Legislators admire California-grown products at Ag Day at the Capitol

Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins holding hen, right, chats with 4-H member Bella and Glenda Humiston.

Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins, right, chats with 4-H'er Bella chats with 4-H member Bella and Humiston.

Ag Day at the Capitol was held in Sacramento on March 20. This year's theme was “Climate-smart, California Grown,” honoring the environmental stewardship and innovation of the state's farmers.

Dozens of legislators attended Ag Day at the Capitol, stopping at UC ANR's booth to examine the various varieties of citrus from Lindcove Research and Extension Center and marveling at the different shapes and sizes of avocados grown at South Coast Research and Extension Center.

Assemblymember Anna Caballero takes a photo of the fragrant and unusual Buddha's Hand citron.

4-H members talked to visitors about their rabbits, poultry, goats and other projects.

Senate Pro Tempore Toni Atkins of San Diego, who became the first woman to lead the California Senate on March 21, held Sheldon 4-H club member Bella Albiani's hen as she talked with her and VP Glenda Humiston.

Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, UC Cooperative Extension advisor for Delta crops in San Joaquin, Sacramento, Yolo, Solano and Contra Costa counties, answered visitors' questions about research and agronomy.

Sean Hogan, academic coordinator for Informatics and Geographic Information Systems (IGIS) Program, showed visitors some of the information drones can gather and how researchers and farmers can use the data.

On March 19, the day before the event, Anne Megaro, director of government and community relations; Tyler Ash, marketing and social media coordinator; Pam Kan-Rice, assistant director of news and information outreach; and Meredith Turner of UC State Government Relations, visited the offices of legislators to invite them to visit the UC ANR booth at Ag Day.

Assemblymember Shirley Weber, left, listens as Glenda Humiston and Anne Megaro explain ANR's research on citrus and avocado varieties.

“Ag Day is one of the most highly attended events at the state capitol, and I am so pleased that UC ANR was there to show legislators and the public all the great research and public service that we have to offer California, ” said Megaro. “There is nothing like a hands-on experience and being able to see, touch and smell actual fruit grown by the University. The best part? When they realize the food they already enjoy at home came from our agricultural research. It's a great example of UC at work.”

Assemblymember Matthew Harper checks out the citrus varieties.

To educate legislators and staffers about some of the benefits Californians receive from research made possible with state funding, they handed out bags of Tango mandarins – the seedless, easy-to-peel citrus variety developed by UC Riverside genetics professor Mikeal Roose and sold as Cuties and Halos – along with the 2017 UC ANR annual report.

The annual event is hosted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture in partnership with California Women for Agriculture and the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom.

More photos and a video below. To see Twitter coverage of this year's Ag Day at the Capitol, look for the hashtag #AgDay2018.

Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, center, holds the hen of Bella Albiani of the Sheldon 4-H club while talking with her and Glenda Humiston.

Assemblyman Mike Gipson of Southern California visited the ANR booth.

Assemblyman Mike Gipson of Southern California visited the booth to learn about ANR research.

Senator Richard Pan stopped by to express his support for agriculture and told Anne Megaro he once taught a class for UC Davis College of Environmental and Agricultural Sciences.