- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert

The drought isn't helping matters, but the primary concern for cherry farmers in California is the lack of winter chill, reported Lisa Morehouse on KQED's The California Report.
Morehouse spoke to Bill Coates, a UC Agriculture and Natural Resources expert based at the UC Cooperative Extension office in San Benito County. He said cherries are more sensitive than other crops to a lack of chill hours. Because of a warming weather trend during the winter, bing cherry trees look confused about what season it is.
“You have some ripe cherries, you have...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert

An article in the Hollister Freelance heralded the retirement of UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Bill Coates, who reporter Adam Breen called a "human repository of local agricultural knowledge." Coates ended a 35-year-career with UCCE on Wednesday.
The Imperial Valley Press ran a feature on 4-H advisor Mary Harmon, who retired after 16 years in that position on two separate occasions (1978-1990, 2007-2011). Harmon has been involved in.../span>