Story Length: Must be no longer than one page. (Note: there is a 3,500- character limit.)
Headline: Enter a brief (no more than 10 words), vivid statement that captures the reader's attention and gives a sense of the story.
- Example of a headline from a current UC Delivers story:
Converting urban yardwaste to avocado root rot management
Main story text
The Issue: Describe the relevant background information about the specific issue, problem or situation that was addressed by this ANR program. Indicate how the issue has affected the community's environmental, social and economic conditions. Identify the stakeholders who have been affected, and how they have been affected by the issue.
Example of an issue statement from a current UC Delivers story:
In 1990, the California Assembly passed a bill calling for the reduction in materials going to landfills. A large portion of this material is urban yardwaste. For many years researchers at UC have been working on the nagging problem of how to control one of the most devastating diseases in avocado – Phytophthora cinnamomi or avocado root rot. This disease affects 60 percent of the avocado acreage in the state. One of the treatments that had been examined was the use of organic materials as mulches, such as composts, manures and yardwaste (aka green waste).
What ANR has done?: In non-technical language, outline the general approach or methodology that was used to address this issue. Describe the major components, target audience, and overall timeframe for this project. Explain how the AES/CE research and extension continuum contributed to addressing the issue. Specify the roles of AES scientists, CE specialists and CE advisors. Identify what ANR invested in terms of staff, volunteers, time, money, knowledge, materials, equipment, technology or partners.
Example of "what ANR has done" from a current UC Delivers story:
Cooperative Extension farm advisors Oleg Daugovish, Jim Downer and Ben Faber and UC Riverside researchers John Menge, Howard Ohr, David Crohn and Ole Becker evaluated the use of green waste for controlling avocado root rot and its potential to inadvertently spread disease. By various field and lab tests, the researchers found that green waste can significantly reduce the root rot causing organisms through a novel method of control. In order for soil microorganisms to degrade the organic matter, they release enzymes which also degrade the cell walls of the disease-causing microbe. And, even though green waste may be harboring weeds, disease, insects and nematodes, when properly treated, they do not persist in the mulch. Mulches are now used in most avocado orchards as part of an integrated method for controlling root rot. Other methods, also pioneered by UC, include the use of gypsum and rootstocks more tolerant of the disease than seedling rootstocks. As a result, most new avocado orchards have been planted with this integrated method of controlling avocado root rot disease.
Payoff Headline: (Required) Enter a brief, compelling statement of what the outcomes/impact have been.
- Example of payoff headline from current UC Delivers story:
70 percent reduction in yard waste going to landfills in Ventura County
The Payoff: Must include documented or potential outcomes/ impacts. The focus of this section is on improvements to societal conditions and/or positive changes in program participants' behavior. This section may also include learning outcomes and outputs. Highlight the difference the project/ program is making for the public good.
Long-term Outcomes/Impacts: Describe the benefits or desirable changes for a group, population or area. The long-term condition changes can be economic, social (health and civic), or environmental. Identify the project/program's ultimate impact.
Medium-term Outcomes: Describe the action benefits or desirable changes in individuals, families or organizations. These include changed or new behaviors, practices, decisions, and policies.
Short-term Outcomes: Describe the learning benefits or desirable changes in individuals, families or organizations. These include increased or changed awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and skills.
Outputs: Describe project deliverables (activities and products), as well as participation. Activities include courses, workshops, demonstration sites, field days, symposia, trainings, etc. Products include new fundamental knowledge, audio or video products, curricula, train-the-trainer manuals, data or databases, websites, invention patent application and/or license, physical collections or resources such as new plant varieties, genetic maps, etc. Describe how the results have been disseminated. Identify and describe the demographics of clientele that were engaged and/or served by project.
Example of payoff statement from current UC Delivers story:
Not only has the green waste helped in controlling a terrible avocado disease, using the green waste in avocado orchards has reduced significantly the amount of materials going to landfills. The integrated control methods have allowed growers to rely less on fungicides while achieving greater control than with fungicides alone. These practices have done much to maintain the productivity of the $350 million a year avocado crop, saving growers as much as $50 million annually from avocado root rot.
Clientele testimony: (Optional) Enter specific quotes from clientele (along with their names and brief titles) attesting to how this ANR project/program made a difference in their lives. (Note: If names are not known or cannot be used for privacy reasons just include brief title.)
Additional Information
Unit credit: Select an ANR unit from the drop-down menu to credit the success story. If there is more than one unit to credit, use the text box to list them.
Contact information: List name, phone number and e-mail address of individual(s) to contact for more information about this story.
Required information
Topic area: Indicate all that apply. This feature is used to categorize the stories, and for search purposes.
Author's location: Enter to determine the story's editor.
Program area: Select from drop down to determine which Program Leader will review story content.
Funding source: Indicate federal and/or other funding sources for administrative purposes.
Add to Diversity Site: Check box to automatically add your story to the ANR Diversity Matters site (http://groups.ucanr.org/anrdiversity/).
Counties affected: Check boxes for the counties benefitted by the project/program. This feature is used for search purposes.
Attach photo or graphic
Insert Picture: (Required) Upload a JPEG (.jpg) or GIF (.gif) file. These types of files are typically used for photographs. They are compressed to control the 'quality' of the file. Note: If a photo/graphic does not belong to the author, permission and reference are needed.
Picture caption: Enter a brief, descriptive statement to explain the picture.
Notes
Add a new note: Enter comments and/or questions for discussion between author, program leader, and/or editor during the story flow process.
Current Status
Indicates where the story is in the story flow process.
Buttons/links for system action
- Save story (Note: this does not forward the story to the next step in the story flow process.)
- Forward story to next step in the story flow process
- Delete story
Story history
- Lists all the past transactions taken on the story during the story flow process with the respective dates and who made the transaction.