Ongoing research

Join UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisors for Grape Day 2026Join us for the opportunity to connect, learn, and share ideas with your local grape and wine community and local organizations! This year’s program will focus on marketing innovation, branding, business development, and sale strategies, and will…

Who knew your kitchen scraps and yard debris could improve your soil? It's called composting, which not only improves your soil but helps you save water. Learn about how to set up a system that works for you. Also, learn about mulch and its many benefits, including weed suppression and reduced water use.

Learn about the large variety of Japanese maples and their cultivars and similar small maples such as the Fullmoon maples from Japan. This presentation will cover how to select the right cultivar/variety, the specific care needed at the time of planting, and what maintenance is required to keep them thriving…

Learn about defensible space landscaping, Firescaping: get ahead and slow the spread!  There is a way to organize your landscape and maintain your garden that will help create defensible space around your home.  We’ll discuss what the research is telling us about the best practices we can implement…

This workshop will introduce you to the world of cover cropping - what a cover crop is and how to utilize in your garden. Learn the general concepts behind cover crops but also specific types to use to nurture our area soils.

Fall is bulb-planting season! A time for gardeners to project themselves into the future -- specifically next spring. Anyone who wants clutches of tulips, clumps of hyacinths or dozens of daffodils in their spring garden must plan and plant in fall.

There’s no need to abandon gardening when the weather cools!  In fact, many vegetables, such as brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower, can only successfully be grown as the temperatures drop and the days shorten!  Come learn about the advantages and disadvantages of cool-season gardening,…

 In this workshop, you will learn about the importance of native keystone plants which are unique components of local food webs, providing habitat for birds, butterflies, bees and other wild creatures.  View a colorful selection of native plants that will provide beauty as well as habitat in your…