- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Ten of the top 20 videos on the UC ANR YouTube channel were developed by a team of California professors and researchers assembled by UCCE specialist Jeff Mitchell to encourage young people to pursue careers in agriculture.
Views of those 10 videos total more than 600,000 since the series was released in 2019. The complete playlist has 27 videos, which together have garnered many more thousands of views.
The production team included academics from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Davis, Chico State, Fresno State and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. They received financial support from the CDFA Specialty Crops Block Grant Program.
The team initiated a hybrid plan in which the universities recorded the video themselves, then sent the footage to a professional video producer who edited and narrated each of the videos.
The videos depict state-of-the-art technologies and techniques that are in use in many production regions of California today, vegetable farming systems used in other parts of the world, and increasingly popular cottage farming systems that are popping up in urban areas for easy access to healthful foods.
“We believed that this series of videos on vegetable production would have broad interest,” Mitchell said. “We are now realizing the importance of video in our work. These videos, plus our other CASI Workgroup videos on conservation agriculture topics and the ones that we have at our own You Tube channel have started to tally up some rather impressive viewer numbers. That is nice to see.”
The full series is on a playlist titled “Training of a New Generation of California Vegetable Producers,” https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLjlfxpbNglYF2m7tvApfiR5NXParpvGP
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Unify-Communicate-Advocate
The Strategic Initiatives offer a home for strategic thought - drawing on members of the wider UC ANR community and beyond to 1) help people connect and 2) to help them identify and address issues of current and emerging importance.
Program teams are alive and well
With support from the Program Support Unit (PSU) and good PT leadership the Water, Agronomy and Pomology Program Teams have had highly effective online meetings. The Dairy and Meat Production & Food Safety Program Teams have a series of meetings planned throughout April. Other PT activities are in the pipeline. These events are important in helping people Network, Share and Learn with and from each other.
For more on the SIs and their activities, contact
Jim Farrar: Pests (EIPD)
OPEN: Natural Ecosystems (SNE)
David Lewis: (Water)
Deanne Meyer: Food Systems (SFS)
Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty: Families and Communities (HFC)
Mark Bell: Vice Provost (Strategic Initiatives and Statewide Programs)
- Author: Laura R. Crothers
After 11 years as UC ANR's statewide agritourism coordinator, Penny Leff will be retiring on April 11.
Bringing a creative approach
Leff has spent her time at UC ANR championing all things that blend agriculture and tourism – agritourism.
Leff first brought her creative approach to UC ANR in 2009 when she joined the Small Farm Program, run by UC Cooperative Extension specialist Shermain Hardesty.
She found her early years at UC ANR to be a quick and valuable crash course in extension work. “Shermain read and edited every newsletter I published and taught me to write clearly. I really appreciated her integrity and attention to details in our work together,” Leff said.
When Hardesty retired in 2017, UC SAREP Director Gail Feenstra invited Leff to move to UC SAREP, where she has been a cherished member of the team ever since.
Before she joined ANR, Leff managed the Ecology Center's Berkeley Farmers Market for eight years, where she helped pilot an electronic benefits transfer system and later successfully advocated for adoption of EBT across the state's farmers markets. Leff also cut her teeth in worker cooperatives, repairing shoes for the Leather Guild in Isla Vista, working at Uprisings Bakery in Berkeley and managing the Northern California Growers' Collaborative for the Community Alliance with Family Farmers. She also ran her own business, Sundance Shoe Repair in Berkeley, for nine years.
Her creative and entrepreneurial background made Leff a great fit for UC ANR's agritourism efforts.
Supporting thousands of agritourism operations
Agritourism can involve many things, from U-pick and farm stands to farm dinners, farm stays and classes. Each of these options opens new revenue opportunities for farmers and ranchers, but they also demand new skills and new relationships. Leff's work in ANR's Agritourism Program has focused on connecting producers and tourism experts so they can learn these new skills and solve challenges together.
Scottie Jones, founder of Farm Stay USA, reminisced about Leff's impact on the agritourism industry:
“Penny is a do-er. She doesn't just talk about inspired topics like agritourism. She actually digs into the challenges that face her farmers and ranchers and starts to solve the issues that stop many of us in our tracks. She gives us tools and training….She is generous with her time and wisdom. It's why I asked her to be on my board when we first launched Farm Stay USA, because she asks the good questions.
“I suspect the artist inside her has been waiting on her retirement with impatience. Good for her; sad for the rest of us. A short person with big shoes to fill!”
Leff plans to use her new-found free time traveling, gardening, and building a backyard pottery studio for her ceramics company PenRa Pottery, which she runs with her wife.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Krkich joined ANR as executive director for Development Services in 2017 after building a 30-year career raising funds, executing strategic planning, and managing teams in the nonprofit sector.
She brought to ANR her passion for fundraising as a partnership, constantly seeking ways to grow fundraising revenue, improve processes and bring new donors to UC ANR.
“Lorna has had such a huge impact in her time with us and I will miss working with her,” said Glenda Humiston, vice president.
Under Krkich's leadership, Development Services has added 1,000 new donors per year, increased the number of endowments, boosted the payout to ANR programs by almost $1 million, and enhanced the donor experience through improved gift platforms and increased stewardship. She put ANR on a path to reach its $30 million strategic plan goal. Most notably, Krkich has worked to build trust, transparency, and a culture of philanthropy throughout UC ANR to benefit programs and research.
Emily Delk, director of annual giving, credits Krkich with encouraging and inspiring her colleagues. “Anyone who worked with Lorna will miss her can-do attitude and sense of humor. Who else would dress up as a giant pink unicorn at the Halloween party? She inspired our team and colleagues to challenge norms and approach our work with tenacity and resiliency.”
With Krkich's departure, Kathy Eftekari, chief of staff to the vice president, will oversee the Development Services team while recruitment is underway to fill the executive director position.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Fox joined ANR as executive director – human resources in 2015 after serving 25 years in the UC Office of President.
After earning a bachelor's degree in English Literature at UC Berkeley, Fox accepted his first job with UCOP as an administrative assistant processing disability claims for the retirement system. From there, he progressed through a series of positions including retirement policy, benefits communications, project management, and Chief of Staff to the Vice President of Human Resources.
“I and the senior leadership of ANR have thoroughly enjoyed working with John these last five years,” said Tu Tran, Associate Vice President for Business Operations. “I will always be grateful to him for taking on new responsibilities and important projects with me to improve the climate and well-being of the ANR communities.”
Among the highlights of his contributions to UC ANR, Fox implemented the multi-year compensation equity programs for UCCE advisors and staff, which were designed to elevate ANR's compensation structures to more competitive levels. Most recently Fox played a critical role in implementing the ANR@work Survey, which gives ANR staff and academics an opportunity to give unfettered feedback and guidance to ANR leadership. In response to the survey results, he worked with ANR members and leadership to establish the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council for ANR.
His retirement plans include biking, beer brewing, home improvement projects and he hopes someday soon to begin traveling around the U.S. and the world.
“I personally benefited every day from John's advice, dedication and strong work ethic,” Tran said.
With Fox's departure, Bethanie Brown will become interim executive director of Human Resources. Academic Personnel Director Tina Jordan will also assume new responsibilities – overseeing ANR's Learning and Development unit and serving as ANR's Affirmation Action compliance officer, representing ANR at systemwide meetings and councils.
Decisions regarding recruitment for executive director of Human Resources will be made later this year when UC ANR's budget picture is clearer.