 750-1257 or Sherry Cooper (530)750-1256.
The UC ANR Pest Management Program Team will meet June 13-15, 2016, at the UC ANR Building at 2801 Second Street in Davis.
The Pest Management Program Team meeting agenda is at http://bit.ly/1SKyTp1. To register and request travel funds online, go to http://ucanr.edu/sites/programteams.
Planned workgroup meetings:
Spray Application Technology: Tuesday, June 14, 1 p.m. -5 p.m.
Plant Pathology: TBD
Workgroup chairs and other program team leaders who are interested in holding meetings in conjunction with this June meeting should complete a brief online form. Meeting space will be released by May 20 so please submit requests before that day to ensure availability.
If you have questions or need more information, contact UC ANR Program Support Unit.
ANR's GFI fellow Jay Gelvezon was among the UC students who participated in the April field trip.
“It's nice to come out here and see face to face how a farm works,” said the UC Davis undergraduate student, who is supporting the division's outreach efforts through communications.
Read more in this story in UC Newsroom: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/organic-farm-serves-life-lessons-uc-students.
I am pleased to announce the University will implement a merit-based salary increase program for policy covered (non-represented) staff employees for the 2016-17 fiscal year. Implementation of this salary program is part of a UC-wide effort to move toward consistent delivery of pay programs that reward individuals for their performance and contribution.
In the coming days, ANR Human Resources will communicate details about the annual performance appraisal process to Unit Directors, including changes to promote consistency and to support a merit-based salary program. For ANR non-represented staff employees, the salary increase program will be effective July 1, 2016, for monthly paid employees and June 19, 2016, for biweekly paid employees.
We have not received information from UCOP regarding an academic salary program. We will share that information when it becomes available.
General questions about staff performance appraisals and the staff salary program can be directed to John Fox, Human Resources executive director, at jsafox@ucanr.edu.
Sincerely,
Glenda Humiston
Vice President