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Richard H. Molinar M.S.

Farm Advisor, Emeritus
Small Farm Program
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616-8575
rhmolinar@ucanr.edu Create VCard

Also in:
Fresno County

Biography

Richard has been a UCCE Farm Advisor since 1986.  He spent the first 9 years in Alameda County as a Urban Horticulture Advisor working with small farms, teaching weed identification and control to licensed applicators and PCA's, and coordinating a successful Master Gardener (MG) Program that trained over 350 volunteers.  He helped coordinate the first statewide MG conference held in UC Davis July 15-17, 1994. He also produced 60 29-minute television shows aired over public access television while in Alameda County.

Richard moved to UCCE Fresno County in 1995 to run the small farm specialty crop program which was initiated in 1976 by Pedro Ilic.  He works with over 1,300 Laotian refugees (860 Hmong, 350 Lowland Lao, 50 mien) to help them better understand agriculture technology in the United States.  He has employed a Hmong assistant, Michael Yang, to help him with communication and cultural issues in working with this clientele. He also works with Hispanic, African American, and Caucasian farmers in areas of marketing, regulatory compliance, farm food safety, irrigation, fertilization, pest management and weed control, organic production, and new crops.  He worked closely with Manuel Jimenez in the blueberry variety development for the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) 1998-2006.  Richard has coordinated a 59-minute Hmong radio broadcast for the SJV for the past thirteen years, collaborating with USDA-RMA and FSA.

Prior to UCCE, Richard was employed for nine years in private industry as a licensed 'pest control adviser' for a private weed control firm in Kern and Orange Counties;  was a community college agriculture instructor for six years; and a US Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras for two years, and a alfalfa research assistant.  This has been his "Dream Job" for the last 27 years.

  1. UCCE                                  1986- present
  2. Abate-A-Weed Inc.               1980-1986
  3. Bakersfield Community College 1974-1980
  4. Leffingwell Chemical Co.         1972-1974
  5. U.S. Peace Corps                  1971-1972
  6. Cal Poly Crops Unit/Student store   1968-1971
  7. Waterman-Loomis Alfalfa        1966-1968

AWARDS

 

Education

M.S. Behavioral Science with a minor in IPM, California State University Bakersfield. 1990
B.S. Crop Science and vegetables, Cal Poly State University. 1971

Awards

  • Tom Haller Award
    Presented by California Small Farm Conference,  http://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/newsletters/ANR_Report47241.pdf,  2013
  • Lifetime Achievement Award for work with Hmong Farmers
    Presented by National Hmong American Farmers org,  2012
  • Presentation of a 'Hmong Name' - Vam Meej (hope/prosper of truth)
    Presented by Hmong Farmers of Fresno,  2011
  • IPM Innovator Award
    Presented by California Department Pesticide Regulation,  2006
  • Retroactive salary/step increase
    Presented by DANR Senior Administrative Council,  2006
  • State winner in Excellence for 'Small Farm Program Fresno'
    Presented by National Association of County Agricultural Agents,  2006
  • Leadership Award
    Presented by Hmong American Community,  2005
  • Regional Communication Award for 'Hmong Radio Broadcasts'
    Presented by National Association of County Agricultural Agents,  2004
  • Retroactive salary/step increase
    Presented by DANR Senior Administrative Council,  2001
  • Distinguished Service Award - 'Outstanding Outreach'
    Presented by UC Cooperative Extension,  2000
  • Outstanding Educator
    Presented by California Small Farm Conference,  2000
  • Service Award for Assisting Hmong Farmers
    Presented by Hmong American Community,  1997
  • Meritorious Service Award
    Presented by Pesticide Applicators Professional Association,  1995
  • Distinguished Service Award- 'Outstanding Teaching'
    Presented by UC Cooperative Extension,  1991
  • State winner - Urban category
    Presented by National Association of County Agricultural Agents,  1991
  • Outstanding Masters Thesis
    Presented by California State University Bakersfield,  1990
  • Educator of the Year
    Presented by Pesticide Applicators Professional Association,  1988
  • UC 'Miller Plant Science Fellowship'
    Presented by UC Cooperative Extension,  1988

Specialty

Small farms, vegetable crops, organic farming, insect/weed management, specialty crops, sugar peas, strawberries, eggplant, squash, Asian vegetables such as basil, lemongrass, green beans, long beans, gailon, bittermelons, refugee farmers, Hmong, Lao, fluent in Spanish

Areas of Expertise (click to see all ANR academics with this expertise)

Bibliography

Peer Reviewed

  • Molinar, Richard H. 2012.  Evaluation of central Asian melon varieties in the San Joaquin Valley.  J of the American Pomological Society 66(3):122-124.

  • Molinar, Richard H.  2012.  Indigenous Asian specialty vegetables in the Central Valley of California.  HortScience 47(7):835-838.

Non-Peer Reviewed

  • Donaldson, D.R., C. Elmore, B. Fisher, K. Hembree, J. Jordan, A. Lange, R. Molinar, T. Prather, R Vargas.  2002.  Tree, Vine, and Soft-Fruit Crops.  Principles of Weed Control,  Third edition.  California Weed Conference Society.  Thomson Publications.  Fresno, CA  pp  404-441.

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