- Author: Chris M. Webb
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.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
UC Postharvest Technology Center mission is “To reduce postharvest losses and improve the quality, safety and marketability of fresh horticultural products”. They are dedicated to providing relevant information to California growers, shippers, marketers, carriers, distributors, retailers, processors, and consumers of fresh horticultural crops.
At their site you will find much information and resources available online. In addition to their online resources, the center will be holding the following workshops in 2012.
- Annual Fruit Ripening & Retail Management Workshop will be held March 27-28
- UC Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Practical Skill-Building for On-Farm Assessments Workshops will be held twice in 2012. The first workshop will be held April 2-3, and the second November 5-6.
- Postharvest Technology Short Course will be held June 18-29.
- Fresh-Cut Products: Maintaining Quality and Safety Workshop will be held September 18-20.
- Emerging Postharvest Technologies for California Produce Professionals Short Course is tentatively scheduled for Winter 2012. More information will be available soon.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Designed to deliver alerts to residents quickly, VC Alert has the ability to share threats to the health and safety of entire communities seamlessly and efficiently. Alerts can be received by one or more of the following: home phone, cell phone, work phone, email, text message, fax, or instant messaging.
In addition to emergency information users can choose to receive any of these additional categories: crime alerts, road closures, public meetings, and community events.
Perhaps the best part of this system is the ability to define the locations and types of notices you are interested to receive. For instance, you may request alerts near: your home, workplace, children’s school, or areas in which other family or friends reside.
It is easy to sign up for this service. You may sign up using the internet , by phone 805.648.9293, or by mail. The address to mail a request is Ventura County Sheriff’s OES; 800 South Victoria Avenue #3450; Ventura, CA 93009. Residents are able to sign up in English, or in Spanish.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Mowing habits have a big impact on lawn appearance and health. Improper mowing can lead to thinning, weeds, pests, buildup of debris, and more. Cutting your grass to the right height at the right time can do much to help keep your lawn healthy and beautiful.
UC ANR’s Mowing Your Lawn and “Grasscycling” publication can help you determine how much and how often to cut. Topics include:
- How high to mow?
- When to mow?
- What to do with the clippings?
- Mowing equipment
- Mower safety
- Additional mowing tips
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The newly redesigned UC IPM Online website has many wonderful resources intended to reduce the environmental and human health impacts of pest problems and managing them. Integrated pest management (IPM) can be used to solve pest problems in urban, agricultural, and wildland or natural areas.
IPM embraces combined management approaches for the greatest effectiveness for reducing pest damage. Biological control, cultural controls, mechanical and physical controls, and chemical control work together to create effective, long-term control in a way that minimizes possible harm to people and the environment.
When chemical control is needed the Mitigating Pesticide Hazards webpage provides step by step guidelines and suggestions to reduce potential harm.
Topics include:
- Choose a pesticide from the UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines for the target pest
- Before an application evaluation
- After an application evaluation
- Consider water management practices that reduce pesticide movement off-site.
- Consider practices that reduce air quality problems.
Some of these resources are available in Spanish.