“We may start to see some fruits this fall and by spring there should be plenty”, said Larry Dodson about the 16 blackberries that the UC CalFresh led team just planted at the Community Settlement Association (CSA) in Eastside Riverside. Larry is a Master Gardener with UC Cooperative Extension and he is taking the lead to help with the fruit tree planting project that is funded by the mini-grant from Wood Streets Green Team. Master Gardener Fortino Morales and Claudia Diaz Carrasco, the new 4-H Youth Development Advisor were also there to help out, along with three moms from the neighborhood. Claudia is looking into starting a 4-H Club at CSA for youth in the after school program. In addition to the blackberries, the group also planted quince, pomegranate, lemon and lima (also known as sweet lime), all donated by Larry.

As part of President Janet Napolitano's UC Global Food Initiative to “help the world learn to feed itself in ways that are healthy and sustainable in the use of resources”, UC Cooperative Extension Advisor Chutima Ganthavorn and UC CalFresh educator Emma Sandoval have been working to develop a community garden at CSA since March 2014. They teamed up with Nancy Johnson, another Master Gardener with UC Cooperative Extension, to start a CSA Garden Club. The club meets on every second Thursday of the month from 9:00-10:00 a.m. and offers gardening and nutrition workshops to the parents of youth in the afterschool program and people in the neighborhood. Barbara Hanna, CSA Director, said that CSA's emergency food program distributes food up to 190 needy families per day three days a week. Produce from the garden would provide the community with more access to healthy foods. Anyone interested in helping with this project, please contact Chutima Ganthavorn @ 951-683-6491 or email cganthavorn@ucanr.edu.

 

UC Riverside and the Citrus Research Board partner to provide:

UC Riverside Citrus Day for Professional Industry members

Thursday, January 29, 2015

7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

UCR Agricultural Operations, Riverside, California

For information: (951) 827-5906

 

Deadline for Registration is Friday, January 16, 2015

 

 

 

15 Ways UC Cooperative Extension is Working for You

 

 

Providing Local Research. UCCE scientists help to understand issues with local field experiments to ensure that decisions are based on regional data.

 

Safeguarding Natural Resources. UCCE provides expertise and coordinates efforts aimed at preventing and alleviating the effects of invasive pests and diseases, erosion, pollution, and other dangers to the north coast's natural resources, including water, soil, timber and range.

 

Brokering Solutions. UCCE provides a neutral, facilitative presence for bringing parties together to find solutions to difficult problems facing the county's agriculture and natural resource industries and community health.

 

Empowering Volunteers. Over 250 4-H Volunteer Leaders extend research-based experiential learning while being supported by the 4-H Office.

 

Building Strong Communities. Local 4-H connect youth in civic engagement projects addressing local needs. Nutrition education builds healthy families who then contribute to healthy, strong communities.

 

Preparing Tomorrow's Workforce. 4-H answered the call to our country's need for more science, engineering and technology college majors by adding more science opportunities, including the 4-H SET Expo.

 

Creating Leaders. 4-H is a place where generations spend quality time exploring, growing and learning together to better themselves and others. 4-H youth working with adult mentors become proficient in public speaking, problem solving, achieving goals, caring for others, and making healthy lifestyle choices.

 

Supporting Economic Development. UCCE looks for and tests new opportunities for agricultural producers. New income sources for farmers and ranchers are being explored with agriculture and nature tourism.

 

Channeling UC Expertise. UCCE connects with campus scientists to teach workshops, collaborate on research projects and support grant applications.

 

Providing for the Future. UCCE is educating today's farmers and landowners on how to maintain the viability and natural assets of their properties that they plan to transfer to the next generation.

 

Patrolling for Pests. UCCE identifies pests of agricultural crops, forestlands and urban landscapes, connecting to UC pest specialists for health problems requiring a higher level of expertise.

 

Supporting Producers, Managers and Agencies. Many depend on UCCE to provide science-based advice on a wide range of issues to help protect and conserve our crops and natural resources.

 

Supporting Agriculture and Natural Resource Industries. Continuing education programs keep producers current with new practices and opportunities.

 

Reducing Pesticide Use. UCCE conducts research on ways to better manage pests and diseases and teaches alternatives to pesticides.

 

Beautifying Public Places. UC Master Gardener volunteers devote time and energy to creating demonstration gardens and educating others about sustainable, effective gardening practices.

 

 

Provided by UCCE Humboldt and Del Norte Counties

100 Years of Cooperative Extension

 

Despite its rural roots, as communities have changed, so has Cooperative Extension, adapting and fine-tuning programs to meet the needs of a changing society. As the nation urbanized, many Cooperative Extension efforts were developed to meet the needs of non-rural and rural audiences alike. Examples include the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) that has offered free nutrition education classes in urban communities since the 1960s. Thousands of urban and suburban residents have benefited from Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener Program that offers workshops and advice to home, community and school gardeners. Regardless of the population served, Cooperative Extension activities are grounded in university research, and developed in partnership with local communities.

Today, UC Cooperative Extension continues to serve communities throughout California as part of the University of California's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), with 200 locally based Cooperative Extension advisors, 130 campus-based Cooperative Extension specialists, 57 county offices throughout the state, and nine research and extension centers.   Over a century of service, Cooperative Extension has continued to connect communities with the land grant campus, bringing practical, trusted, science based solutions to Californians.