Test PB Collection: FTE

Here's a look at the Hispanic population in the United States. Facts: The Census Bureau describes Hispanic or Latino ethnicity as "a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.

Date growers in the California deserts have many insects to worry about such as carob moth, hibiscus mealybug, and giant palm borer. Now the industry is under threat from another potential pest, the highly damaging and invasive South American palm weevil (SAPW) (Rhynchophorus palmarum).

First harvest is always an exciting time when gardening, but this first harvest proved to be extra special for a group of women and their children at Fresno Rescue Mission's Rescue the Children residential treatment program.

Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County Client's Request: We have been having an issue with our Ficus benjamina for several months. It has been getting increasingly worse. It has mealy bugs. They are on the leaves and branches.

Integrated pest management (IPM) scientists affiliated with the University of California, Davis and the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources received high accolades at the 9th International IPM Symposium, held March 19-22 in Baltimore.

Mark Lagrimini, our new Vice Provost - Research and Extension, effective June 1, was in town last week. We met for an hour to talk about the position, expectations, and work styles. He also met with Joan Warren to jump start the onboarding process as much as possible.

Although it's not quite time to plant yet, it is definitely time to get your garden plan together. Luckily, your local Master Gardeners have several upcoming events where you can not only learn all about gardening, but can buy all your seedlings as well.

Doing some more weekend reading in "Machine Platform Crowd" the popular and well quoted tract on what we are looking at this second phase of the machine age.

The UCANR IGIS team will hold its next DroneCamp training June 18-21, 2018, at UC San Diego.

Douglas DeWitt McCreary, UC Cooperative Extension natural resources specialist, died on Feb. 15 in Grass Valley. He was 72.