- Author: Brent Hales
Recently I visited with our colleagues at UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz – UC's newest Agricultural Experiment Station campuses.
At UC Merced, we met with administrators, faculty and staff for a tour of campus. There, we were shown some of the vast rangelands that encompass the UC Natural Reserve System sites managed by UC Merced and the site for the new agricultural research park. The plans feature teaching spaces, research plots, public engagement opportunities, and sites for collaboration with industry leaders.
The visit to the UC Santa Cruz campus and community gardens were very different from our visit to Merced. UC Santa Cruz features a fully functional farm that provides high-quality produce to students and community members at little or no cost. We also toured their aquaculture facility wherein rainbow trout are grown for both research and consumption.
You can read more about our visit to UCSC at https://news.ucsc.edu/2023/10/aes-designation-planning-campus-visit.html.
We are excited to engage with both campuses as they become fully integrated into our Agricultural Experiment Station network.
- Author: Wendy Powers
Is it Friday yet? I've been asking that since Monday. Each day I am further behind and increasingly tired. I'm not sure Friday can fix all of that.
Tuesday was a long day at the Capitol. Overall, our visits went well. The stars of our team were the two 4-H'ers from El Dorado County. The Community Educator, Denise, was fantastic, as well. And rounding out the team was Faith Kearns and Ruth Dahlquist-Wilard. What an amazing group! As a team, we were able to connect with every member or staffer that we met. Sometimes it was around the 4-H program, and what the program has done for our impressive team members, sometimes it was around fire or water, and other staffers or members were particularly interested in moringa. Either way, the goal was to make a connection so that each visit left an impression despite a long day of visitors for each member or staffer. Glenda was accompanied by 4-H'ers from Butte and El Dorado Counties, Community Educators, Vera and Alena, Tracy Schohr, and Pam Kan-Rice. Maci and Sarah kept both teams on schedule and in line. We left with a few follow-up items that will keep the communication lines open. While the halls weren't packed with visitors like they are when we are in DC, we did happen to run into one of our 4-H leaders who was making visits on behalf of his professional association.
Today we were at the UC Merced campus meeting with the leadership team. If you haven't been to UC Merced, be sure to schedule a trip. I can't believe how fast it has grown just in the two years since I was last on campus! During our visits, it became apparent that there are many ways that UC ANR can work more closely with the faculty at UC Merced. We will work towards an opportunity for those in that part of the state to network with the UC Merced academics and staff.
Tomorrow is the VP Council meeting (Statewide Program/Institute and unit directors), followed by an Executive Council meeting (campus Deans). I haven't looked at the agendas for either yet. But given those teams, I anticipate excellent conversations.
Before today ends, I need to review some documents that are past due back to the authors. I am still sitting with 53 dossiers left to study. I have 3 Multistate Research Project reports to review in advance of the regional review committee meeting next week and some preparation for the Western Extension Directors Association meeting, also next week. Maybe April slows down a bit.