- Author: Michael Hsu
UC Cooperative Extension advisors, educators join growers in showcasing rice production
When Tracy Schohr volunteered in her son's pre-K class a couple years ago, she was stunned to find out that only two of the 20 children had ever been around a tractor. And this was in the rural Butte County community of Gridley, in the heart of California's rice-growing region.
Seeking to introduce more young children to agriculture, Schohr – the University of California Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources advisor for the area – and her friend Lisa Donati created an event to showcase rice farming.
After the debut of “Ricetastic Day” last year with about 140 students from Gridley in attendance, this year's event on Sept. 19 attracted more than 240 schoolchildren – this time from across south Butte County.
First graders from McKinley Primary School in Gridley, Manzanita Elementary School, Biggs Elementary School and Richvale Elementary School – along with their teachers and many family members – enjoyed hands-on experiences at Schohr's rice and cattle ranch.
“There's a dwindling population that produces the food that we eat across America, so how can we have more people know, appreciate and love agriculture if we don't give them that opportunity?” said Schohr. “That's what this day is really about – to teach them about rice, to teach them about their community, how healthy rice can be, and how the farming and ranching can also create habitat for wildlife. It's all-encompassing.”
Event stations share different aspects of rice
Schohr, who grew up on the family ranch in Gridley, remembers coming with her McKinley schoolmates for a visit. But those field trips had comprised only lunch and a quick “drive-through” tour of the historic farming operation.
For Ricetastic Day, however, Schohr organized – with generous help from local growers and community partners – a more comprehensive half-day of activities. After her brother, Ryan Schohr, welcomed the participants to the family farm, the students formed groups that were led by Gridley FFA youth on a rotation through a variety of stations.
At the milling station, Luis Espino, UCCE rice farming systems advisor, demonstrated how his mini mill machines remove the husks from rough rice to make brown rice, and then polish away the bran layer to make white rice. He had the children see and feel the difference as the rice moved through processing.
“I didn't even know brown rice existed!” exclaimed Elsie, a first grader at McKinley.
A native of Peru, Espino came to study agriculture through his lifelong fascination with biology and living things – and he said events like Ricetastic Day can inspire a similar passion in young people.
“It might spark their curiosity so that they might go into these areas of work in the future or have a career in agriculture, when they see that people do this for a living,” Espino said.
Ray Stogsdill, another McKinley school alumnus, returned to Gridley after college to pursue just such a career. A staff research associate in the lab of UC Davis professor Bruce Linquist, Stogsdill manages on-farm rice variety testing across the region. He volunteered to help Schohr with Ricetastic Day by talking about some of the heavy equipment and providing his perspective for the kids.
“They drive by the fields and they don't know what's out there,” he said. “This gives them a chance to know what they're driving by, so they can say, ‘We have rice here and this is how it works; this is how it grows.' It gives them an idea of what's going on around them.”
Where rice fits within a healthy diet was the focus for the CalFresh Healthy Living, UC Cooperative Extension team, comprising nutrition educators Sunshine Hawjj, Joanna Aguilar and Kenia Estrada, as well as community nutrition, health and food security advisor Veronica VanCleave-Hunt. They talked about how rice – like other grains in that vital food group – gives people energy, and then taught the students an energetic “ricetastic” movement activity.
“Because our program is part of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, it's important to make the connection between where our food comes from and how it gets on our plate – especially with young kids, so that we can promote value for our local agriculture and our food systems,” VanCleave-Hunt explained.
Activities spark further conversations, learning about agriculture
With rice harvest late due to late planting in the spring, Eric Waterbury of Waterbury Farms was able to take some time to attend the event. Although his family has been growing rice for three generations, he said he appreciates opportunities for the broader community to see all aspects of his work – from the equipment to the processing.
“If the kids walk away from this with one thing, I hope it's that they realize every time they have a meal, somebody was out there working hard to provide that meal,” he said. “It wasn't just the person at the grocery store that provided it for them.”
Schohr added that Ricetastic Day was only possible through the support of the community. Butte County Farm Bureau and Natural Resources Conservation Service staff helped kids make art with colorful dyed rice; neighboring farmer Tinker Storm described how the harvester and “bankout” wagon work; and rice farmers Shelley Beck and Sue Orme read aloud “Daddy's Got Dirt: A California Rice Story,” a children's book written by a local rice grower.
With rice at the center of physical activities, arts and crafts, and science lessons for the day, the students learned a lot to take home.
“It's nice that the kids got these hands-on learning experiences,” said Ryan Schohr, “so they can go home tonight and, at the dinner table, talk about it with their parents or brothers and sisters, over dinner or over homework – and share what they learned here on the farm and about their community.”
Rebecca Christy, a first- and second-grade teacher at Biggs Elementary, said she is excited to return to the classroom and hear from her students about all that they learned during the day.
“Every morning right now I'm seeing the big trucks going by our school, and so I'll be able to point that out to them, ‘Where are they going? What are they doing?'” she said. “I can't wait to get back to school and let them tell me about all of this.”
One of her students, Ximena, was finishing her brownbag lunch as the group watched one of the Schohr Ranch harvesters rumble over the field. Despite enjoying a rice cake and a rice cracker earlier, she said her meal was missing one thing.
“Where is my rice, Miss Christy?” she said. “I want rice!”
/h3>/h3>/h3>- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
University of California Cooperative Extension and UC Davis Veterinary Medicine are sharing recordings of their March 2022 cattle health webinar series for California cattle ranchers. This series was co-hosted by UC Cooperative Extension advisors Tracy Schohr, Grace Woodmansee and Rebecca Ozeran and UC Cooperative Extension specialist Gabriele Maier.
“Last month hundreds of cattle producers joined us for evening webinars that took a deep dive into a cross section of important cattle health topics,” said co-host Schohr, UC Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources advisor in Plumas, Sierra and Butte counties.
“We recognize cattle producers have busy lives with off-ranch careers and family responsibilities that can make it difficult to attend in-person continuing education events,” she said, “so we hosted the online webinar series and have recorded them so more producers can take advantage of these comprehensive resources on cattle health and production.”
The video recordings and additional resources from the webinar series can be found at ucanr.edu/sites/Rangelands/CattleHealth. The video topics and featured speakers include:
- Whole Herd Health Plans and Vaccination Schedules - Gabriele Maier, UC Cooperative Extension specialist for beef cattle herd health and production at UC Davis, and Tom Talbot, a large animal veterinarian in Bishop
- Herd Bull Health, Diseases and Injuries - Bret McNabb, DVM, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
- Pinkeye in Cattle - John Angelos, professor in UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
- Toxic Plants and Livestock - Robert H. Poppenga, DVM, Ph.D., DABVT, Head Toxicology Section, California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
- Why Did it Die? California Animal Health Food Safety Laboratory - Maier and Katherine Watson, anatomic pathologist at California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory.
“The past two years, Cooperative Extension has pivoted the way we have shared information with livestock producers with the cancellation of in-person events, allowing us to focus on new outreach tools,” said Maier. “We saw tremendous engagement with our live online Beef Quality Assurance trainings that led the team to host the series this March, focusing on topics attendees had expressed an interest in during the BQA Training. The videos provide a resource for livestock producers to continue to improve the health of their cattle and increase beef production on their ranch.”
For questions or suggestions on future topics, please contact Schohr at tkschohr@ucanr.edu.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Stetter named Dean of Veterinary Medicine
Mark Stetter, dean and professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University, has been chosen as the new dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine. He will officially take the position on Oct. 18.
Prior to joining Colorado State, Stetter served as director of animal operations, director of animal health, and clinical veterinarian at Walt Disney World from 1997 to 2012.
“The School of Veterinary Medicine, a widely recognized world leader in its field, exemplifies veterinary education, research, and care—and UC Davis—at their best,” said Mary Croughan, provost and executive vice chancellor. “It was critical for us to find a new dean who could carry on and advance the school's stellar legacy. We are very fortunate that Dr. Stetter has agreed to serve in this critical leadership position.”
Stetter earned both his Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Stetter will replace John Pascoe, who has served as interim dean since July 1, when Michael Lairmore stepped down after nearly 10 years as dean. Croughan has expressed her deep gratitude for Pascoe's skilled interim service and Lairmore's decade of distinguished leadership at SVM.
Read more about Stetter in the UC Davis news release.
Westlake joins Project Learning Tree
Emmy Westlake has joined UC ANR as a Project Learning Tree community education specialist in Northern California.
Born in Redding, Westlake enjoyed growing up, working and spending time in the Shasta Trinity and Modoc Forest. Getting folks outside and into natural resources continues to be her passion.
Before joining Project Learning Tree, she worked with the Resource Conservation District of Tehama County for four years as a project manager. She graduated from California State University, Chico in business administration with an option in management.
Westlake is based at the UCCE office in Tehama County in Red Bluff. She can be reached at (530) 527-3101 and ewestlake@ucanr.edu.
Palmer joins Human Resources
Rachel Palmer joined Human Resources as a HR Generalist 2 addressing staff issues on Oct. 5. For the past 5 years, she served UC ANR as a program and event specialist with the Program Support Unit.
Before joining UC ANR in 2016, Palmer was an events manager at UC Riverside for four years and a campus events coordinators and campus resources coordinator at University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law for nearly five years. She earned a BS in business at University of Redlands.
Palmer is still based at the UC ANR building in Davis and can be reached at rvpalmer@ucanr.edu.
Karle chosen for ag leadership program
Betsy Karle, UC Cooperative Extension director in Glenn County and dairy advisor in Glenn, Butte, Tehama, Shasta, Sutter and Yuba counties, is one of the 24 individuals selected for the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation's Class 51.
The California Agricultural Leadership Foundation program will immerse fellows in topics including leadership theory, strategic agility, effective communication, motivation, critical thinking, change management, emotional intelligence and other skills relating to personal performance and complex social and cultural issues.
Over 17 months, Karle will dedicate 55 seminar days to intensive training through the program's 50-year alliance with California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, California State University, Fresno, and UC Davis.
She will be joined by individuals with various educational backgrounds, experiences, and skills within the agriculture industry. CALF invests more than $50,000 per fellow to participate in the program, which is underwritten by individual and industry donations.
Vice President Glenda Humiston, UCCE advisors Sheila Barry, Tracy Schohr and Eta Takele, Maxwell Norton, emeritus UCCE advisor, and other UC ANR members are among alumni of the prestigious leadership program.
Schohr honored for ag leadership
Tracy Schohr, UC Cooperative Extension Livestock & Natural Resource Advisor serving Plumas, Sierra and Butte counties, is one of three people selected by the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF) and the Ag Leadership Alumni Council to receive a 2021 Profiles in Leadership Award.
The award recognizes California Agricultural Leadership Program alumni for leadership actions that result in the betterment of industry, community, business, government, education and/or the environment.
Schohr, Class 39, is being recognized for her community service during wildfires in her area—the 2018 Camp Fire, 2020 North Complex Fire and the 2021 Dixie Fire. Her work has included coordinating with emergency personnel and ranchers to contain, transport and secure a safe place for loose herds and displaced livestock.
“Tracy supports the agricultural industry through education and understanding of the science around natural working lands with the public,” said her nominators. “She is the first to step up to make a difference. California will continue to have natural disasters and Tracy will be there on the front lines and we can count on the fact that her crisis leadership will benefit everyone.”
The award ceremony will be held in Clovis on Oct. 14.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Disasters are increasingly common in California, ranging from droughts, floods and wildfires to human health (e.g. COVID-19). Given the frequency of disasters in California, it is important that UC ANR is prepared to engage before, during, and after emergencies across the state.
The new UC ANR Workgroup on Disaster Preparedness and Response will create a forum to bring together colleagues across multiple disciplines to support our communities through trainings, grants, research and extension projects.
If you are interested in joining the workgroup, please contact co-chairs Sabrina Drill at sldrill@ucanr.edu or Tracy Schohr at tkschohr@ucanr.edu.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
UC ANR Day at the Capitol was held on March 26, 2019, to update California legislators and legislative staff on UC ANR's research and outreach projects. Vice President Glenda Humiston and a UC ANR delegation discussed a wide variety of topics during the legislative visits, including wildfire and forest health, water quality, youth development, nutrition and climate adaptation.
Every year, representatives from each UC campus gather in Sacramento for UC Day at the Capitol to educate lawmakers about the importance of research and higher education and their contributions to California's economy and progress. Although UC ANR participates in the annual Ag Day at the Capitol, this was the first UC ANR Day at the Capitol.
ANR's Global Food Initiative fellow Maci Mueller set up appointments with the policymakers and coordinated the UC ANR delegation to explain the value of investment in UC ANR research and outreach.
The UC ANR delegation consisted of two teams led by Humiston and Wendy Powers, associate vice president. The teams included Faith Kearns, California Institute for Water Resources academic coordinator; Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, UC Cooperative Extension small farms advisor for Fresno and Tulare counties; Tracy Schohr, UC Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resource advisor for Plumas, Sierra and Butte counties; Alena Pacheco, 4-H community education specialist in Fresno County; Bailey Butler, Oroville 4-H member; and El Dorado County 4-H Ambassadors Emily Ferrell, Josie Rothman and Isabella Veffredo, who were accompanied by El Dorado County 4-H program representatives Vera Bullard and Denise Veffredo.
“As a team, we were able to connect with every member or staffer that we met,” Powers wrote in her ANR Adventures blog. “Sometimes it was around the 4-H program, and what the program has done for our impressive team members, sometimes it was around fire or water, and other staffers or members were particularly interested in moringa. Either way, the goal was to make a connection so that each visit left an impression.”
“UC ANR Day was a terrific opportunity for 4-H members to practice their communication skills and get involved in advocacy at the state level,” Mueller said.
Oroville 4-H member Bailey described for legislators and their staff how she worked from Nov. 8 when the Camp Fire broke out until after Christmas with UC Cooperative Extension advisor Tracy Schohr and UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine staff to care for 1,200 evacuated livestock and to train others to assist. Emily, a 4-H Ambassador in El Dorado County, said her 4-H experience with STEM activities and leadership training helped her get into the university of her choice – UC Santa Barbara.
Greeted warmly by each office, the teams shared examples of work being done by UC ANR in their districts, offered them assistance and thanked the legislators for their support. They left a copy of the UC ANR Snapshot, UC ANR map and overview, a 4-H fact sheet and UC at a Glance.
Legislators praised the 4-H members and UC ANR staff for the work they do for Californians.
“I look forward to making UC ANR Day at the Capitol an annual event,” Humiston said. “Telling people about the value of ANR's work is not only part of our mission, it is essential in educating others about all that we accomplish with the resources we have.”
A fact sheet showing the effects of shrinking public investment in the University of California and agricultural research can be downloaded at https://ucanr.edu/sites/Professional_Development/files/302896.pdf.