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Fujimoto to receive Bradford–Rominger Agricultural Sustainability Leadership Award
The prestigious award, given each year by the Agricultural Sustainability Institute (ASI) at UC Davis, will be presented at a ceremony at UC Davis on April 23. UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, with its Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, is a partner with ASI.
The keynote speaker at the awards presentation will be Navina Khanna, a UC Davis alumna and leader for food justice in California.
The Bradford–Rominger award honors individuals who exhibit the leadership, work ethic and integrity epitomized by the late G. Eric Bradford, a livestock genetics professor who gave 50 years of service to UC Davis, and the late Charlie Rominger, a fifth-generation Yolo County farmer and land preservationist.
Former students describe Fujimoto as a prophet and “energizer bunny of social change.”
“Isao began advocating for more socially just and environmentally sustainable forms of agriculture over 40 years ago,” said Mark Van Horn, director of the Student Farm at UC Davis. “At the time, it made him quite unpopular in some quarters, but he remained true to what he knew was right.”
In his early days at UC Davis, Fujimoto used the campus's signature red, double-decker buses to transport children of farm workers to school when public bus service was canceled. The incident sparked conversation about the need for the university to focus on California's rural communities, and led to creation of the Community and Regional Development Graduate Program at UC Davis in the mid-1970s.
Fujimoto was also instrumental in starting the Asian American Studies program on campus, and was mentor to many students who have become sustainable agriculture leaders in their own right. Throughout the 1970s, Fujimoto's home served as a local hub for community activism, with projects such as the Davis Food Co-op and the Davis Farmers Market starting out at his kitchen table.
“He has helped countless students understand the world around them and clarify their personal values and principles,” Van Horn said. “Most importantly, his actions have provided lessons and inspiration for those wanting to act upon their values and principles to bring about positive change in the world.”
Like Eric Bradford, Isao Fujimoto is a respected mentor and a consensus builder. Like Charlie Rominger, Fujimoto has consistently stood up for his beliefs, regardless of their unpopularity, and has done so with a kind heart and humble nature.
“The kind of commitment and sense of responsibility that Eric and Charlie had is a pretty remarkable trait,” Fujimoto said. “I find this award set up by the Bradford and Rominger families as a pretty significant marker of change in terms of broadening the scope of agriculture to include being conscious of the environment and using agriculture as a tool for building community.”
Past winners of the award include UC Agriculture and Natural Resource's advisor Rose Hayden Smith, specialist Ken Tate and advisor Mary Bianchi; and UC alumna Kelly Garbach.
Fujimoto will receive the award at the annual Bradford–Rominger Agricultural Sustainability Leadership Award Ceremony which begins at 5 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room at the Student Community Center at UC Davis. Khanna's keynote speech will address, “Claim Your Superpower: Meeting the Moment for a Winning Food Movement.” On April 24, Khanna will meet with UC Davis students to further discuss leadership in the food movement.
This event is free and open to the public. Students are encouraged to attend. Learn more about the award on the Agricultural Sustainability Institute's web site.
For more information, contact Aubrey White at 530-752-5299, abwhite@ucdavis.edu
Pedro Ilic Award honors early adopter of 'local' marketing, olive oil industry
A farm advisor who has been instrumental in developing profitable niches for farmers was named "Outstanding Agricultural Educator" with a 2012 Pedro Ilic Award, for his dedication to small-scale farming.
Paul Vossen, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Sonoma and Marin counties, accepted the award on March 5 at the California Small Farm Conference in Valencia.
"Paul has contributed tremendously to the success of the growing California olive oil industry," said Shermain Hardesty, who presented the award and is director of UC's small farm program. "Paul helps farmers connect with consumers who are willing to pay the price premiums necessary for their high-quality products. And he was one of the first to recognize 'local' as a marketing attribute."
Vossen is one of the founders of the UC Davis Olive Center. He was also instrumental in the first organic production manuals published by the university, which were for apples and olives. He conducts field research on specialty crops, including tree fruit, berries and vegetables, to share with farmers in his region and throughout California.
Vossen was nominated by Stephanie Larson and Linda Garcia, current and past directors of UC Cooperative Extension in Sonoma County.
"Paul Vossen has passion, energy and enthusiasm for his profession and his clientele," they wrote. "He easily moves from teaching farm workers to discussing olive oil production with an olive grower visiting from Spain."
Vossen knew and worked with the award's namesake, Pedro Ilic.
"One of the really neat things about Pedro was that he was so passionate about the small farmer, and I really think that's why this award lives on," he said. "He was such a hard worker and so dedicated to the small farmer."
Ilic's untimely death in 1994 prompted the UC Small Farm Program to annually honor those who carry on his legacy of personal commitment to small-scale and family farming. Ilic was a UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Fresno County and one of the original advisors of the Small Farm Program when it was established in 1979.
Pedro Ilic Award winner Paul Vossen (left) with Shermain Hardesty.
UC IPM program is a 2010 'IPM Innovator'
The UC Integrated Pest Management Program is among the organizations to be honored by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation as 2010 "IPM Innovators," according to a DPR news release.
The annual honor is presented to businesses and organizations for their efforts to control insects, weeds, rodents and other pests with a combination of natural and preventive strategies and pesticides less toxic than traditional treatments.
DPR Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam will present the IPM Innovator Awards at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow in the Sierra Hearing Room on the second floor of the California Environmental Protection Agency building in Sacramento.
The UC IPM award is shared with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The two organizations defined and clarified effective IPM practices for a wide range of commodities and provided stakeholders with this information and incentives to increase their adoption and implementation, the news release said.
Examples of the partnership’s efforts include development of year-round IPM programs for 19 different crops. These programs help to reduce pesticides in water runoff and volatile organic compound pesticide emissions that contribute to smog.
UC Riverside scientist receives national honor
UC Riverside plant cell biologist Jian-Kang Zhu has been elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Zhu's accomplishment was mentioned by UC Riverside Chancellor Timothy White in his "State of the Campus" address Wednesday, said a story on the Southwest Riverside County News Network website.
Zhu’s research focuses on the molecular genetic mechanisms underlying plant responses to adverse environments, such as salinity, drought and low temperature. His work has led to the identification of genes for modifying the responses of crops to environmental stresses, which will ultimately lead to major contributions to agriculture and the environment, the article said.Zhu is “an uncommon, terrific scholar,” White was quoted.
A UC Riverside news service press release said Zhu's election brings the number of current UCR faculty elected to NAS to five. Chair of the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences Jodie Holt said the award demonstrates the significance of Zhu's research to the scientific community.
“Many scientists come from around the world to work in his laboratory, which is further evidence of his expertise and reputation," Holt was quoted.
Jian-Kang Zhu speaks at a reception held in his honor at UC Riverside.
UCCE's Anna Martin recognized for anti-obesity efforts
The Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program has singled out San Joaquin County's UC Cooperative Extension nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor, Anna Martin, for helping create a healthier community.
Martin was one of 16 people and organizations to receive Cultivator Awards at a ceremony Jan. 29, according to a CCROPP news release. CCROPP honors one person or organization in each San Joaquin Valley county. Martin was the recipient in San Joaquin County. Regional awards were also presented.
Martin is chair of the CCROPP Council, Healthy San Joaquin. She manages the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program for San Joaquin County and is a member of the San Joaquin County Nutrition and Activity Coalition.
According to the news release, the Cultivator Awards highlight and celebrate a broad range of obesity-prevention efforts with a direct focus on changing environments and policies that promote healthy lifestyles.
The CCROPP news release was picked up by the Stockton Record.
