Desert Research and Extension Center

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Harvesting Knowledge: Nurturing Communities with Farm to School Programs

March 11th, 2024

What is Farm to School? The Farm to School Initiative is a growing movement that aims to integrate agriculture education into schools, organizations, and the community.

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Farm Smart's Fall 2021 Newsletter

December 14th, 2021

Click Here to view Farm Smart's Fall Newsletter featuring highlights of recent field trips and events.

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Read with a Beekeeper

October 29th, 2020

Did you miss the live Read with a Farmer event? We now have a pre-recorded session available. Brent Ashurst, a local beekeeper, reads The Beeman by Laurie Krebs. Visit our website to view the recording and the supplemental educator's guide. http://ucanr.

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Farm Smart October Newsletter

October 26th, 2020

Click here to view our latest newsletter (Below is the newsletter at a glance) AG in the Classroom Grant Deadline: Friday, October 30, 2020 Don't forget to submit your grant applications by October 30, 2020. Send all applications to scwills@ucanr.

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flyer with description of virtual programs

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Registration OPEN for Farm Smart Fall Programs

September 18th, 2020

https://mailchi.mp/ec944395bcde/farm-smart-fall-programs-registration-open Explore Imperial Valley Agriculture with Farm Smart this Fall. Whether its interviewing ag professionals or taking a field trip to various ag operations across the valley.

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fyer for the 2020 ag in the classroom grant

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$300 Agriculture Education Grants for Imperial Valley Teachers

September 10th, 2020

Through the generous donations of the Imperial County Farm Bureau, Imperial County Vegetable Growers Association, Farm Credit West, Imperial Valley Water, and California Women for Agriculture-Imperial Valley there are a limited number of grants available to Imperial County Educators! Educators who a...

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Pedro Carvalho, Feedlot Management Specialist

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Welcome Dr. Pedro Carvalho, UCD Feedlot Management Specialist

August 21st, 2020

We are pleased to introduce Dr. Pedro Carvalho, the newest addition to Desert REC. Dr. Carvalho started his position in Imperial County on August 1, 2020, as the Feedlot Management Specialist.

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center staff and seasonal labor harvesting wheat research fields

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UC Davis-Desert REC collaboration brings high value to the California Wheat Industry

August 14th, 2020

If you have ever enjoyed Barilla pasta in your favorite Italian dish, you have most likely consumed Desert Durum wheat from Imperial County. The success of the Desert Durum wheat is due to research of UC Davis Distinguished Professor and HHMI Researcher, Jorge Dubcovsky.

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Irrigation Management Research at Desert REC Reduces Water use in Alfalfa Production

August 13th, 2020

Water has always been a precious commodity in Imperial County. With rainfall averaging less than 3 inches per year, this arid desert region depends on irrigation water from the Colorado River to continue its production of over 100 different commodities on its deep, rich soil.

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Students visiting the feedlot during a school field trip

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Cattle Nutrition Research at Desert REC Decreases Feed Costs for Producers

August 12th, 2020

A stop at the feedlot to observe the cattle is always a highlight of the day for the over 8,000 visitors to Farm Smart each year through school field trips and field tours. Cattle has been the #1 commodity in Imperial County(IC) for over 60 years and IC is among the top 5 producers in California.

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Purple is the New Orange

August 11th, 2020

The UC Desert Research and Extension Center (REC) is located in Holtville, California-a city dubbed the Carrot Capital of the World.

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This is the earliest known picture of the entrance to the University of California Desert Research and Extension center in 1915

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Over a Century of Agriculture Research and Extension

August 10th, 2020

The University of California Desert Research and Extension Center (UC DREC) was established in 1912 and is the oldest research and extension center in the UC system.

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DREC staff, Juan Buenrostro (left) and Efrain Sambrano (right) measuring alfalfa yields.

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Farm Smart June 2020 Newsletter

June 30th, 2020

Our June 2020 newsletter is now available! Click here to view the newsletter...

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Staff Research Associate, Juan Buenrostro taking field data on lettuce trial lead by Dr. Richard Michelmore from UC Davis.

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Farm Smart April 2020 Newsletter

April 24th, 2020

Our April 2020 Newsletter is out! Click here to view the newsletter...

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DREC/Farm Smart remain OPEN as resource for community

March 19th, 2020

For most of us, our work, social, and academic lives look much different this month in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Desert Research and Extension Center DREC is committed to continuing to work and available to assist our partners and stakeholders in our desert region.

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USDA Intern, Marian Gonzalez, reflects on Agricultural Outlook Forum Future Leaders in Agriculture Program

March 12th, 2020

On Monday, February 17th, I flew from the San Diego airport to Washington D.C. to attend a rare opportunity. I was one of 20 undergraduate students selected to attend the 96th Annual USDA's Agricultural Outlook Forum Future Leaders in Agriculture Program.

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Local Imperial Valley Teachers at IV Ag Tours for Teachers event

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Local Teachers and Counselors participate in inaugural IV AG Tours for Teachers

February 10th, 2020

Our inaugural IV Ag Tours for Teachers was a wonderful success. We can't say thank you enough to the Imperial Valley Community Foundation for the major support of this event and our wonderful ag community for opening their doors to the teachers- donations from Vessey & Company, Inc.

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Carrot Field Day

February 4th, 2020

By Jairo N Diaz-Ramirez

At 10:00 AM on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at the University of California Desert Research and Extension Center - (1004 Holton Rd, Holtville, CA), we will display for your observation and evaluation our hybrid carrot trial.

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A Reflection of HACU’s 33rd Annual Conference

November 27th, 2019

On October 4th, 2019, I flew from the San Diego airport to attend the 33rd Annual Conference of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, or HACU, as part of the Student Track's Adelante Institute in Chicago Illinois.

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Highlights of ANR Hispanic/Latinx member contributions

October 3rd, 2019

By Jairo N Diaz-Ramirez

There are several Hispanics/Latinx working at the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources UC ANR that provide services to communities statewide.

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Welcome

Welcome to the Desert Research and Extension Center, located in Holtville, California. We are committed to agricultural research and education in the Imperial Valley desert and specialize in vegetable crops, alfalfa, desert cattle feeding, irrigation and drainage management, and pest management. We develop programs to address current challenges in these areas. We invite you to use this site to propose research or to learn more about the Center.

Desert REC Strategic Plan

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