Posts Tagged: September 2023

Please acknowledge NIFA funding of projects

Our partners at USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture ask that recipients of USDA NIFA grants acknowledge support from the funds when writing and talking about funded projects.

“Proper acknowledgement of your public funding in published articles, manuscripts, dissertations, posters, presentations, inventions, patents and press releases is critical for the success of the agency's programs,” said Brent Elrod, NIFA's science programs officer and agency scientific and research integrity officer, during a NIFA town hall for land-grant university communicators on Sept. 29.  

Please use the following language to acknowledge NIFA support in journal articles and presentations, as appropriate:  

“This research was supported [in part] by the intramural research program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, [insert program type, e.g., Hatch/Evans-Allen/McIntire-Stennis, etc., and accession number, if applicable].” 

In news releases and media interviews, NIFA asks that scientists note: “This work is/was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.”

If you are using logos on posters and other places, make sure you have the current NIFA logo. The official NIFA identifier was updated in November 2020 and is now comprised of the USDA logo with NIFA signature lockup. See https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-19-001-official-nifa-identifier for details. 

More information about NIFA acknowledgements is at https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/regulations-and-guidelines/acknowledgment-usda-support-nifa.

PAC welcomes six new members

UC President Michael Drake recently approved six new members for the UC President's Advisory Commission on Agriculture and Natural Resources. 

“These new members will help represent some missing geography and interest groups' perspectives,” said Vice President Glenda Humiston.

The new commissioners are: 

Manpreet Bains, Manseena Orchards partner, and her sister took over their parents' prune farm and started Manseena Orchards, growing prunes and walnuts. Bains serves on the Agricultural Council of California's board of directors and as an alumni liaison to the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation Education Team. She earned a bachelor's degree in international studies with an emphasis in political science from Pepperdine University and a master's degree in international relations from the University of Chicago. 

Jaron Brandon, Tuolumne County supervisor for District 5, is a Tuolumne County native who grew up in his family's music store where he experienced the challenges that face small businesses. While earning his bachelor's degree in government and political science at UC Merced, he was elected president of the Associated Students – overseeing a $1.3 million budget. He later served internships in the California State Assembly, State Senate and U.S. Congress. Brandon worked for a Bay Area tech startup doing news editorial work and became the service's editor-in-chief for the U.S. before returning to Tuolumne County to join the family business. He was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2020. 

Matt Dias, president and chief executive officer of the California Forestry Association, graduated from Humboldt State University in 1999, then worked with the former Pacific Lumber Company through 2005. He then moved to Davenport, where he worked for Big Creek Lumber Company for over seven years. In 2012, Dias was appointed licensing officer for the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. In 2015, he was appointed executive officer for the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, a position he held until his appointment as president and CEO of Calforests in 2021. He is Registered Professional Forester #2773.  

Luna Latimer, director of the Mid Klamath Watershed Council, has worked at Mid Klamath Watershed since 2003 and did graduate research with the Orleans/Somes Bar Fire Safe Council. She received a master's degree in applied anthropology from Oregon State University, focusing on forest restoration projects on private land in the middle Klamath region. She is a fifth-generation forest worker and currently works with private landowners, agencies, contractors and nonprofit organizations to restore both upslope and in-stream ecosystems. Latimer is passionate about non-timber forest products and serves as a board adviser for the Northwest Forest Worker Center.

Juliet Maestas, executive director of the California Tribal College, is dedicated to ensuring access and academic success for all students and meeting tribal needs by incorporating culture and language as it builds professional skills in Native students. Maestas is a member of the Hoopa Valley Tribe. Her previous experience includes serving as the Higher Education manager for the Hoopa Valley Tribe and as the Klamath-Trinity Site Manager for College of the Redwoods. She holds a master's degree in higher education leadership from California State University, Sacramento and is a first-year doctoral student in educational leadership at Sacramento State. 

Jacqueline “Jackie” Tinetti, policy analyst for the Council of State Governments West, leads the natural resources portfolio, covering the dynamic issue areas of water, agriculture, environment, energy and climate. She brings enthusiasm to supporting important policy work of the CSG West Agriculture & Water Committee, Energy & Environment Committee, Legislative Council on River Governance and the Colorado River Forum. Tinetti is the staff liaison for members in the Alaska and Idaho legislatures. Prior to joining CSG West, she held a variety of staff and management positions in California state and Sacramento-area governments. She graduated from California State University, Sacramento.

Celebration Corner

Editor's note: This new monthly feature provides an opportunity to recognize UC ANR colleagues and teams. Send your shout-outs to contentpipeline@ucanr.edu. 

Long honored by Yolo County supervisors

Yolo County Supervisor Angel Barajas presented Rachael Long, emeritus UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor, with a resolution recognizing the valuable research she has contributed to Yolo County farmers over her 37-year UC ANR career. Supervisors Jim Provenza, Lucas Frerichs and Oscar Villegas joined Barajas in thanking Long for her service. Susan Ellsworth, UCCE Capitol Corridor director, and UCCE advisors Morgan Doran and Margaret Lloyd attended the ceremony on Sept. 26.

Read about Long's career at https://bit.ly/3rkowlR.

Humiston receives Excellence in Leadership Award

Vice President Glenda Humiston was honored with the 2023 Experiment Station Section Excellence in Leadership Award for the Western Region. The award is presented to leaders who personify the highest level of excellence by enhancing the cause and performance of the regional associations and ESS in achieving their missions and the Land-Grant ideal. 

The award, which was announced in April, was presented to Humiston on Sept. 26 at the Ag Innovation Annual Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

FIRA attracts more than 2,000 participants

UC ANR Chief Innovation Officer Gabe Youtsey and the team at The VINE did a phenomenal job partnering with Western Growers and Global Organization for Agricultural Robotics (GOFAR) to organize the second annual FIRA USA. More than 2,000 people attended the three-day event in Salinas. 

ANR celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Kudos to the Latinos and Friends Affinity Group for organizing three fantastic virtual events for Hispanic Heritage Month. Ricardo Vela, Miguel Sanchez, Arianna Nava, Doralicia Garay, Angela Johnson, Adela Contreras and Lisa Rawleigh put together these wonderful learning opportunities that are recorded and available at http://ucanr.edu/hhm2023.

Nobua-Behrmann to discuss shothole borers on KLCS 

Bea Nobua-Behrmann, UC Cooperative Extension urban forestry and natural resources advisor for Los Angeles County, will be on an episode of Things Green with Nick Federoff. Nobua-Behrmann will talk about shothole borers and not moving firewood to prevent the spread of the pests. Her segment on the half-hour sustainable lifestyle show with a heavy emphasis on home, garden, ag, ranching and farming is scheduled to air on Oct. 21. You can watch it at 9 a.m. on Saturday on KLCS-TV 58 or see the simulcasts on Facebook and YouTube.  

 

Engage with program teams and workgroups in the Sustainable Food Systems Strategic Initiative

How are ANR Strategic Initiatives connected with program teams and workgroups? Learn about the Sustainable Food Systems Strategic Initiative and the important role of allied program teams and workgroups. How do these different parts of our organization function? How do they connect? What's the best way to get involved? And how can participation result in new collaborations, peer mentoring, research projects, and publications?

Learn from a panel of UC Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists about how they participate in program teams and workgroups. This one-hour event organized by the Sustainable Food Systems Strategic Initiative panel is open to everyone. It will be especially helpful for newer ANR academics as they explore UC ANR and the many ways of connecting with colleagues.   

Join us on Monday, Nov. 13, from noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom: 

https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/92346020490?pwd=Um9aRlYrdlozOHAxdXpTaXhuRzF2dz09 

Meeting ID: 923 4602 0490

Passcode: 335930

For more information, contact Rachel Surls at ramabie@ucanr.edu.

Hansen REC move to Camarillo almost complete

The Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center staff have almost completed relocating from Santa Paula to their new property in Camarillo, said Annemiek Schilder, director of UCCE Ventura County and HAREC. Except for one small container that will be moved next week, everything has been transferred to the new site.

“Shout out to the local team that has orchestrated the Hansen REC move from Santa Paula to Camarillo,” Schilder said, “with help from UC Facilities Planning and Management, Resource Planning & Management, and REC Operations.”

Adam Novicki, farm superintendent;Jose Hernandez, senior ag technician; Santos Ramirez, senior ag technician; Stephanie Gomez Gallimore, facility coordinator; Brandy McCarthy, financial services coordinator; and Kathy Speer, business officer, have been key to the success of the move.

“They have been doing a tremendous job arranging for the move of two modular office buildings and their contents, 11 shipping containers, a walk-in cooler, farm equipment, trucks, trailers, wagons, etc. under time pressure and with many challenges along the way, while at the same time cleaning up the old site and starting up research trials at the new site,” Schilder said. 

The new address is 5352 Beardsley Road, Camarillo, CA 93010.

It will take a few months for the modular office buildings to be restored and ready for occupancy in Camarillo.

“I would estimate November or December,” Schilder said. “The buildings have to be put back together, utilities have to be hooked up, a septic holding tank has to be installed, and the parking area and walkways have to be paved. However, the first research trial is already in the ground at the new location.”

HAREC administrative staff are currently working from the UC Cooperative Extension office in Ventura County at 669 County Square Dr #100, Ventura, CA 93003. The farm superintendent and field staff are in Camarillo using their cell phones because the HAREC phones are not functional at the time of this story.

Read more about the Hansen REC move in Schilder's post at https://ceventura.ucanr.edu/Gardening/Coastal/Home/HAREC_in_Camarillo. Also see the UCCE Ventura County Annual Report 2022-23.

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