News & Information Outreach

Blog by Cindy Yee, UC Master Gardener-Solano County What to write aboutfor this blogIts raining hard andmy brain's a fog.We need the rainSo this is good!I needn't feel guiltyBut maybe I should.The weeds are growingtall and strongWhile I watch NetflixAll day long.That hole in the groundWhere the peach…

Blog by Karen Metz, UC Master Gardener-Solano CountyWe got a chance to visit the Kula Botanical Gardens in the upcountry of Maui in January 2025.  I had been charmed by the lush gardens on previous visits.  I had especially remembered the displays of Protea, Leucospermum, and Orchids.The massive…

 Growers and others interested in growing table olives or olives for making olive oil are invited to a California Statewide Olive Seminar on Friday, April 4. The online seminar, a series of presentations from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., is sponsored by the University of California Cooperative Extension and UC…

This week, UC System Provost Katherine Newman shared a decision from the UC Board of Regents to change the University's practices with respect to staff and academic recruitments. After thoughtful consideration, the Board has directed UC President Michael Drake to take action to ensure that diversity…

We are on the verge of launching the Integrated Web Platform (IWP) – years in the making and a major milestone for UC ANR in modernizing our technology. Barring unforeseen circumstances, we anticipate the new ucanr.edu will be “live” on Monday, March 24.

Basic information about IPM: Integrated Pest Management

Please be advised that our UC ANR website, ucanr.edu, will be switching over to the new IWP (Integrated Web Platform) from March 22 through March 24, as previously communicated. Intermittent downtime is expected during this period, affecting ucanr.edu sites and Portal access.

  Many of us have planted winter cover crops in our gardens to enrich the soil. Fava beans, winter peas, vetch, and other legumes can do a great job of adding nitrogen to our soils. With a symbiotic relationship with special microorganisms, legumes can take nitrogen in our air and put it into…

At this time of year many gardeners reflect upon what worked in the garden over the past year, plan changes to implement in the coming months, and consider new plants to introduce. This Spring, why not begin planning a more wildlife-friendly garden?  You can encourage birds, butterflies, lizards, frogs and a…

The Mortgage Origination Program (MOP) was developed by the University of California to support the recruitment and retention of select faculty and senior managers by assisting them in purchasing a principal residence near their work location. A recent UC change in allocation patterns for MOP funds now…

By UC Master Gardeners of Butte County The Master Gardeners Spring Workshop Series is in full swing! The series began in February, but worry not -- there are plenty of topics still to be covered from now into June: fifteen workshops to be exact, seven of them on all-new subjects and eight on tried-and…

This week, President Drake traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for UC priorities with federal policymakers – including Democrats and Republicans across the California congressional delegation – and other key partners. President Drake's meetings focused on the importance of federally funded research,…

Associate Vice President Tu Tran is retiring this year, effective July 1, 2025.

Food Waste is a significant Public Health and social problem. According to data from ReFED insights engine, 14.6 million tons of food was wasted in California alone. Over half (56.7%) of that food is produce- which is both expensive and nutritious. Coming at a time when food prices continue to rise and many…

References to the plant genus Dianthus go back as far as the Greek botanist Theophrastus.  He named these plants from the Caryophyllaceae family “divine flower” (dios = divine plus anthos = flower).