Posts Tagged: Bill Krueger

Farmers gather for Olive Day in Corning

Learning about olive tree pests and diseases brought more than 80 olive growers together on Wednesday (April 18) to participate in the UC Cooperative Extension's Sacramento Valley Olive Day in Corning, reported the Orland Press Register.

Bill Krueger, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Glenn County, organized the meeting. He said the annual event provides growers the information they need to be productive and stay competitive.

"Things are always changing in the business and this gives us an opportunity to gather under one roof and share the information currently available," he said.

Manzanillo olives photographed in Glenn County by student assistant Luke Kinney Milliron.

Capital Press reports on 'wave of retirements' in UCCE

A wave of retirements among the ranks of UC Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists in recent years and in the near future is carrying away decades of institutional and technical knowledge, reported Tim Hearden in Capital Press.

"Obviously we are losing a huge amount of knowledge and experience in a very short time," Barbara Allen-Diaz, the UC's vice president for agriculture and natural resources, told the Capital Press in an email. "We are trying as rapidly as possible to ensure continuity of programs and capacity to respond to existing, new and emerging needs in the state."

The article opened with comments from UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor William Krueger, who is planning to retire in June after serving Glenn County growers for 32 years. The looming absence of such long-time advisors concerns Rich Mathews, who grows olives for oil in Oroville, Calif.

"I think there's a vast resource of experience and expertise that is really going to be sorely missed," Mathews said. "Just to bring someone new in, you don't have the history of discussions with growers and you don't have the knowledge base."

Mathews also expressed concern about the consolidation of UCCE positions. The article noted that, of the seven advisor and specialist positions listed on the UC ANR jobs website, five will serve multiple counties.

UCCE farm advisor Bill Krueger welcomes growers to a field day at the Nickels Soil Lab in Colusa County.

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