- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Years after former California Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Easton, who declared her intention to see a garden in every school, retired from state politics, efforts are continuing to make her vision a reality. And LA County UC Cooperative Extension's Common Ground Program is supporting the effort.
California Farmer magazine reported in its Oct. 11 issue on a recent school garden resource fair in Los Angeles; Common Ground was a sponsor. The story says LA Unified teachers will be receiving more than $1.7 million in grant...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
University of California Cooperative Extension made several appearances in California newspapers in recent days.
For last Friday's paper, the Contra Costa Times sought the comments of UCCE urban horticulturist Bethallyn Black about what appears to be a glut of acorns in local oak trees.
Black told the paper the acorn glut is part of a natural cycle. Once every few years when conditions are right, oak trees produce acorns in abundance, a botanical phenomenon known as a "mast."
"And is this ever a mast year," reporter Joan...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The CBS television affiliate in Sacramento, KOVR, sent reporter Tony Lopez to a meeting at UC Davis yesterday, where UC entomologist Eric Mussen spoke about "colony collapse disorder," recent unexplained bee deaths in California. The story included a brief interview with a Woodland bee producer, who said she considered the issue an "agricultural emergency." The story also featured sound bites from Mussen.
Mussen attributed colony collapse disorder to a combination of factors -- malnutrition, viruses and chemicals, according to the report.
Lopez opened the piece saying a theory about cell phone signals being...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The agriculture reporter for the Stockton Record, Reed Fujii, pointed out the incongruence of Hollywood's image of agriculture and the real California industry in an article published today.
"If you think farming is the simple life, have another thought," Fujii wrote. "A new listing of federal, state and local agencies that farmers in San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties may have to deal with runs 46 pages."
The listing he refers to was created by UCCE ag labor advisor Gregory Billikopf.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Under the heading "modern life," the Los Angeles Time today covered a UC Web site created by wildlife specialist Robert Timm to track coyotes in urbanizing areas. Here's a synopsis from the article, by Nancy Yoshihara:
"A new website, CoyoteBytes.org, was launched two weeks ago by the University of California Cooperative Extension to gather reports of coyote sightings and attacks from residents of Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties and to share information. The goal is to prevent conflict between humans and coyotes."
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