Who am I? 

Pistachio cluster

Hello!  I wanted to introduce myself – I'm the new Orchard Systems Advisor for Madera and Merced Counties.  I cover all tree crops aside from citrus in Madera, and stone fruit and figs in Merced.  Before I joined UC, I worked for A&L Western Agricultural Laboratories as an agronomist.  I earned my PhD in Horticulture and Crop Science at the Ohio State University, and my undergraduate in Plant Biology at UC Davis.  I grew up in the Mojave desert of eastern Kern County.  I am excited to be able to work in my home state, and look forward to helping you keep California the most diverse and productive agricultural region in the world.

What is Cooperative Extension?

If you aren't familiar with Cooperative Extension, I have good news for you: we're here to help.  We are a state-wide program run through the University of California dedicated to keeping Californians productive, happy, and healthy.  My job in particular is to help you with your orchards.  I will be running field days, seminars, and symposium to update you on the latest research being conducted in the state, as well as basic information that everyone could use a refresher on once in a while.  I am happy to travel to your orchard to help you get to the bottom of disease or pest problems and help you learn how to avoid these issues in the future.  I will also be conducting research on issues that affect Madera and Merced counties as well as the entire state.

What will I cover?

I will be primarily covering pistachio, figs, prunes, and almonds. However, if I see something interesting on other crops under my purview, I'll tell you about it!