- Author: Lauren Fordyce
Check out our webinars planned for summer 2024:
June 20, 2024 - Flea Control & Diseases: Starting from Scratch
Fleas are small but mighty insects that are important medical and veterinary pests. They can vector pathogens and parasites, and their bites cause discomfort and irritation. In this webinar you'll learn how to keep yourself and pets safe from fleas and flea-borne diseases.
July 18, 2024 - Common Wood Decay Fungi in Landscape Trees of California
Trees are a valuable part of our landscapes. However, older trees can harbor wood decay fungi, which can be associated with an increased risk of tree failure or branch breakage. In this webinar, urban forestry expert Igor Lacan will discuss some wood decay fungi that are commonly seen on trees in urban landscapes in California, the effect(s) of fungi on the tree, and related considerations in tree management.
August 15, 2024 - Back to School Pests
With students heading back to school, now is a good time to talk about pests in schools and childcare centers. In this webinar, Karey Windbiel-Rojas will talk about head lice, bed bugs, rats, cockroaches, and more. We will also cover the use of disinfectant wipes and pesticide safety.
September 19, 2024 - Improving Professional Ant Control Services
In California, the Argentine ant is among the most common nuisance ant species treated by pest management professionals and the general public. In this webinar, you will learn how the university researchers and pest management companies are working together to improve pest ant management in urban residential settings.
Webinar topics for October and November will be announced mid-summer.
To view recordings of our past webinars, visit the YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo3rG4iqv4gGC9sa9Tdl_WfCV4BNMHraI
/span>/span>- Author: Paula Pashby
Every so often, I rescue a spider from my bathroom, and sometimes I need to call my husband to help. I do the same for other creatures, but I have always been particularly curious about spiders. One spider type that visits often has very long legs, which are well known as daddy-longlegs.
I have been noticing these daddy-longlegs in various parts of our yard and wondered whether they are beneficial to my garden or something of concern. Once again, my research into this question took me down another rabbit-hole of unexpected information.
I was pleased to learn that, yes, the daddy longlegs add to the garden ecology! I found out that they have an extensive diet of usual plant pests, like aphids, and will also feast on dead insects and even a spattering of bird droppings.
To my surprise, I also found out that daddy-longlegs (Opillones) are not actually a spider (Araneae), they just look like one. One visible distinction between daddy-longlegs and spiders is that they have one round body part, while spiders have two. Another difference is that daddy-longlegs do not have the silk glands necessary to create webs and do not produce venom.
BUT wait: Most of the daddy-longlegs that I usually see are hanging out in spider webs! I took a closer look and I now see that these guys do have double bodies. So, what I have been thinking was a daddy-longlegs is, in fact a spider known as the cellar spider, Pholcidae. It also turns out that they are beneficial to the garden. The cellar spiders feed on flies, mosquitoes, brown recluses, cockroaches, and even black widows. Oh, and they are not venomous to humans!
Thus, I had another pleasurable day of discoveries. The bottom line is that both the daddy-longlegs and cellar spiders are beneficial and not dangerous… welcome residents in our garden.
- Author: Kristen Farrar, UC Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program
Projects will support socially disadvantaged farmers, increase urban access to healthy food and more
The UC Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program (SAREP) is pleased to announce the recipients of the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems 2024-25 Small Grants Program. This grant program will fund planning, research and education projects that support the development of sustainable community food systems and environmentally sound and economically viable farming enterprises.
Of the 33 eligible applications, eight applicants were selected to receive approximately $80,000 in combined funding to support their work. Individual grants are limited to $10,000. “The Small Grants Program is an important part of our mission,” said Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, interim director of UC SAREP. “By facilitating these grants, SAREP is able to support ANR in engaging a wide range of food systems stakeholders, outcomes show that a small financial investment can have a large impact in improving the lives of Californians.”
The eight recipients of this year's grants are:
Planning
Building Capacity and Resiliency Among Networks of Socially Disadvantaged California Farmers
Fresh Approach will establish a network of pooled learning and technical support that will aid emerging food-aggregation businesses in accessing sustainable market channels, including emergency food distribution. As part of the project, they will enhance an interactive GIS mapping tool of value chains to streamline market opportunities for socially disadvantaged farmers and aggregators. (Project lead: Andy Ollove, Fresh Approach)
Sustainable Urban Resident Food Gardens Expansion Planning Project
Growing Hope Gardens will systematize the process of outreach, discovery, design, planning and implementation in creating new urban resident food gardens. The project will document Growing Hope Gardens' garden development process into a training and implementation manual to more effectively duplicate food garden programs in more low-income urban communities. (Project lead: Carolyn Day, Growing Hope Gardens)
Research
Evaluating Best Management Practices for Cover Crops to Minimize Nitrogen Losses in California's Salinas Valley
This project will quantify the effectiveness of cover cropping at different planting times and termination dates to scavenge excess nitrogen in the soil and reduce nitrate leaching in a Salinas vegetable cropping system. The results will inform Ag Order 4.0 for cover crop credits and help stakeholders in the Salinas Valley better understand crop management for efficient nutrient cycling. (Project lead: Scott Fendorf, Stanford University)
Implications of American Kestrel Diet, Dispersal and Migration on Pest Control in Northern California Farming Systems
Investigators will study how the diet, post-breeding dispersal, and migration of nesting kestrels influences biological pest control on Northern California farms. The project will generate management recommendations for using the predatory bird for biological pest control in sustainable agriculture programs across California. (Project lead: Breanna Martinico, UC Cooperative Extension)
Education and Outreach
EAT! Community Farms Market Access and Promotion Project
This project helps socially disadvantaged and indigenous farmers in Riverside County create pathways for realizing economic return. EAT! will provide mentoring for marketing strategy development, connect farmers to buyers, promote the farmers market so it's more profitable for farmers, and provide a cooperative farm stand in the city of Norco for farmers to sell produce directly to consumers. (Project lead: Patrick Mitchell, Ecological Agricultural Training Cultural Center [EAT!])
Cultivating Cooperative Education, Stewardship and Connection at the Agroecology Commons Cooperative Incubator Farm
Agroecology Commons aims to address challenges faced by young, first-generation, BIPOC, queer and femme farmers at the Agroecology Commons Cooperative Incubator Farm in the Bay Area. The project will focus on education and outreach, providing technical assistance and training in regenerative agriculture practices such as soil health, pest management and crop diversification to socially disadvantaged farmers. (Project lead: Jeneba Kilgore, Agroecology Commons)
Signage and Mural Refurbishment for Southeast Asian Farmers to Improve Direct-to-Consumer
This project will build new, long-lasting farm signs for Southeast Asian farmers growing diversified vegetables and berries in the Sacramento region. Improving the appeal and durability of farm signs will increase the profitability of the farm stands as these resource-limited farmers rely on direct-to-consumer marketing strategies to promote their businesses. (Project lead: Margaret Lloyd, UC Cooperative Extension)
Community Nutrition Security and Education Program
Farm Discovery at Live Earth will increase access to organic produce for individuals and families experiencing food and nutrition insecurity in the Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay area. This will be accomplished through farming, outdoor education and nutrition education programs focusing on regenerative agricultural practices to connect youth and families to their regional agricultural and ecological systems. (Project Lead: Jessica Ridgeway, Farm Discovery at Live Earth)
The UC SAREP Small Grants Program has a big impact! Help us fund more projects that support sustainable community food systems and environmentally sound, economically viable farming enterprises. To support this program, please donate here. Choose SAREP Small Grants Program for the designation.