- Author: Kimberly C Ingram
Social Media Summary
Protecting California's forests and building climate-resilient communities and ecosystems requires forest landowners, managers, and natural resource professionals to actively engage in stewardship. UC ANR's Forest Stewardship Education Initiative provides practical forest management information and hands-on skills to small forest landowners throughout California's forested communities. Since 2020, 100 landowners who attended a 9-week Forest Stewardship Workshop series, have had an initial site visit with a Registered Professional Forester or engaged other natural resource professionals to walk their land, discuss their objectives, and identify activities that will help them reach their goals to improve forest management. Together, these landowners manage over 10,000 acres in California.
The Issue
The operational environment for managing forestland in California is challenging, especially for the ~75,000 forest landowners owning 10 or more acres. Current infrastructure and resources tend to more positively support large or industrial forest landowners. Survey data of Forest Stewardship participants identify cost, time, and lack of a qualified workforce as the biggest barriers to implementing forest management activities. Providing forest landowners with the tools they need to develop a management plan, engage a resource professional, and apply for cost-share funding, will help eliminate barriers to implementing their management goals, and address threats to California's forests, such as increasing wildfires and droughts due to climate change.
How UC Delivers
Since 2020, 485 participants have completed 24 Forest Stewardship Workshops across the state. The workshops are offered through a hybrid learning style involving online learning assignments, nine weeks of evening zoom meetings, and one in-person field day to view various silvicultural methods and build hands-on forestry skills including inventory, mapping, and plant identification. Additionally, we focus participants on drafting sections of the California Cooperative Forest Management Plan (CCFMP), which can make them eligible for state and federal cost-share programs. Just over half of registered participants (53%) had received information or advice about managing their land in the five years before taking the workshop. Weekly workshop sessions are led by local resource professionals and UC experts. Connecting landowners with these professionals and their neighboring landowners, empowers them to act.
After completing the workshop, landowners are eligible for a free initial site visit, paid for by the program, with a Registered Professional Forester (RPF), Certified Range Manager (CRM), or California Certified Burn Boss. By covering the initial site visit cost (an $800 value), we remove a barrier and incentivize landowners to continue moving towards active forest management. Goals of the site visit include:
- having landowners engage a natural resource professional on their land and walk the property;
- discussing landowner's management goals and objectives;
- providing preliminary advice around those stated goals and objectives; and
- engaging in conversations that could lead to a working relationship, including the development and implementation of a formal management plan and application for cost-share funding.
“Those forestry workshops have been huge for me. You know I didn't know what I didn't know, and to be able to get an understanding about the issues I should be thinking about, some of the topics that are current and how to approach managing this forest, it's a big responsibility.”
“I really appreciate the knowledge, time, and approachability of all of the experts that participated in the presentations. Thank you for bringing this group together and offering this resource.”
The Impact
Since 2020, 100 participants managing over 10,000 forested acres have had site visits through the program or engaged directly with their local Resource Conservation Districts or Natural Resource Conservation Service office. In interviews with forty of these participants, we learned that 45% are in the process of developing or have completed development of a management plan, 38% have established an on-going working relationship with their resource professional, and 21 applied for and received funding through a cost-share or grant program. Participants also reported increasing collaborations with their local Prescribed Burn Associations, Fire Safe Councils, and neighbors.
Across the range of management activities that forest landowners can take, attitudes and perceptions increased positively (pre-workshop to post-workshop) for prescribed fire (42% to 66%), fuels reduction (65% to 98%), tree thinning (40% to 88%), and timber harvest (15% to 41%).
Pre-post workshop survey data from 2020 to 2023 also shows a change in attitudes around the importance of developing a management plan (29% pre-workshop vs. 92% post-workshop); and communicating or consulting with CAL FIRE (7% pre-workshop vs. 64% post-workshop) or other natural resource agencies (30% pre-workshop vs. 82% post-workshop).
Empowering forest landowners through an increase in knowledge and skills, connecting them to natural resource professionals in their communities and providing incentives to become more active stewards of their forests, leads to improvements in forest management, increased forest resilience, and an overall improvement in climate-resilient communities and ecosystems.
- Author: Eli Israel Figueroa
- Editor: Andra Nicoli
CalFresh Healthy Living (CFHL), University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) in Contra Costa County promotes healthy communities with a nutrition education curriculum designed to improve teens' eating and fitness choices. Of the 117 middle school youth who participated in EatFit, 30% increased the number of times they ate vegetables.
The Issue
Food and beverage companies invest over $1 billion in marketing each year to advertise their food products to Black and Hispanic consumers, specifically the youth. Students at Hillview Jr. High School (HJHS)–which is located in a low-income neighborhood of Pittsburg and has a 60% Hispanic and 19% African American student population– are not exempt from these widespread and targeted food marketing campaigns. Fast food restaurants, convenience stores, and gas stations line the main street avenue near the school, attracting hungry teens.The easy availability and promotion of these foods, which are linked to negative life-long consequences, influence the food choices made by youth every day. When hunger strikes, healthy eating and active living are out of sight and out of mind to many teens.
How UC Delivers
CFHL, UCCE in Contra Costa County partnered with HJHS to deliver EatFit during the 2022-2023 school year. EatFit is a nutrition education goal-setting curriculum designed to challenge middle school students to improve their eating and fitness choices. The program reached 149 students who participated in activities focused on goal setting, nutrition facts label, energy, breakfast, exercise, fast food, and the media's influence on food choices.
In one of the EatFit lessons, students learned about food marketing. They were asked to name a commercial or ad on the Internet about water or healthy food. None could. However, when asked for examples of fast food or soda ads and commercials, all hands went up. Some students even sang the jingle or acted out the commercial. Students realized that food companies target young people and hardly promote healthy foods. Instead, TV commercials and advertisements on the Internet and social media try to persuade teens to eat and drink unhealthy foods and sugary beverages that harm their health. In the same lesson, students also learned about food marketing techniques and were encouraged to create fruit and vegetable posters to promote healthy choices at school.
With support from the principal, the school's busiest hallways were decorated with students' colorful fruit and vegetable posters. Not one poster was vandalized or torn off.
The Impact
One hundred and seventeen students in grades 6-8 completed the Eating and Activity Tool for Students (EATS) pre-post survey at Hillview Jr. High to assess changes in their behaviors after participating in the FY 2023 EatFit lesson series. Respondents were ten to thirteen years old, and identified as Latino or Hispanic (48%), Black or African American (18%), or more than one race (27%). After taking part in EatFit, the student survey results included the following:
- 34% increased the number of time they ate fruit yesterday.
- 30% increased the number of time they ate vegetables yesterday.
- 50% reduced the number of times they drank sweetened beverages yesterday - with the largest decreases seen in fruit drinks, soda, and sweetened coffees and teas.
- 40% increased the number of days they were physically active for 60 minutes or more last week.
“One change I made to eat healthier/be more physically active is to exercise/stretch when I wake up and lower how much unhealthy food I eat (high fat food, high calories etc) and start eating more fruits and veggies.” — EatFit Participant
This work is vital in adolescents as they begin to become more independent in the way they think, learn, and interact with food. Likewise, nutrition education intervention efforts in majority Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities are of particular importance because these groups have been expressly targeted as potential consumers of nutrient-poor food while also facing barriers to accessing affordable and convenient healthy food. By supporting students to reflect critically on how unhealthy food and beverages are advertised to them and then develop their counter-messages to promote healthy choices, inclusive SNAP-Ed-approved programs like EatFit and others can help improve nutrition behaviors among low-income adolescent Californians and prevent the chances of developing chronic disease later in life.
CFHL, UCCE staff will continue to partner with Hillview Jr. High to deliver quality nutrition education during the 2023-2024 school year. The fruit and vegetable posters made by students serve as a friendly reminder to all that food marketing does not steal your independence; you can still make a healthy, tasty choice.
“Before, I use to just get snacks to eat them but a lot of them were unhealthy and I got cavities. During the lesson we learned that the labels are actually important. Now I check the label to compare and buy the snack that is more healthy. It is working I am more healthy and happy.”— Jacob Ponce, EatFit Participant
- Author: Brady Holder
- Author: Peter Ako Larbi
- Author: Jackie Atim
- Author: Daniel Cabrera
Social media summary
Upon touring field research sites, listening to talks, and engaging in hands-on activities at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 100% of undergraduate students reported learning more about agricultural STEM research areas, which could steer them towards careers in agriculture.
The Issue
Students often lack awareness or appreciation of the existing relationships connecting agriculture and technology. For instance, students who are interested in emerging technologies may have never considered a career in agriculture. Conversely, students interested in agriculture may not have considered opportunities in research or practice involving technology. This tour sought to expose students to some examples of agricultural research involving technology to expand their knowledge of agriculture and the place of technology in agriculture-related research and practice.
How UC Delivers
In July 2023, UC ANR's Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension (KARE) Center hosted the 2023 cohort of students from the University of California Merced's San Joaquin Valley Food and Agriculture Cyberinformatics Tools and Science (FACTS) Bridge Program for a tour. The goal was to broaden the students' exposure to agricultural research and extension involving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The tour was also intended to provide the students with learning about technology and job opportunities in agriculture. The day was divided into two sections. In the morning, students went outside to visit field research sites and learned more about the specific projects underway. In the afternoon, students attended indoor presentations with hands-on activities. The 5.5-hour tour was presented collaboratively by UC Cooperative Extension Specialists Peter Ako Larbi, Jackie Atim and Bali Lab staff research associate, Brady Holder. Agricultural Application Engineering (AgAppE) Lab assistant Daniel Cabrera provided photography coverage for reporting. KARE Center staff also provided logistical and transportation support for the entire tour. The students were led by UC Cooperative Extension Specialist Safeeq Khan.
After being welcomed upon arriving at KARE, the students started the morning section. They were transported on a tram to the research fields, making stops at selected locations where they were hosted to presentations and demonstrations. The presentations/demos were given in an interactive format which allowed the students to engage with their observations, comments, and questions.
The first stop was by an almond orchard where Larbi provided an overview of pesticide spray application in orchards and vineyards, including the integration of emerging sensing and automation technologies for precision application. He also demonstrated airblast spray application in the almond orchard, placing water sensitive cards in a target tree canopy to demonstrate spray dispersion and coverage
The second stop was the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) weather station where Holder talked about how it is used to calculate crop water use. The presentation covered the various sensors employed and how they combine to measure evaporation rate as well as transpiration of the grass underneath the station.
The third stop was by Atim's sorghum plots where she talked about research into drought stress using sorghum, a drought tolerant and nitrogen efficient crop that is utilized as food, feed, forage, biofuel and bioproducts. Holder was able to demonstrate the use of drones in sorghum data collection.
The morning section ended with two additional stops hosted by Holder: one by a subsurface drip irrigation demonstration in tomatoes with a presentation covering how evapotranspiration values from CIMIS are used for proper irrigation scheduling to meet crop water needs and avoid waste; and another by alfalfa plots used to research deficit irrigation and groundwater recharge.
The afternoon section started with two spray hands-on activities intended for the students to become more familiar with the concepts of spray application. After a brief introduction by Larbi, the students were split up for two activities: 1) a nozzle flow rate measurement exercise; and 2) a spray dispersion demonstration exercise assisted by Cabrera. Atim and Holder further presented on research done at KARE center. The students completed evaluation forms at the end of the section/tour.
The Impact
A major goal of this tour was to increase knowledge of agriculture and use of technology in agriculture in California. A summary of the evaluations provided by student respondents are shown in the graphic below. On average, 88±10% reported gaining “much” or “very much” learning from the individual presentations on the tour. Lumped into the two sections, 86% and 90% gained such learning in the morning and afternoon sections, respectively. Overall, 100% of respondents reported such learning gains during the tour. During the tour, students learned about challenges and opportunities in California agriculture, which could potentially become a stepping-stone into career opportunities or research areas they might undertake themselves in their future.
Studies have shown bridge programs like this one increase first year overall grade-point average and university retention. Exposing students to research activities is particularly beneficial for encouraging students to enter and persist in STEM majors. Introducing incoming first-year students to ongoing agricultural research improves their awareness of agricultural STEM research and practice opportunities, a key step in not only increasing interest in and commitment to pursuing agricultural STEM majors but also careers in food and agriculture.
The FACTS summer bridge program will continue next year, when a new cohort of incoming first-year, second-year, transfer students, as well as returning second-year students visit the KARE Center to learn about agriculture, ag research, and technology.
- Author: Amanda M Linares
- Contributor: Kaela Plank
- Contributor: Sridharshi Hewawitharana
- Contributor: Gail Woodward-Lopez
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Nutrition Policy Institute rolled out an online evaluation tool, EATS, for local health departments to evaluate school-based CalFresh Healthy Living during pandemic-related school closures. EATS data showed that students receiving school meals during the closures were more likely to eat fruits and vegetables, an important insight that could impact school nutrition policy in the future.
The Issue
In March 2020, schools across California shuttered in an effort to protect students and staff from COVID-19 infection. School closures impacted provision of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, and thus, the nutrition safety net they provided. School districts across the state pivoted to centralized meal distribution via grab-and-go and drive-up, or even utilized home delivery in some cases. Despite monumental efforts to get school meals to the children who needed them most, meal participation declined significantly during this time.
The California Department of Public Health's CalFresh Healthy Living Program (CDPH-CFHL) prioritizes improving child nutrition security and diet quality. Local health departments partner with K-12 schools to implement CFHL nutrition education and policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change strategies that aim to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables and decrease consumption of sugary drinks. Their existing relationships with school districts enabled them to support efforts to ensure that school meals met dietary standards and student needs during school closures.
How UC Delivers
During the pandemic, local health departments modified their school-based programs to continue to reach students outside of the school setting. For example, they delivered nutrition education remotely via Zoom or pre-recorded lessons, and they pivoted to PSE change strategies like modifying school meal distribution practices to help ensure students continued to have access to healthy foods.
Nutrition Policy Institute supports local health department evaluation of school-based CDPH-CFHL interventions, and without modifying the existing data collection methodology to reach students learning at home, evaluation would not have continued. Evaluators adapted their methods, including migration of the Eating and Activity Tool for Students (EATS) to an online platform. This survey measures student eating and physical activity behaviors, and during pandemic school closures, included questions about if and where students ate school breakfast and lunch. Nutrition Policy Institute prioritized school data collection during this extraordinary period, understanding that analysis of these data could draw attention to the impacts of COVID-19 on California's youth, in particular, those already facing nutrition disparities.
The Impact
During the 2020-21 school year, as a result of Nutrition Policy Institute's development and coordination of the online EATS tool, local health departments were able to collect data from 3,297 4th and 5th grade students from 67 CFHL-eligible schools (where at least half of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals). About half of students were female (52%) and half identified as Latino (50%). Most students were attending school exclusively by distance learning at the time of the survey (83%). Approximately one quarter of students had eaten at least one school meal the previous day (27%), with about 1 in 7 reporting they ate both breakfast and lunch (15%).
We found that students who ate one or two school meals a day had significantly higher intakes of vegetables, whole fruits, and 100% fruit juice, compared to students who did not eat school meals. Specifically, students who ate one school meal a day ate more beans and orange vegetables, while those who ate two school meals a day consumed a wider variety of vegetables, including beans and orange vegetables. However, children who ate one school meal a day drank more fruit drinks (non-100% juice) and flavored milks than those who did not eat school meals. Further, students who ate two school meals consumed more fruit drinks, flavored milks, and sports and energy drinks than those who did not eat school meals.
Our findings suggest that school meals continued to be an important source of fruits and vegetables for school-aged children during the pandemic. This highlights the importance of focusing PSE efforts on improving school meal distribution and overall quality, should students' in-person attendance be challenged again. Despite this, findings also underscore the need to reduce consumption of sugary drinks, which are a primary source of added sugars and nutrient poor energy in children's diets. This highlights an opportunity to strengthen school-based CFHL interventions by incorporating nutrition education and PSE strategies that focus specifically on healthy beverage consumption. Nutrition Policy Institute's leadership of CDPH-CFHL local program evaluation not only highlights the successes of CFHL, but just as important, the areas for program improvement. Nutrition Policy Institute's commitment to strengthening CDPH-CFHL interventions in California schools is a hallmark of UC ANR's public value of promoting healthy people and healthy communities.
This study was conducted as part of a contract with the California Department of Public Health with funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-- SNAP. These institutions are equal opportunity providers and employers.
- Author: Alireza Pourreza
UC Digital Agriculture Program's innovative spray backstop system reduces airborne pesticide drift by 78% in almond orchards– a big step forward for improving air quality and working conditions in California's agricultural production areas.
The Issue
Pesticide drift is a significant concern, especially in California's almond orchards. It's not just an environmental issue. Pesticide drift can pose a public health risk by contaminating the skin, lungs, and gut of people in nearby communities. These chemicals can lead to respiratory issues, skin irritation, and other adverse health effects. Another study highlights that pesticide poisoning is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, affecting not just agricultural workers but also the general population.The challenge has been to control this drift without reducing the effectiveness of the pesticide application. This project aims to tackle this pressing issue head-on.
How UC Delivers
Addressing the issue of pesticide drift requires a multi-disciplinary approach, combining engineering, agriculture, and environmental science expertise. The UC Digital Agriculture Program team rose to the challenge by developing an innovative spray backstop system. This system is a blend of practicality and advanced technology, designed to be both farmer-friendly and effective in reducing pesticide drift.
The core components of this system are a foldable mast and a shade structure. The mast is the backbone, providing the necessary height and stability, while the shade structure acts as a barrier covering the trees from the top. This barrier is crucial in preventing the upward movement of pesticide droplets, thereby reducing the potential for drift.
Figure 1: Schematic design of the backstop prototype installed on a sprayer in an almond orchard.
To validate the effectiveness of this system, a series of tests were conducted in young almond orchards. The sprayer was operated at a 3.2 km/h speed to simulate real-world conditions. But before hitting the field, the team employed advanced uncrewed aerial systems equipped with thermal and RGB cameras. These cameras captured images and videos of the spray pattern from multiple angles, providing invaluable data for analysis.
The aerial imagery was not just for show; it played a pivotal role in the project. It allowed the team to monitor the spray application in real-time and understand the spray cloud's movement pattern. This imagery was then used to refine the design of the shade structure, ensuring it effectively blocked droplet movement beyond the treetop.
Figure 2: Aerial views showing the efficiency of the backstop prototype in blocking the spray cloud.
The results were more than just promising. The backstop system effectively blocked the spray cloud, ensuring that the pesticides stayed precisely where they were intended to be—on the trees. This was further validated through a ribbon test, a simple yet effective method to measure drift. A ribbon placed in the spray path remained in its resting position when the backstop system was used, indicating a significant reduction in drift.
The project didn't stop at just reducing drift; it also ensured that the reduction did not come at the cost of effectiveness. The on-target deposition of the pesticide was not compromised, affirming that the system could achieve dual objectives: reducing drift while maintaining efficacy.
The Impact
The spray backstop system's impact goes beyond just numbers. It represents a significant stride toward sustainable agriculture and community well-being. The system successfully reduced the drift potential by 78%. This isn't merely a statistic; it's a tangible change that has far-reaching implications for both environmental stewardship and human safety.
Figure 3: Statistical results showcasing a significant reduction in drift potential.
The environmental impact is equally noteworthy. Reduced drift means fewer chemicals in the air, contributing to "improved air quality," a UC ANR condition change. This is a step forward in reducing air pollution, which has wide-ranging implications for human health and climate change.
One of the most noteworthy aspects of this innovation is that it managed to reduce drift without compromising the effectiveness of the pesticide application. The on-target deposition remained consistent, ensuring the almond trees received the necessary pesticide coverage for optimal growth and yield. This is a crucial factor for farmers who are often caught in the dilemma of choosing between effective pest control and environmental responsibility.
Figure 4: Comparative leaf samples illustrating consistent on-target deposition and coverage.
The project aligns with another UC ANR's condition change, "improved living and working conditions for California's food system and farm workers." One of the goals of reducing pesticide drift is to mitigate the health risks associated with working and living in agricultural production areas. Therefore, the work directly supports UC ANR's commitment to promoting the public health of California's communities.
Looking ahead, the project has set the stage for further research and development to adapt the system for different types of orchards and terrains. Additional modifications are being considered to make the system even more robust and versatile, ensuring its long-term sustainability and broader applicability.
Want to learn more? See the method in action here.
