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Posts Tagged: agriculture
Celebrating the Crab Spider in Arachtober
It's Arachtober and that means celebrating arachnids for the entire month of October. Well, we ought to celebrate them year around, but October is THEIR month. Let's especially applaud crab spiders when they prey on such agricultural pests as the...
A crab spider eating a lygus bug, an agricultural pest in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Learning About the Bees and the Nutrition They Need
If you missed the eagerly anticipated UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology seminar by apiculturist Juliana Rangel Posada, an associate professor at Texas A&M and an international leader in honey bee research, not to worry. Her...
A screen shot from the seminar of apiculturist Juliana Rangel Posada of Texas A&M.
UC ANR project to help underserved farmers in SoCal with land ownership
San Diego County has more than 5,000 small farms but less than 2% are operated or owned by Black, indigenous, or people of color – including those of Asian, Hispanic or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander descent, according to the 2022 Ag Census.
The reasons vary, but historically, multiple marginalized communities of color have not received the same opportunities or support for land ownership or management as their white counterparts.
Chandra Richards, University of California Cooperative Extension land equity academic coordinator for the Southern California region, is identifying barriers to equity when it comes to addressing land access, tenure, management and opportunities to increase the diversity of land managers and land ownership in the region.
Richards is the principal investigator for the Climate Action and Land Equity (CALE) project administered through UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and funded by the Department of Conservation. CALE aims to engage historically underrepresented communities in coalition building, capacity assessment and climate action planning. CALE elevates knowledge about the challenges and opportunities to land access and management for a diversity of land managers.
Among the challenges is land tenure, an established agreement between a landowner and tenant, outlining the purpose and use of the land over a period of time. However, when landowners decide to sell their land, these agreements are at risk of being null and void, forcing the tenants to renegotiate or discontinue their operation.
Land tenure leases for under five years are considered short-term, which are common in Southern California. For small, new and under-resourced farmers, landowner turnover doesn't just threaten their business plan but their livelihood.
For small farmer Byron Nkhoma, who leases land in Ramona to grow leafy greens and vegetables, the possibility of losing land is a constant worry. Since 2015, Nkhoma and his wife, Joyce, have been renting four of 20 acres to establish Hukama Produce. Over nine years, they have had two landowners. Before the land was sold to his current landowner, Nkhoma said he considered buying land, but the process proved more challenging than he thought.
“What it takes for someone like Byron to find a place to farm and establish a food system is an extremely involved process,” said Richards. “It's not just learning how to obtain land, it's also about managing that land so it can be used for years and generations to come.”
Originally from Zimbabwe, Nkhoma is adamant about taking care of the land he leases and has applied knowledge from his home to ensure resilience. Hukama Produce prides itself in improving environmental health through sustainable farming practices such as compost and mulch application, drip irrigation and low till. An important pillar of the CALE project includes building capacity and providing technical assistance toward land conservation and climate resiliency.
In addition to land tenure, money and time are stressors for small farmers. When they are not working on the farm, Nkhoma and his wife are researching and applying for grants to improve their soils and protect their crops from pests. However, many grants for which Hukama Produce is eligible often have pressing deadlines that demand their immediate attention – cutting into valuable time that could be spent tending to the land or selling at farmer's markets.
Two of Hukama's goals include building and sustaining trust in the market and growing their operation. By partnering with Richards, Hukama Produce has direct access to technical assistance focused on grant writing and conservation to increase ecosystem health and build tenure.
Agricultural land tenure is the arrangement, rights, and responsibilities centered around use, management, and ownership of agricultural land and resources. Building land tenure means that farmers have a stable place to grow their crops and build environmental sustainability without risk of having to move their operations.
While the CALE project boosts support for historically underserved community members hoping to own or manage land, it prioritizes land use for food production as a reinvestment into the greater community.
Eager to bring realities like Nhkoma's to light, Richards partnered with Keith Nathaniel, UCCE director for Los Angeles County, who co-coordinated the Western Extension Leadership Development conference held in San Diego the week of Sept. 23-27. WELD unites Cooperative Extension faculty, agents, advisors, educators and specialists from the western region of the United States for a two-year leadership development program.
While in San Diego, WELD participants joined Richards for a tour of Hukama Produce and learned directly from Nkhoma about opportunities and threats as a small farmer. The tour ended with participants in a circle, sharing how their professional roles can offer support to Hukama Produce and other small farms.
“We grow food so that we can feed the community,” said Nkhoma. “When we feed others, we build relationships. That's what ‘hukama' means – to grow relationships.”
If you operate or know of a small farm in Southern California and would like to be involved with or receive regular updates about the CALE project, please contact Chandra Richards at cmrichards@ucanr.edu.
If you are interested in applying for the Land Equity Project Manager position, please visit https://ucanr.edu/About/Jobs/?jobnum=2894 for details.
Ag from Above x Ag for All (AFA2)
IGIS is proud to announce its collaboration with 4H on a new and exciting, three-year, USDA-funded grant, Ag from Above x Ag for All (AFA2), aimed at sparking interest in food and agriculture among teenagers by using cutting-edge drone and mapping technologies. By blending hands-on activities with real-world applications, AFA2 empowers young people to explore the science behind agriculture in fun and meaningful ways. AFA2 is not just about teaching technology—it's about using that technology to make a real difference in communities and ensuring that the next generation of agricultural scientists and leaders is diverse, skilled, and ready to take on the challenges of the future.
Period: 3-years from August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2027.
Tasks: Develop, test, and evaluate two curricula, SkyMappers: Agricultural Drones and GIS Mastery, Dronovation: Cultivating Change with Teens, and prepare an educator professional development guide.
Who It's For: This project targets teenagers aged 13 to 18, with special attention to including girls and Latino youth—groups often underrepresented in STEM fields.
Why It Matters: The future of farming and food production will increasingly rely on technology. By engaging young people with drones and GIS, AFA2 aims to build their scientific literacy and interest in agriculture, while also preparing them for future careers in these vital fields. Additionally, by focusing on food justice and culturally relevant learning, we aim to empower all young people to see themselves as future leaders in science and agriculture.
Our Partners: University of California's Cooperative Extension, 4-H Youth Development Program, Informatics and GIS Program, the UC Santa Cruz CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research, and the UC Davis AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems.
- PI: Steven Worker, 4-H Youth Development Advisor (Sonoma)
- Co-PI: Nathaniel Caeton, 4-H Youth Development Advisor (Shasta)
- Co-PI: Matthew Rodriguez, 4-H Youth Development Advisor (Placer)
- Co-PI: Andy Lyons, IGIS Program Coordinator (UC Berkeley)
- Co-PI: Sean Hogan, IGIS Academic Coordinator (Davis)
- Collaborator: Flavie Audoin, Rangeland Management Extension Specialist (Univ. of Arizona)
- Collaborator: Lucy Diekmann, Urban Agriculture/Food System Advisor (Santa Clara)
- Collaborator: Becca Fenwick, Director, CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research (UCSC)
Irrigation Workshop Ventura Oct 16
Avocado Irrigation Workshop
October 16 (Wednesday), 2024
2:00 – 5:00 P.M.
UC Cooperative Extension Ventura County (California Room)
669 County Square Dr, Ventura, CA 93003
Workshop registration link: Registration
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2:00 - 5:00 p.m. |
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Break: 10 mins. |
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3:45 |
Using Soil Moisture Sensor to Optimize Irrigation – Andre Biscaro, UCCE Irrigation and Water Resources Advisor, Ventura County |
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4:15 |
Water Distribution Uniformity Management in Orchards – Jamie Whiteford, Ventura County Resource Conservation District |
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4:45 |
Mission Produce TM: Resources and Updates - Danny Klittich, Mission Produce |
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5:00 |
ADJOURN |
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For more information about the workshop, please contact
Ali Montazar, amontazar@ucanr.edu, or Ben Faber, bafaber@ucanr.edu.
CEU CREDITS: CCA (2.5 hrs.)
VCAILG (2.5 hrs.)
Image: Evapotranspiration monitoring station
