Ongoing research

Overview of SWEEP and HSP:The State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program provides funding to implement on-farm projects to existing irrigation systems, that reduce water use and reduce greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions. Common project components include pump replacement or retrofit, installing variable…

Tim Long, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer    Dehydration preserves food by removing 80–95% of its moisture, which inhibits the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and molds that require water to grow. It is one of the oldest preservation methods, dating back to 12,000 BCE.  This…

Kirsten Hansen, UC Master Food Preserver Online Delivery Program Volunteer  The Master Food Preserve Online Delivery Program volunteers loved making preserved lemons this winter! Our Citrus 1: Citrus Without Canning class and Garden to Glass: Winter Mocktails classes featured two different…

School meals play a critical role in supporting children’s nutrition and health in the United States; however, only about half of students participate in the National School Lunch Program on a typical school day. A recent study showed that student perceptions of school meals influence their participation…

Monica Gross, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer  For most of human history, feeding a family involved navigating times when food was plentiful, such as at harvest time, and periods when it was scarce. Before methods of food preservation were developed, food insecurity was a…

Earl Weak, UC Master Food Preserver Online Delivery Program VolunteerCounty of residence: Alameda Earl Weak relaxes at his home after an orange harvest (used with permission)My name is Earl Weak. I became UC Master Food Preserver (MFP) in 2024 as a member of the first class of the Online Delivery…

Blog by Paula PashbyIt is early February, and I am delighted that the winter rain has returned. There are some plants in my garden that are budding early because of the warm days last week, but most are still nicely tucked in for the winter duration. Now that I have some downtime, I can shift my attention to…

Authors: Robinson Johnson, Deniz Inci, Kassim Al-KhatibDepartment of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis Background White Water Fire (Bergia capensis L.) is an annual broadleaf weed native to southern China, tropical Asia, and Africa, which was recently reported in a California rice…