Posts Tagged: UCCE

Butte County first graders enjoy ‘ricetastic’ day at local farm

UC Cooperative Extension advisors, educators join growers in showcasing rice production

When Tracy Schohr volunteered in her son's pre-K class a couple years ago, she was stunned to find out that only two of the 20 children had ever been around a tractor. And this was in the rural Butte County community of Gridley, in the heart of California's rice-growing region.

Seeking to introduce more young children to agriculture, Schohr – the University of California Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources advisor for the area – and her friend Lisa Donati created an event to showcase rice farming.

After the debut of “Ricetastic Day” last year with about 140 students from Gridley in attendance, this year's event on Sept. 19 attracted more than 240 schoolchildren – this time from across south Butte County.

First graders from McKinley Primary School in Gridley, Manzanita Elementary School, Biggs Elementary School and Richvale Elementary School – along with their teachers and many family members – enjoyed hands-on experiences at Schohr's rice and cattle ranch.

“There's a dwindling population that produces the food that we eat across America, so how can we have more people know, appreciate and love agriculture if we don't give them that opportunity?” said Schohr. “That's what this day is really about – to teach them about rice, to teach them about their community, how healthy rice can be, and how the farming and ranching can also create habitat for wildlife. It's all-encompassing.”

Event stations share different aspects of rice

Schohr, who grew up on the family ranch in Gridley, remembers coming with her McKinley schoolmates for a visit. But those field trips had comprised only lunch and a quick “drive-through” tour of the historic farming operation.

For Ricetastic Day, however, Schohr organized – with generous help from local growers and community partners – a more comprehensive half-day of activities. After her brother, Ryan Schohr, welcomed the participants to the family farm, the students formed groups that were led by Gridley FFA youth on a rotation through a variety of stations.

At the milling station, Luis Espino, UCCE rice farming systems advisor, demonstrated how his mini mill machines remove the husks from rough rice to make brown rice, and then polish away the bran layer to make white rice. He had the children see and feel the difference as the rice moved through processing.

“I didn't even know brown rice existed!” exclaimed Elsie, a first grader at McKinley.

A native of Peru, Espino came to study agriculture through his lifelong fascination with biology and living things – and he said events like Ricetastic Day can inspire a similar passion in young people.

“It might spark their curiosity so that they might go into these areas of work in the future or have a career in agriculture, when they see that people do this for a living,” Espino said.

Ray Stogsdill, another McKinley school alumnus, returned to Gridley after college to pursue just such a career. A staff research associate in the lab of UC Davis professor Bruce Linquist, Stogsdill manages on-farm rice variety testing across the region. He volunteered to help Schohr with Ricetastic Day by talking about some of the heavy equipment and providing his perspective for the kids.

“They drive by the fields and they don't know what's out there,” he said. “This gives them a chance to know what they're driving by, so they can say, ‘We have rice here and this is how it works; this is how it grows.' It gives them an idea of what's going on around them.”

Where rice fits within a healthy diet was the focus for the CalFresh Healthy Living, UC Cooperative Extension team, comprising nutrition educators Sunshine Hawjj, Joanna Aguilar and Kenia Estrada, as well as community nutrition, health and food security advisor Veronica VanCleave-Hunt. They talked about how rice – like other grains in that vital food group – gives people energy, and then taught the students an energetic “ricetastic” movement activity.

“Because our program is part of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, it's important to make the connection between where our food comes from and how it gets on our plate – especially with young kids, so that we can promote value for our local agriculture and our food systems,” VanCleave-Hunt explained.

Activities spark further conversations, learning about agriculture

With rice harvest late due to late planting in the spring, Eric Waterbury of Waterbury Farms was able to take some time to attend the event. Although his family has been growing rice for three generations, he said he appreciates opportunities for the broader community to see all aspects of his work – from the equipment to the processing.

“If the kids walk away from this with one thing, I hope it's that they realize every time they have a meal, somebody was out there working hard to provide that meal,” he said. “It wasn't just the person at the grocery store that provided it for them.”

Schohr added that Ricetastic Day was only possible through the support of the community. Butte County Farm Bureau and Natural Resources Conservation Service staff helped kids make art with colorful dyed rice; neighboring farmer Tinker Storm described how the harvester and “bankout” wagon work; and rice farmers Shelley Beck and Sue Orme read aloud “Daddy's Got Dirt: A California Rice Story,” a children's book written by a local rice grower.

With rice at the center of physical activities, arts and crafts, and science lessons for the day, the students learned a lot to take home.

“It's nice that the kids got these hands-on learning experiences,” said Ryan Schohr, “so they can go home tonight and, at the dinner table, talk about it with their parents or brothers and sisters, over dinner or over homework – and share what they learned here on the farm and about their community.”

Rebecca Christy, a first- and second-grade teacher at Biggs Elementary, said she is excited to return to the classroom and hear from her students about all that they learned during the day.

“Every morning right now I'm seeing the big trucks going by our school, and so I'll be able to point that out to them, ‘Where are they going? What are they doing?'” she said. “I can't wait to get back to school and let them tell me about all of this.”

One of her students, Ximena, was finishing her brownbag lunch as the group watched one of the Schohr Ranch harvesters rumble over the field. Despite enjoying a rice cake and a rice cracker earlier, she said her meal was missing one thing.

“Where is my rice, Miss Christy?” she said. “I want rice!”

Barnes brings hometown knowledge to UCCE in Lake, Mendocino counties

New Cooperative Extension director has worked extensively with Native American communities, youth groups

Growing up in Upper Lake, along the “North Shore” of Clear Lake, Matthew Barnes lived near several of the Lake County region's seven federally recognized tribes. Although he counted several Native Americans among his diverse circle of childhood friends, and was very familiar with those communities, Barnes was nonetheless quite nervous when he was appointed in 2009 as the inaugural executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of the Pomo Nation.

Barnes – a non-Native of European and Filipino descent – vividly remembers the tribal administrator paying him a visit on one of his first days on the job. “He said, ‘Hey, you have two ears and one mouth, so listen twice as much as you speak and you'll be fine,'” Barnes recalled. “And that's definitely stuck with me.”

That approach is continuing to guide Barnes in his new role as University of California Cooperative Extension director for Lake and Mendocino counties. He will guide and support research, outreach and education activities to meet the area's agriculture, natural resources, and youth and community development needs.

Since starting in May, Barnes has been getting a crash course from UCCE advisors and staff on viticulture research, pest management practices, 4-H camps, and a host of other projects and programs – while also meeting with local communities on the region's most pressing challenges.

“What I've been doing – and will continue to do – is just to listen and learn, and when I can add value to a conversation or project, then I'll do that,” Barnes said. “But leadership to me starts with the relationships we build – with our staff and with the community.”

Bringing a range of experiences in youth programs, social services

One area in which Barnes will certainly add value is developing youth and community programs. During his time with Boys & Girls Club of the Pomo Nation, it was one of only three Boys & Girls Clubs established on tribal land in California. In that role, Barnes faced the unique challenge of integrating the Boys & Girls Club curriculum into a community for which it was not originally designed.

By adapting the curriculum to include culturally relevant topics, Barnes transformed the program into a model that eventually aided in the creation of a Native American-focused branch, Boys & Girls Clubs of America Native Services.

“This initiative now serves as a national standard for Boys & Girls Clubs on tribal lands,” Barnes said.

He later became a director of California Tribal TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), a direct cash assistance and supportive services program for Native American families in 17 counties across the state.

During his decade of TANF work, Barnes launched career development programs, alcohol and other drug counseling programs, and cultural revitalization initiatives. Some of the programs are still running and serving communities to this day.

“The trick is making those programs something that participants can see the value in,” Barnes explained. “And to do that, you go into the communities and talk to people and listen to what they need – instead of you telling them what they need.”

Barnes' experience partnering with Native American communities is just one of the many strengths he will bring to UCCE and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.

“We're very excited to have Matthew join the UC ANR family,” said Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty, UC ANR's director of County Cooperative Extension. “His personal knowledge of Lake and Mendocino counties and his previous work with Indigenous populations will be a tremendous asset to extending and elevating our work.”

Immediately prior to joining UC ANR, Barnes served as director of Lake County's Upward Bound program, which helps students from three local high schools experience and prepare for higher education.

“Overall, what drives me personally is the opportunity to make an impact on communities, on youth, and on people in general through program development and management,” Barnes said.

Inspiring young people as a mentor

Barnes' passion for youth development – and the impetus for his bachelor's degree in social work from Cal Poly Humboldt – can be traced to his AmeriCorps experience while he was attending Mendocino College. For two years, he worked as a tutor for young people, in Lake County and then in Sonoma County, and saw firsthand the difference educators and mentors can make in their lives.

“You could say I kind of caught the bug – just seeing the light bulbs go on when you're helping a youth of that age,” Barnes said.

From there, Barnes took a position directing teen programs for the Boys and Girls Club of Healdsburg, where he began to fully appreciate the importance of trusted adults simply “being there” for young people as a listening ear for whatever they want to talk about.

Among the many teens Barnes worked with, “Rodrigo” was a middle schooler who was pegged by his school and community as someone who could “slip through the cracks.” Rodrigo was the last to go home at the end of each day, and Barnes would chat with him – answering his questions about life or just talking about a new rap album.

“I realized I was ‘that person' for him – that person outside his house, outside his school,” Barnes said.

Even after Barnes left the Boys and Girls Club, Rodrigo – bound for university – invited him to his high school graduation. Barnes said it is tremendously gratifying to know he had a “small role” in shaping the path for Rodrigo – and countless others.

“Their success is still theirs; it's not necessarily because of me,” Barnes added. “My job is to do what I can in the moment to hopefully plant some seeds that may sprout in the future.”

Settled in Middletown, not far from his hometown, where he and his wife are raising two children, Barnes is now positioned to help nurture a flourishing Lake County and resilient Mendocino County.

“I feel like my past experiences, both in life and my career, have prepared me for this,” Barnes said.

Lawn-pocalypse! Surviving Drought

Ah, summer! The season of sunburns, pool parties, and… lawn droughts. If your once lush, green carpet now looks like a crunchy brown doormat, you're not alone. Let's dive into why your yard is staging a dramatic death scene and what you can do to...

Bermuda grass and weeds overtaking drought stressed turf grass.

A patch of former lawn, mostly dead, with a few green weeds and Bermudagrass

Reminder to complete our mailing list and interest survey

Attention Mendocino & Lake Ranchers, Farmers, Forest Land Owners:

Attached is a flier about our survey that some of you may have received. It is very important that you take the time to fill out the survey as it helps us help you. It also help us justify Advisor position requests that will serve Mendocino & Lake Counties. The information we collect is completely confidential and will be used to clean up our client database and give us direction for the types of programs and research you want. If you have children of 4-H age or know others that might be interested in 4-H we will use that part of the  survey results for contacting you about participating. If you want ranch, forest or farm visits with our Advisors we will follow up with you to schedule. 

Thanks so much for completing the survey!

Sincerely,

John Harper

UCCE Livestock & Natural Resources Advisor, Emeritus

 

Homeless people cultivate food, better health while gardening in Alameda County

Fresh fruits and vegetables are essential to a healthful diet, but it's hard to keep perishable foods on hand if one doesn't have a refrigerator or a home. To enhance the health of homeless people, the CalFresh Healthy Living, UC Cooperative Extension team in Alameda County has partnered with the South County Homeless Project to grow fresh produce for people staying at the emergency housing in Hayward.

For the past seven years, CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE Alameda has been delivering nutrition lessons to residents of the South County Homeless Project, part of Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency. The classes include Rethink Your Drink, Food Safety, Making Every Dollar Count, Eat Healthy Be Active Community Workshops, and Fresh from the Garden.

The South County Homeless Project facility houses 24 people for up to a year. With the help of the CalFresh Healthy Living, UC Cooperative Extension team, its existing garden was refurbished and redesigned. The large outdoor garden behind the facility offers therapeutic gardening opportunities to residents and provides food for their meals. 

"I love the garden and when the cook cooks the vegetables, they taste amazing,” said one resident. “I am thankful for this garden and for having the CalFresh Healthy Living team.”

At one time, South County Homeless Project's backyard featured a flower garden. After years of neglect, weeds overtook the garden.

In 2022, CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE Alameda proposed getting residents involved in growing food by resurrecting the garden with edible plants.

“Not only could we continue to engage residents in nutrition education classes, but we could also work together to reinvigorate their neglected garden,” said MaxFairbee, nutrition educator withCalFresh Healthy Living team,UCCE Alameda.

More than 15 varieties of herbs and vegetables planted

Residents and staff set out to replace the weedy beds with a vegetable and herb garden.

“We worked with South County staff and residents on the design, clean up, planting, harvesting and ultimately incorporating food from the garden into the kitchen for residents to enjoy the fruits of their labor,” Fairbee said.

For gardening expertise and support, Fairbee enlisted the UC Master Gardeners of Alameda County's Community Garden Team to help. While the CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE staff continued providing nutrition classes, the UC Master Gardener volunteers trained the residents on the basics of gardening.

In April, after heavy rains, the group planted 50 seedlings, half donated by the UC Master Gardeners. They planted two varieties of lettuce,arugula, four varieties of tomatoes, zucchini, kale, onions, cucumbers, green beans, Swiss chard, kale, basil, cilantro, tarragon, thyme, parsley, rosemary, oregano and mint.

From garden to table

“In May, we harvested lettuce and in June, we harvested green beans, cucumbers, kale and onions,” Fairbee said.

The fresh vegetables and herbs were used to prepare salads, sandwiches and pasta dishes for the residents. Fairbee and the other educators have also used the fresh produce for cooking demonstrations and tastings as part of their Fresh from the Garden class.

"We have been able to use many of the veggies as sides or to go in the salad," said one of the South County Homeless Project cooks.

"One of the chefs used the zucchini in the pasta sauce, it was so good! I didn't really know you could use it that way!" said a resident.

After tasting summer squash andgazpacho made with tomatoes from the garden, a South County resident namedSelina said, "I was surprised how good the raw summer squash tasted and how the flavor was different after it was cooked. I'll definitely be adding more zucchini to my plate."

Challenges to keeping the garden going

To keep the garden healthy, they faced competition with plant-chewing snails, slugs and aphids and cats digging in the soil. Because the water source is over 200 feet from the garden, they run a long hose across the main path, along the parking lot to water the plants, then unhook the hose and stash it indoors after each use so that it won't get stolen.

Another challenge of maintaining the garden is getting enough residents and staff to volunteer to work on it.

“Although staff are supportive of the garden, none actually have time to work in the garden,” Fairbee said.

The residents harvest, wash and store the produce in the kitchen. Only four to six of the 24 residents are typically interested in working in the garden, pulling weeds and protecting the plants from pests – most are focused on getting a new job and a home. South County residents usually leave the temporary housing within a few months.

For more consistent garden maintenance, Fairbee is looking to other community groups for volunteers. He is also hoping to persuade the county government to install a water spigot close to the garden so they can install drip irrigation to water the garden.

“We'd like to work with the UC Master Food Preservers to teach residents how to preserve herbs and vegetables,” Fairbee said.

He hopes South County Homeless Project residents will continue gardening in their new homes to grow fresh vegetables so they can enjoy a more nutritious diet and better health.

Beyond the fresh food, the South County Homeless Project residents and staff enjoy the ambience of the garden.

"It's really nice to go back there and just sit, it's really peaceful," said one staff member.

A resident added, "(The garden) relaxes me from stress. I love the garden."

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