Cal/OSHA’s 2012 Heat Illness Prevention Campaign provides multiple approaches to protect outdoor workers from heat illness. The campaign is a combination of education, outreach and enforcement efforts.

Education resources for employees are available in English, Spanish, Hmong, Punjabi and Mixteco. These free resources include DVD that features workers from agriculture, construction and landscaping occupations.

Employers can also find resources to help minimize heat illness.

In addition to the online resources, Cal/OSHA will be providing free, one-day programs designed for educators and leaders from community organizations who can help reach workers at risk for heat illness. These “Train-the-Trainer” programs will be held throughout the state, with a class in Ventura on June 15. To learn more about the training program please see the following links in English and Spanish.

The need for heat illness prevention increases as the temperature rises.

UC’s Nursery and Floriculture Alliance has many trainings scheduled, including several in Southern California. You can find program details on their website. 

Also on the site, you will find archived presentations available for viewing and links to resources to help growers conserve irrigation water and manage water quality issues.

The nursery and floriculture industry is big business in Ventura County. Even after experiencing a decline in sales during the recession, the most recent crop report lists nursery stock as our third highest value crop at $180,057,000 (down from $298,690,000 in 2007-2008). Cut flowers are in the number four spot and brought in $47,348,000 (down from $51,297,000 in 2007-2008).

This map shows where these crops are grown within the county.

UC ANR has many resources available for the nursery and floriculture industry. Photo by Jack Kelly Clark.

Today Supervisor John Zaragoza will present resolutions proclaiming May 2012 as both “Watershed Awareness” and “Water Awareness” Month.

There are many events being held around the county this month to celebrate. Santa Clara River events can be found in this Ventura County Star article. Ventura River events can be found at the Ventura River Watershed Council website. If you are aware of any other events, please contact our office and we will be happy to include yours in a future post.

Further information about our local watersheds can be found here. Working together we can all improve our water quality and conservation.

Individual actions throughout each watershed impact water quality at the shore. Please do what you can to keep your actions environmentally positive. Photo by T. Harter.

UC Farm Advisor Oleg Daugovish will hold an Irrigation field day Thursday, April 19 from 9:00 am to 11:15 am.

Scheduled topics include:

• Update on conditional waiver and requirements for irrigated lands in Ventura County
• Evaluation of three differing irrigation regimes in California strawberry
• Salts and soil analyses in strawberry beds under different irrigation regimes
• Soil test results interpretation and corrective management
• View experiment plots onsite

VCALIG educational credits have been requested from the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board.

There is no cost to attend. If you have questions, require translation into Spanish, or to register please contact Oleg Daugovish at 805.645.1454 or odaguovish@ucdavis.edu. More information can be found on the agenda.

In the event of rain, the meeting will be held at the UCCE Conference Room located at 669 County Square Drive in Ventura.

Oleg Daugovish and collaborators will share current research related to irrigation in strawberry production at the upcoming Irrigation field day. Photo by K. Garvey.