- 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...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
According to the Orange County Register, the turning of seasons this week is ending a local "summer of bugs." Today's article says that homeowners, landscape designers, nurserymen are reporting unusually high numbers of flies, mosquitos, thrips and glassy-winged sharpshooters.
“There are flies everywhere,” the paper quotes Cherie Ciotti-Roco, a landscape designer and contractor. “I’ve been out here 20 years, and I’ve never seen flies like this.”
For expert opinion, the Register turned to John Kabashima, the director of UC Cooperative Extension in Orange County.
“When the fall flush hits, all the insects attack,”...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
UC Cooperative Extension is helping the public prepare for a law going into effect Jan. 1 with new fire-safe regulations for building new homes, businesses or other buildings. The news media is turning to UC advisors to help spread the information. A workshop held in the Klamath National Forest in Yreka prompted a detailed story in the Mt. Shasta News.
“These new codes will not make your home fire proof,” the newspaper quoted Steve Quarles, UCCE wood durability advisor. “They are designed to improve the chances of your home surviving a wildfire.”
Among other things, the new building codes will require fire resistant roofs, siding...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The news media made the trek to Hanford yesterday to take the opportunity we offered to meet researcher Thomas Harter, who is initiating an extensive groundwater study at dairies in Kings and Tulare counties. Harter studied the groundwater at dairies in Stanislaus and Merced counties in the late 90s and found groundwater with six-times and more than the limit set for nitrates in drinking water. The South Valley's groundwater is much deeper and the soil contains more clay, which Harter says may reduce groundwater contamination, though he doesn't expect to find groundwater there to be pristine.
The KMPH 10 o'clock news covered the event with a story...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors has taken preliminary steps to buy about 92 acres of farmland off Highway 99 near Selma to build a Center for Agriculture and Food Safety, according to an article published in the Fresno Bee today. The proposed new center would house the county Department of Agriculture, UC Cooperative Extension and other ag-related agencies. Officials also are reviewing other property and exploring the prospect of placing the center on the Fresno State campus.
Also in the plans is a demonstration/research farm geared toward the study of new and specialty crops, water conservation and sanitary handling practices. According to...
