News & Information Outreach

UC EFNEP educator Santos Lopez has helped people improve their eating and physical activity habits by delivering bilingual nutrition lessons to families in Contra Costa County. He is retiring after serving the community for 17 years.

Table Olive Yields Benefit from a New Approach to the Age-old Practice of PruningElizabeth Fichtner, UCCE Farm Advisor, Tulare and Kings Counties, and Carol J. Lovatt, Professor of Plant Physiology, Emeritus, Dept. of Botany and Plant Sciences, UC RiversidePruning is essential for sustaining orchard…

UC Davis updates nitrogen removal coefficients for table oliveElizabeth Fichtner, Farm Advisor, UCCE Tulare County and Daniel Geisseler, CE Specialist, UC Davis                 UC Davis researchers have partnered with local UCCE…

Blog by Peter WilsonJuly of 2013, at a family reunion on Kawaii Island of Hawaii, I fell in love with the Momma Hen and her 13-baby chicks. It didn’t take long for me to decide to get chicks after returning home to Vallejo. It was early August; I ordered a few chicks to the Wilson Villa and Garden. That…

 If you're concerned about the loss of academic research in our universities--why it matters and what you can do--you'll want to register for this UC Davis-based webinar. Nobel Laureate Randy Schekman, a Distinguished Professor in the UC Berkeley Department of Molecular and Cell Biology--and…

Variety and neighboring crops are predictors of leaffooted bug risk in almondElizabeth Fichtner, UCCE Farm Advisor, Tulare County and David Haviland, UCCE Entomology Advisor, Kern CountyLeaffooted bug is a sporadic pest in almond, but damage can be significant in years when pest pressure is high. The pest…

 If you've ever wanted to learn how to save seeds, this class is for you! Discover the secrets of saving tomato seeds, including the difference between hybrids and heirlooms and which are best to save. We'll walk you through the seed-saving process step by step. During the hands-on portion, you'll…

 The invasive goldspotted oak borer first struck San Diego County woodlands over a decade ago, and the damage over successive years left “boneyards” behind. That’s how Jan Gonzales describes the dead trees removed after suffering an infestation of the tiny beetles — just piles of chopped wood…

Moonscape, moon flower, moon gate, moon garden. All of these I have seen, but moon meadow?  New to me! A moon meadow is a green space filled with plants that receive moonlight exposure and attract night-time pollinators like moths, bats and nocturnal bees. (Did you know there are bees that work at night…

 Where are all the monarchs?Last year at this time,  we recorded monarchs arriving here in Vacaville, Solano County, to lay their eggs on our milkweed. So far this year: zero, zip, zilch.  Let's throw in a little nada, too, for good measure. Zero, zip, zilch, nada.Earlier this year, the…

Vice President Glenda Humiston informs the UC ANR community that longtime colleague Ken Tate, a professor and Cooperative Extension specialist in rangeland science in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, has passed away unexpectedly.

Measles and Vitamin ANews headlines have followed the alarming rise in cases of the highly contagious Measles virus across the US. Measles was nearly eradicated in the US in the early 1990s thanks to the childhood Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine, but surges in 2014, 2019 and now 2025 indicate a…

As food prices continue to rise, many of us are turning to our backyards or patios to grow fresh vegetables. But did you know that planting vegetables alone might not be enough? To get the most from your garden, you need pollinators – those busy bees, butterflies, and other creatures that help your plants…

In the past few years there has been a steady increase in the incidence of bakanae in the field. Fortunately, the levels of infection we have seen have not resulted in yield reductions. However, talking to those that worked on developing the bleach treatment after bakanae was identified in California, there…

In 2007, the United States Senate unanimously approved a resolution designating a week in June as "National Pollinator Week" (this year it is June 23-29, 2025). In response to the alarm raised by an annual increase in commercial honey bee deaths in the US, the government and researchers began addressing the…

How can you determine that a movie is set in Southern California? Just look at all the signature Southern California trees – the (mostly) NON-CALIFORNIA NATIVE Palms! This week on In the Garden with UC Master Gardeners, UC Master Gardener Kris Bonner talks to Don Hodel, environmental horticulturist …

Blog by Melinda NestlerodeWe are living in challenging times. Our nation is polarized politically, civil discourse appears to be a quaint memory, the Middle East is embroiled in multiple catastrophic battles, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is ongoing, anonymous people on the Internet spew unverified vitriol,…

 In a state where agriculture is a $59 billion industry, a quiet revolution is changing how Californians experience farming—not just as consumers, but as guests, learners, and partners. Agritourism, once a niche side venture for farmers, is now a significant and growing segment of the rural economy…