- 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."
...- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Jim Downing of the Sacramento Bee wrote a story for today's newspaper about the 2007 almond crop. In a nutshell, he wrote that this year's huge almond harvest is erasing fears about disappearing honey bees.
The article says 1.33 billion pounds are expected to be harvested, but that the almonds themselves are about 15 percent smaller. For an explanation, he turned to John Edstrom, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Colusa County.
"Many of us are debating the reasons for (the small amond size)," Downing quoted Edstrom.
Edstrom told Downing that the main variables are weather, water and bees, but it's difficult to say how they...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Los Angeles Times reporter Jerry Hirsch filed a story for today's paper that it seems he pulled out of the blue. Hirsch reported that California farmers are increasingly growing blueberries, a crop that a decade ago was not produced commercially in the Golden State.
"As little as three years ago, the number of acres planted in blueberries in the state was so small that it didn't register with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Today there are an estimated 4,000 acres of commercial blueberries in the San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast and Ventura," the article says.
Most would agree that a lot of the...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
UC President Dynes participated in a tour last Friday at the UC Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center and a rice field near Marysville. The event was covered in the Sept. 21 Yuba City Appeal-Democrat. Reporter Kyle Buis noted that Dynes likes to see work being done by UC academics first hand.
“If you sit in an office, nobody tells you the whole story,” Buis quoted Dynes. “It’s extremely important to understand the impact of our research.”
At the Sierra Foothill REC, wood durability farm advisor Stephen Quarles demonstrated how different types of decking materials burn.
"While a simulated...