Posts Tagged: extension

Agricultural research and education center moving to new site in Ventura County

UC Hansen Research and Extension Center to expand capacity at Camarillo location

The University of California Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center – the site of popular school field trips, 4-H programs, a UC Master Gardener demonstration garden, and numerous research trials on crops and landscape plants – is moving to a new location on the west side of Camarillo. The center was established through an endowment bequeathed to the UC by Saticoy farmer Thelma Hansen, who sought to support university research and extension activities benefiting Ventura County.

For the past 25 years, Hansen REC has been located on the historic Faulkner Farm in Santa Paula. At 27 acres, Hansen REC was the smallest of the nine RECs across the state operated by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources; in 2019, UC ANR leadership decided a larger property was needed to expand the center's capacity. The Faulkner Farm was sold in March 2021, but a portion was leased back to the UC to sustain its programs until a new location was identified.

In December 2022, the UC acquired a 114-acre farm property in Camarillo to serve as Hansen REC's new home. Moving structures and equipment from Faulkner Farm will take place over the next six months. Public programs at the new location are on hold until seismic retrofitting and other building upgrades are completed. A new research and educational facility also will be built, with an estimated opening date in 2027 or 2028.

“Our planning committee looked for a site on the Oxnard Plain that is representative of the coastal agriculture environment and conducive to research on Ventura County's high-value crops, such as strawberries,” said Annemiek Schilder, Hansen REC director. “We also sought a location with diverse soil types, access to sufficient irrigation water, and a low risk of flooding – and we're pleased that this Camarillo property meets most of our search criteria.”

Of the approximately 104 cultivable acres, 28 are certified organic, which will allow researchers to study organic as well as conventional crop production methods, Schilder noted. She said another bonus of the new location is its proximity to California State University, Channel Islands and the Rodale Institute California Organic Center, which are both potential partners for future research and a student organic farm on site.

Initial plans for the new Hansen REC facility include offices, conference rooms, laboratories, greenhouses, a demonstration kitchen, and indoor and outdoor education areas. The center will aim to be water-efficient and energy-neutral, relying on solar panels for much of its energy usage. The UC Cooperative Extension Office in Ventura is also slated to move to the new facility.

“We fully expect Hansen REC to become a vibrant research and education hub that provides science-based solutions and is responsive to the needs of agricultural, rural and urban communities and the environment in Ventura County,” said Glenda Humiston, UC vice president for agriculture and natural resources. “We're excited to expand current programming while bringing in new educational opportunities, such as the UC Master Food Preserver and Master Beekeeper programs.”

Electric tractors reduce carbon emissions at UC ANR research and extension centers

Zero-emission tractors perform many tasks of diesel tractors, without noise or exhaust

The University of California, a national leader in sustainability, has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2025. To reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources has replaced several of its diesel-powered tractors with electric tractors at its research and extension centers.

Seven of the nine UC research and extension centers – Intermountain located in Siskiyou County, Hopland in Mendocino County, Kearney and West Side in Fresno County, Lindcove in Tulare County, Desert in Imperial County and Hansen in Ventura County – started using the Solectrac e25 in July. The researchers plan to share what they learn from using the electric tractors.

“Charging is easy, we are using a standard 110V connection, no charging station needed,” said John Bailey, director of the University of California Hopland Research and Extension Center. “For faster charging, you can use a 220V connection – again, no charging station needed, just a regular receptacle – but we haven't gone there yet.”

The electric tractor runs for about five hours, depending on the type of use and the speed, on a charge.

“We will use the electric tractor to mix the soil for planting trees in the greenhouse,” said Ashraf El-kereamy, director of UC Lindcove Research and Extension Center in Exeter, which focuses on citrus research. “Also, for pulling the trailer with the fruit bins during harvest, it will be good as it does not emit any gases.”

The electric tractor is being used to move materials in the loader at UC Hopland REC. “It has worked well for this, functioning similarly to a standard diesel tractor,” said Bailey.

“We have also used it to clean our sheep barn, scraping the pens to get ready for lambing season,” Bailey said. “This involves pushing or dragging straw bedding and manure. The tractor functions well in tight spaces due to its compact size.”

Bailey learned one downside is that the front end is a little too light, making it difficult to generate enough downward pressure with the loader to effectively scrape the floor without reducing the front wheel traction.

“We are planning to add some weight to the front, a standard practice with tractors to increase traction. The tractor has the mounting to enable this so it should not be a big deal,” Bailey said. “Our operators really appreciate the lack of noise and exhaust, especially when working in the barn or in tight spaces.”

The small electric tractor is also being used in tight places at the UC Intermountain Research and Extension Center in Tulelake.

“The tractor that we obtained from the company is too small for the majority of our farm needs,” said Rob Wilson, Intermountain REC director. “We purchased a small box scraper and rototiller for the tractor and we are using it around our facility grounds. We also use it out in the field in tight spaces that are too small for our larger tractors to operate.” 

“The tractor is quiet, powerful for its size and operates very similar to the diesel-powered tractors with regard to the controls, hydraulics and three-point assembly. The tractor also has a lot of torque and speed.”

Annemiek Schilder, director of UC Hansen Agricultural REC, added, “I think another advantage is that the tractors can go very slowly, which is helpful for some uses such as harvesting.”

The researchers will continue to evaluate the electric tractors throughout the year.

“Our main usage will come in the spring, mowing around our headquarters and on roadsides,” Bailey said. “We are purchasing a 4-foot flail mower that can mount to the rear PTO, but won't really put it into use until April.” The power take-off, or PTO, is the shaft that transfers power from the tractor to the attachment. 

Other benefits of electric tractors include no engine oil to change and no diesel fuel.

“If the farmer already has solar, they will see close to zero fuel charges,” Bailey added. “Even without solar, their fuel costs should be reduced depending on local electrical cost. Also, the engine only has one moving part compared to dozens in a diesel tractor so maintenance costs should be reduced significantly, something that is proving true in electric cars.”

The Solectrac e25 tractors each cost $27,999 and the optional loader was about $4,000.

The California Air Resources Board is offering incentives to buy zero-emission equipment through its Funding Agricultural Replacement Measures for Emission Reductions Program. FARMER provides funding through local air districts for agricultural harvesting equipment, heavy-duty trucks, agricultural pump engines, tractors and other equipment used in agricultural operations.

UC ANR to hire 48 more UC Cooperative Extension advisors

From Del Norte, Siskiyou, and Modoc counties south through San Diego and Imperial counties, Californians will be seeing more University of California Cooperative Extension advisors in their communities.

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources has released 48 more UCCE Advisor positions for recruitment over the next 12 months thanks to increased 2021-22 state funding. This brings the total to 89 new UCCE Advisor positions since July 2021 when Gov. Newsom and the state Legislature provided a historic budget boost for UC ANR. During the last six months of 2021, UC ANR released 41 other UCCE positions that have been filled or are under recruitment. The full list of UCCE positions is posted online at https://bit.ly/CEpositions2021-22. 

Additional UC Cooperative Extension Specialist positions will be announced for recruitment in early April 2022.

“We appreciate the people across the state who worked with UCANR to develop the UC Cooperative Extension advisor position proposals,” said Glenda Humiston, University of California vice president for agriculture and natural resources. “Input from community members and partnering agencies and organizations was critical to informing the prioritization of these UCCE positions. Now we hope our supporters will help us recruit the best scientists to work with California's communities.”

The new UCCE advisors will be providing research-based information to residents about nutrition, community development, crop production, forestry, pest management, water management, youth development, landscape management and wildfire.

In addition to traditional issues, some of the new UCCE advisors will be focusing on climate adaptation for Indigenous farmers, cultural burning and Indigenous land stewardship, repurposing green waste, and community development with Californians who are Black, Indigenous or speak English as a second language. 

The following UCCE Advisor positions will be staged for recruitment to avoid overwhelming UC ANR's Human Resources colleagues:

• 4-H Community Engagement & Development Youth Area Advisor for Tulare, Fresno and Kings counties
• 4-H Animal Science Youth Advisor for San Benito, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties
• 4-H Youth Development Area Advisor for San Diego and Orange counties
• Agronomy and Weed Management Area Advisor for Merced County
• Agronomy and Weed Science Area Advisor for Tehama, Glenn and Shasta counties
• Climate Resilient Indigenous Farming and Food Sovereignty Area Advisor for San Diego and Riverside counties
• Community Development BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color) Advisor for Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and San Francisco counties
• Community Health and Nutrition Advisor for San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties
• Community Health and Nutrition Advisor for Shasta, Trinity and Tehama counties
• Community Health, Nutrition and Food Security Area Advisor for Butte, Glenn, Colusa, Sutter and Yuba counties
• Community Health, Nutrition and Food Systems Area Advisor for Siskiyou, Modoc and Lassen counties
• Community Health and Nutrition Older Adult Area Advisor for Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties
• Cultural Burning and Indigenous Land Stewardship Advisor for Mendocino and Lake counties
• Dairy Area Advisor for Tulare and Kern counties
• Entomology Area Advisor for Ventura and Los Angeles counties
• Environmental Horticulture Area Advisor for Fresno, Madera, Tulare and Kings counties
• Environmental Horticulture and Forestry Area Advisor for Placer and Nevada counties
• Environmental Horticulture and Water Resource Management Area Advisor for Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Francisco counties
• Food Safety and Organic Production Area Advisor for Imperial and Riverside counties
• Forestry Area Advisor for Santa Cruz, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties
• Forestry Area Advisor for Shasta, Trinity and Siskiyou counties
• Fruit and Almond Area Advisor for Fresno and Tulare counties
• Horticulture and Specialty Crops Advisor for Humboldt and Del Norte counties
• Indigenous Disaster Resilience Planning and Policy Area Advisor for Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and El Dorado counties
• IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Area Advisor for Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and El Dorado counties
• IPM Entomology Area Advisor based at Kearney Research and Extension Center
• IPM Entomology Farm Area Advisor for Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties
• Intermountain Irrigated Grass Systems Area Advisor for Modoc, Shasta and Lassen counties
• Irrigation and Soils Area Advisor for Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Merced counties
• Livestock and Natural Resources Area Advisor for Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and El Dorado counties
• Orchard Systems and Weed Ecology Area Advisor for Glenn, Tehama and Colusa counties
• Organic Materials Management Area Advisor for Orange, Los Angeles and San Diego counties
• Organic Materials Management and Agri-Food System Area Advisor for Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and San Francisco counties
• Pathology Area Advisor for Imperial, Riverside and San Diego counties
• Production Horticulture Area Advisor for Ventura and Santa Barbara counties
• Restoration Ecology and Weed Science Area Advisor for Kern, Tulare and Kings counties
• Rice Farming Systems Area Advisor for Colusa and Yolo counties
• Sustainable Agriculture Systems Area Advisor for Mariposa, Merced and Stanislaus counties
• Sustainable Orchard Systems Area Advisor for Sutter, Yuba, Butte and Placer counties
• Urban Agriculture Food Systems and Environmental Issues Advisor for San Diego and Orange counties
• Urban IPM Area Advisor for Sacramento, Solano and Yolo counties 
• Urban Watershed Resilience Area Advisor for Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties
• Vegetable Crops Area Advisor for Sacramento, Solano and Yolo counties 
• Water and Soil Resources Area Advisor for Sonoma, Marin, Napa and Mendocino counties
• Water Management Area Advisor for Tulare, Fresno, Kings and Madera counties
• Water Quality-Quantity-Climate Change Area Advisor for Mendocino and Lake counties
• Weed Ecology and Management Area Advisor for Fresno, Tulare and Kings counties
• Youth, Families and Communities Area Advisor for Kern, Inyo and Mono counties

 

Daniel and Sarah Hrdy create endowment to fund UC Cooperative Extension research

The Yolo County walnut growers will provide as much as $100,000 per year for “practical” research

The University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) announced that Dan and Sarah Hrdy, owners of Citrona Farms LLC, a walnut farm in Winters, have established The Daniel & Sarah Hrdy Fund for UC Cooperative Extension Research. 

The fund will provide as much as $100,000 in seed funding for early-stage research projects each year for UC Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists, as well as their academic collaborators. Dan, a former clinical professor of medicine (infectious diseases) at UC Davis Medical Center, and Sarah, a professor emerita of anthropology at UC Davis, created the fund to express their appreciation for UC Cooperative Extension's practical yet cutting edge research. 

“Over the years, we have hosted a number of researchers from UC ANR, UC Davis and UC Berkeley studying topics related to sustainable agriculture, habitat restoration and wildlife conservation and have benefited both directly and indirectly from the UC Cooperative Extension network,” said Dan Hrdy. More than 20 years of UC research hosted at Citrona Farms is detailed on their website at www.citrona.com.

Research proposals will be selected by the leaders of UC ANR's Strategic Initiatives: Sustainable Food Systems; Endemic and Invasive Pests and Diseases; and Sustainable Natural Ecosystems.

Areas of special interest include: 

• Sustainable Agriculture, with special regard to climate change
• Interaction of Natural Ecosystems and Agriculture
• Habitat Restoration and Conservation
• Wildfire and Forest Restoration

"The timing for this donation could not have been better as UC ANR is actively recruiting an extraordinary number of new UCCE advisors and specialists and support for their research is greatly appreciated," Wendy Powers, UC ANR associate vice president, said. “This is a great example of how local relationships build trust and support for UCCE efforts across the state."

The fund will be established with annual gifts as part of a payout from the donor's retirement account, along with a bequest that, when paid, will create a permanent endowment where the payouts will continue to fund this project.  The Hrdys hope to make others aware of this method of charitable giving.

"We were able to use required payouts from a retirement account to set up this gift,” said Dan Hrdy. “I hope more people will look into doing this to help support Cooperative Extension.”

Investors who must satisfy a required minimum distribution from their retirement accounts may consider a qualified charitable distribution (QCD), said Greg Gibbs, UC ANR executive director of Development Services.  

“A qualified charitable distribution is a direct transfer of funds from your IRA custodian, payable to a qualified charity, like the UC Regents/UC ANR,” Gibbs said. “Once you've reached age 72, the QCD amount counts toward your required minimum distribution for the year, up to an annual maximum of $100,000. It's not included in your gross income and does not count against the limits on deductions for charitable contributions.”

 

Eight UCCE advisor positions released for recruitment by UC ANR

Eight more UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) advisor positions have been released for recruitment by Glenda Humiston, University of California vice president for agriculture and natural resources. 

The UCCE job titles are followed by the counties they will serve: 

• Central Sierra local food systems advisor; Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and El Dorado counties
• Vertebrate pest management advisor; Napa, Lake and Solano counties
• Specialty crops advisor; Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties
• Viticulture advisor; San Joaquin, Sacramento and Stanislaus counties
• Integrated pest management advisor; San Diego County
• 4-H youth development advisor; Placer and Nevada counties
• Environmental Horticulture Advisor; Los Angeles County
• Fire Advisor; San Benito, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties

Including those listed above, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources has released 28 UCCE positions for recruitment over the past three months and Humiston plans to announce additional UCCE positions in November. The recruitments are being released in stages to avoid overwhelming the Human Resources team.

“This hiring is made possible by the state's historic investment in UC ANR's mission to bring the power of UC to all 58 California counties and improve the lives of all Californian,” said Humiston.

In 2022, Humiston plans to hire 70 more UCCE specialists and advisors to help Californians better address issues including climate change, wildfires, food security and pest management.

 

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