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To limit bird flu spread, keep wild birds away from poultry, livestock

Waterfowl Alert Network data help assess risk of avian influenza H5N1 Every winter, millions of migratory birds fly south to warmer locales, passing over California Central Valley dairies and poultry farms. Many of these wild waterfowl are carrying the virus that causes avian influenza, based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's wild-bird surveillance, says Maurice Pitesky, University of California Cooperative Extension poultry specialist in the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis. Bird flu has killed millions of birds and disrupted milk and poultry production. In California, highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial and backyard flocks of poultry and dairy cows and, more recently, poultry and dairy workers have become infected. “This is the largest animal disease outbreak we've ever had whether you look at geography – we've had six or seven continents affected – or whether you're looking at species,” Pitesky noted....

Preparing soil for winter can protect soil health

Farmers placed clumps of soil into metal mesh baskets, submerged the baskets into jars of water, then watched to see if their soil held together. The slake test, conducted at the Soil Health Field Day in Woodland, measured soil health. Healthier soil, which contains more organic matter and bioactivity and can better support plant growth, stays intact. “Participants said that it was particularly useful to see the slake test on a variety of soils to better understand the nuance of how soil health management practices such as cover cropping and reduction of tillage intensity could affect soil aggregation,” said Sonja Brodt, UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program coordinator for agriculture and environment, who attended the field day alongside Vivian Wauters, SAREP project scientist. Technical assistance providers, farmers and other soil health professionals gathered at the Center for Land-Based Learning on Nov. 19 to learn about preparing soil for...

UC ANR adds expertise in beneficial burning, water, youth development, soil, pests

As California faces new challenges, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources has been hiring UC Cooperative Extension experts with different skills to help Californians, including residents in urban areas. Recently hired UC Cooperative Extension specialists, advisors and coordinators bring expertise in youth development, pest management, healthy families, soil health, urban water quality, urban agriculture, animal science, woody biomass and forest products, small farms, livestock and innovation for small food-related businesses to their communities. To better connect Californians with research developed at UC campuses, UC ANR has hired its first UCCE specialist based at UC Irvine. Since 1914, UC Cooperative Extension researchers have been working directly with community members to improve their lives and livelihoods. To see a list of UC Cooperative Extension experts who have joined in the past few months,...

Ask a rancher: Surveys draw on hard-won wisdom for surviving drought

Roche team lands $1 million to help ranchers stay strong    California ranchers benefit when they plan ahead for extreme weather variability, according to rancher surveys and interviews conducted by a team headed by Leslie Roche, a professor of Cooperative Extension in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. But while wise planning and climate-smart adaptations helped ranchers survive the state's record-breaking 2012-2016 drought, those strategies by themselves were not enough, ranchers reported. Nearly 50 ranchers shared their experiences, and their collective wisdom is summarized in a paper written by Grace Woodmansee. She completed her master's degree with Roche and is now a UC Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources advisor for UC Agriculture and Natural Resources in Siskiyou County. The scientists also looked for how to apply that wisdom: To weather the increasingly severe and lengthy droughts that producers in the American West can...

Startups get help to speed new tech to California farmers

Program that helps startups and companies scale technologies for California agriculture accepting applications UCANR Innovate, the innovation arm of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, has opened applications for its VINE Connect program. Developed in partnership with Farmhand Ventures, the program empowers startups and established companies to scale their technologies in California, addressing key challenges for the state's farmers. Deadline to apply is Jan. 8, 2025. California farmers are at the heart of global food production, but staying ahead requires constant innovation. To meet this challenge, VINE Connect bridges the gap between innovation and application by helping entrepreneurs tailor proven technologies for farmers to ease weed control, harvest and other farming tasks.    Each year, the VINE Connect program runs three cohorts, each centered on different focus areas within California agriculture. More than 20 solutions are...

For information, contact

Norma De La Vega
Title: Broadcast Communications Specialist III
Unit: Strategic Communications
Address:
University of California, Riverside
ANR News & Information Outreach in Spanish
4501 Glenwood Drive
Riverside, CA 92501-3000
Phone: (951) 827-9541
Fax: (951) 781-2171
Email: ndelaveg@ucanr.edu

Pamela S Kan-Rice
Title: Assistant Director, News and Information Outreach
Specialty: Working with the news media in public information.
Unit: Strategic Communications
Address:
2801 Second Street
180
Davis, CA 95618-7779
Phone: (530) 750-1221
Fax: (530) 756-1079
Email: pam.kanrice@ucanr.edu

Basilisa M Rawleigh
Title: Administrative Assistant III
Unit: Strategic Communications
Notes: AsisTel de la UC: http://asistel.ucanr.org
Address:
University of California, Riverside
ANR News & Information Outreach in Spanish
4501 Glenwood Drive
Riverside, CA 92501-3000
Phone: (951) 827-9540
Fax: (951) 781-2171
Email: lrawleigh@ucanr.edu

Liz Sizensky
Title: Social Media Strategist
Specialty: strategic communications, social media, editing, writing, Connected newsletter
Unit: Strategic Communications
Address:
2801 Second Street
Davis, CA 95618-7779
Phone: (415) 635-7380
Email: lizsizensky@gmail.com

Ricardo A Vela
Title: Program Manager
Specialty: Video production, Video editing, Photography, Latino Community,Spanish Media, How to reach to Latinos,Bilingual (English - Spanish) Bicultural.
Unit: Strategic Communications
Address:
University of California, Riverside
ANR News and Information Outreach in Spanish
4501 Glenwood Drive
Riverside, CA 92501-3000
Phone: 951-827-9545
Fax: 951-781-2171
Email: rvela@ucanr.edu

Jeannette E. Warnert
Title: Communications Specialist
Specialty: Writing
Unit: Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center
Address:
Agriculture and Natural Resources
UC Kearney Research and Extension Center
9240 S. Riverbend Ave.
Parlier, CA 93648
Phone: (559) 240-9850
Fax: (559) 646-6593
Email: jewarnert@ucanr.edu