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UC Master Gardeners of Imperial County grow from Mexican, Latino roots

First program of its kind in area establishes free seed library, community garden

One of the many things that make University of California Cooperative Extension in Imperial County unique is its close proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border. Its geographic location, with a border town called “La Frontera” by locals, infuses the UC Master Gardener Program in this area with intercultural knowledge.

In 2022, UCCE launched its first UC Master Gardener Program in the county and has maintained a cohort of 20 participants since then. Kristian Salgado, the program's first coordinator, said the volunteers offer a range of skills to the gardening community.

“The clientele that our volunteers serve tend to be individuals who have gained their gardening knowledge and experience from tending to plants in their homeland of Mexico,” said Salgado. The volunteer UC Master Gardeners of Imperial County reflect the region's predominantly Latino demographic, making it easier for volunteers to connect with their clientele.

“Nopales, chiles, citrus…residents in this region know how to take care of these plants. They've done it all their life. But when you have a program like the UC Master Gardener Program, you can use science to explain why their practices worked all these years,” said Salgado.

According to Salgado, the UC Master Gardener Program can be perceived as too academic for some residents. “It's not a bad thing, but I had to digest the information myself, even the UC Master Gardeners, and figure out how to deliver it in a way that was relevant to everyone,” she added.

As a starting point, Salgado used English and Spanish materials from neighboring counties like “A Garden of Words/Un jardín de palabras”, developed by the UC Master Gardener Program of Los Angeles County.

One method that helped engage volunteers and residents during classes was the use of culturally significant seeds like chiltepin peppers – seeds that Salgado deems a “must-have” if you are a gardener of Mexican heritage.

“When we focused on plant propagation, the volunteers that I worked with agreed that we should propagate plants that our residents were familiar with and use in their everyday cooking,” Salgado explained.

This same approach was employed at the free seed library and demonstration garden – both established and maintained by the UC Master Gardener volunteers at the City of Imperial Public Library. During the warm season you can find Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.), known to make agua de jamaica, in the seed library – something you won't easily find in grocery stores. In the demonstration garden during the summer, you'll notice a variety of peppers such as chile güero, jalapeño, serrano and habanero.

As the UC Master Gardener coordinator for Imperial County for the last two years, Salgado has focused her leadership on establishing a program that would generate opportunities for UC Master Gardener volunteers to create projects that are reflective of their interests, align with the program's mission and serve all residents in the county. The demonstration garden, which is the first community garden established in the city of Imperial, is an outcome of Salgado's vision.

UC Master Gardener Program reflects, connects community

Eliza Barajas, UC Master Gardener of Imperial County, who works at the library during the week and has witnessed the impact of the garden, said it gives her a sense of pride. “I moved to the [Imperial] Valley a year ago and I was looking for a way to connect with the community. I couldn't have asked for a better program to do that, and I'm so proud to say that I'm a part of the very first cohort in Imperial County,” Barajas shared.

Salgado praised Barajas for her enthusiasm in the program and noted her excellent ability to speak Spanish. “I love the way Eliza flows from English to Spanish. It's effortless! And it comes in handy when we're doing community events and need to cater to our Spanish and English speakers,” said Salgado.

Since the program came to fruition, Salgado has played a pivotal role in the program's progress. Reflecting on why she accepted the role of UC Master Gardener coordinator for Imperial County, Salgado said that the role was a culmination of everything she studied in school and cares deeply about.

While attending California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, Salgado earned a master's degree in social science focused on the environment and community. She studied the intersections of food insecurity, the agricultural industry and health inequities, and how they specifically impact the Latino community.

Growing up and currently living in Calexico, Salgado questions why her community is food insecure. “Imperial is the ‘salad bowl' of the nation. We export a variety of fresh fruit and veggies all year long. How is it that our community doesn't have enough access to the healthy food it produces?” she asked.

Food security is one concern that Salgado envisions the UC Master Gardener Program addressing through its seed library, community garden and gardening classes.

Following graduate school, Salgado moved back home and joined former classmate and UCCE colleague, Chris Wong, in establishing the first farmer's market in Calexico in 2013. Wong encouraged Salgado to apply her new knowledge and skills at UCCE Imperial County, where she began working as a climate-smart agriculture community education specialist in 2019, supporting growers with grant writing.

“I realized early on that there was a lot of divestment in the community, and I didn't understand why,” she said, adding that she's still working to understand. Salgado's mother-in-law also continuously challenged her to think bigger. “My mom-in-law comes from the Chicano Movement. She's guided me into thinking more critically about the issues we face in our community and as Latinos.”

In September, Salgado began in a new role as the regional operations specialist for the UC Master Gardener Program statewide office, covering the Bay Area to Southern California regions. Salgado hopes to develop useful tools and resources to support coordinators' professional development, while integrating programmatic best practices centered on diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.  

“The UC Master Gardeners are full of knowledge, and my education was motivated by identifying how Latinos can get a seat at the table. UC Master Gardeners easily become trusted sources in the community, and for Imperial County, this is how they get a seat at the table,” said Salgado.

San Diego County goes green for National 4-H Week with proclamation, lighting ceremony

National 4-H Week is Oct. 7-12, 2024. To celebrate, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will be recognizing the significant benefits to local youth provided by the UC Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Program in San Diego County with a proclamation on Tuesday, Oct. 8. This recognition will take place at 9 a.m. during the board's meeting at the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92101.

In California, 4-H is administered through county-based UC Cooperative Extension advisors and educators who provide practical knowledge to people, businesses and communities via science-based research and educational programs. The proclamation not only celebrates 4-H's impact in San Diego County, but also acknowledges the successful partnership between UCCE and the County of San Diego.

As a leading youth-serving organization nationwide, 4-H offers research-based programs that equip young people with life skills, leadership training and community engagement opportunities. It also provides professional development and resources for other youth-serving organizations throughout participating counties, including San Diego.

Liliana Vega, UCCE 4-H youth development advisor for San Diego and Orange counties, envisions her expertise in justice, equity, diversity and inclusion enhancing positive youth development for all, especially Black, indigenous and people of color. Eager to create culturally relevant experiences that resonate with young people, Vega believes that doing so starts with empowering youth-serving professionals with growth opportunities, equipping staff to engage with the community meaningfully and prioritizing diversity.

“By partnering with local organizations, schools and diverse community groups in San Diego, we can elevate the quality and reach of youth programs throughout the county. Together, we can enhance opportunities in STEM, environmental justice, the arts and workforce development for the next generation,” said Vega, while describing the program's collaboration with the YMCA and Girls Inc. in San Diego as excellent examples.

At sunset on Oct. 8, attendees and passersby will witness the County Administration Center lit in the program's iconic green color, symbolizing the organization's century-long commitment to youth development in San Diego County. The proclamation and lighting ceremony are open to the public, and individuals whose lives have been enhanced by 4-H are encouraged to attend.

For more information about UCCE's 4-H program in San Diego County and details on how to get involved, please visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/4HSanDiegoCounty/. You can also contact Rebeca Manzo at remanzo@ucanr.edu or Liliana Vega at live@ucanr.edu.

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!”

White House Summit explores impact of extreme heat, ways to adapt

UC ANR Small Farms Network supports small-scale and underserved farmers impacted by extreme heat

Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, interim director for the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, joined more than 100 participants from across the country at the first-ever White House Summit on Extreme Heat. Community representatives and practitioners met with federal agency representatives and Biden Administration officials to discuss successful locally tailored, community-driven practices to adapt to extreme heat as well as available federal resources.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA, summer 2024 was California's warmest summer on record. As California's climate is changing, episodes of extreme heat are becoming more common, leading to substantial health, economic and ecosystem impacts. 

In the agricultural sector, extreme heat events can cause heat illness in farmworkers, crop losses and changes in pest pressure. California crop losses due to drought, wildfire and heat were estimated at $239 million in 2023. 

Disaster relief funds are available to help growers recover from lost production due to extreme heat. Since 2021, the UC ANR Small Farms Network has connected small-scale farmers with over $5.8 million in direct-to-producer relief funds for losses related to drought, flooding and other extreme weather events.

To further support small-scale farmers in adapting to the changing climate, Dahlquist-Willard and the Small Farms Network are evaluating how the extreme heat of summer 2024 impacted farmers. Farmers reported anecdotal observations that included:

• Shifting work hours to cooler parts of the day
• Closing farm stands and farmers markets due to extreme heat
• Crops ripening more quickly than expected, impacting harvesting and packing schedules
• Poor fruit set due to extremely high temperatures 

The team is working to determine what damage symptoms on small-acreage California specialty crops can be attributed to extreme heat based on scientific literature and assessments from UC ANR colleagues. Understanding the impact of extreme heat on the farming community can help inform research and policy, ultimately equipping farmers with strategies to adapt to extreme heat events. 

“It was inspiring to meet with leaders from around the nation who are working to support communities impacted by extreme heat and learn about the creative solutions they are implementing,” said Dahlquist-Willard. “The challenges faced by these communities make it all the more important to continue to work against climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as to develop new methods and resources to mitigate the effects of extreme heat and other climate impacts.”  

The Extreme Heat Summit highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration's investments in climate reliance and put forth an Extreme Heat Call to Action calling upon public and private sectors to prepare for future extreme heat events. Communities and governments interested in participating are asked to use all available tools to protect people from extreme heat. Approaches and tools which could be used to protect people and resources from extreme heat are highlighted in the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit and the National Heat Strategy. Submissions for the Call to Action will be accepted through Nov. 1, 2024.

Further reading: 

Heat Illness Prevention, UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety

Pathak et al., 2018. Climate Change Trends and Impacts on California Agriculture: A Detailed Review

UC's New Climate Action Goals: Frequently Asked Questions

UC ANR publishes first-ever manual on olive production for oil

Growers, UC Cooperative Extension researchers offer guidance on producing high-quality olives

Facing a deluge of lower-price products from Europe, the California olive oil industry is doubling down on its clear-cut competitive edge: the consistent and bona fide quality of its oil.

“Olive Production Manual for Oil,” a new book published by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, aims to help California olive growers maximize that advantage.

“It's a tough market to compete in, but I think the way to win for California is to compete on quality,” said book co-editor Selina Wang, a UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology. “The quality of California olive oil is unmatched, but you can't make good quality olive oil with bad fruit, so the goal is to get more fruit from the trees – and for the fruits to be high-quality fruit.”

The 273-page manual, available for purchase online, is the first of its kind in the U.S. While some parts of the book are specific to California (which grows nearly all of the olives for domestically produced olive oil), most of the material would be useful to producers in other states, Wang noted.

“Through our conversations with growers, it became clear to us that a manual like this – not a scientific publication but a manual that is easy to follow, written in language that is accessible, and with pictures and illustrations – would be really helpful to the growers,” she said.

Growth of California olive oil industry necessitated creation of manual

Aside from a book focused predominantly on table olives and another on organic olive production (by UCCE farm advisor emeritus Paul Vossen), there was no one-stop, comprehensive resource on the bookshelf for oil olive growers. The need for such a manual had become more acute as oil olives replaced table olives in California orchards during the last 20 years.

Whereas harvesting by hand was historically cost-prohibitive, the introduction of super-high-density planting systems in 1999 made oil olive production more economically feasible. Mechanical pruning and harvesting of new cultivars (Arbequina, Arbosana and Koroneiki) – specifically bred for these densely planted orchards – led to the rapid expansion of oil olives in the state. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report, California olive oil production jumped from 2 million pounds in 2006 to an average of 21 million pounds in 2021–23. 

With about 37,000 acres of oil olives planted across California, the Olive Oil Commission of California saw the need to support the production of this manual. Championed by Dan Flynn, founder and executive director emeritus of the UC Davis Olive Center, Wang and co-editor Louise Ferguson outlined the contents of the book. They then sought out a mix of growers and industry professionals and UCCE advisors and specialists to write its chapters.

“Most of the information is data-based, from people who are working with the olives,” said Ferguson, a UC Cooperative Extension pomologist at UC Davis. “This is the first data-based olive oil production manual we've had.”

Manual infused with firsthand insights, practical recommendations

Hard-earned experience taught growers a valuable lesson that is conveyed in the book – the need to hand-prune. While mechanical pruning helps control the size of the trees, some hand-pruning is still required to allow light to filter to the leaves. Failing to do so leads to a dramatic decrease in yield.

“That happened in many of the orchards that were inexperienced in these new cultivars and new super-high-density planting systems,” Ferguson said.

She added that other key topics in the manual include irrigation management in a water-constrained state, nitrogen management, harvest timing and orchard site selection. Choosing a good spot for planting is crucial in this era of extreme climate volatility, Ferguson noted, as olive trees are significantly affected by temperature shocks in spring (fruit set) and fall (harvest).

For Wang, another overarching theme in the manual is the importance of testing. Testing the soil, water and leaves provides critical data that growers can use to adjust their inputs and production practices for optimal profitability.

“You may spend a couple hundred dollars on the lab work, but it will pay off, for sure – you're going to increase the health and productivity of your trees,” Wang explained. “Oil olive growers are paid based on the oil content in their fruit; you not only want to have a lot of fruit on the trees, you want to make sure that your fruit are accumulating oil.”

California oil olive growers, practices continue to evolve

Wang and Ferguson hope their book will help California producers compete more effectively in the global marketplace. Currently, about 90% of the olive oil consumed in the U.S. is imported from Mediterranean countries, due primarily to the lower price point. In that region, producers tend to harvest riper olives that produce oil at a greater volume but lesser quality.

In contrast, California growers harvest earlier and produce oil that is higher quality (with more flavor and more antioxidants) and far exceeds accepted standards for “extra virgin olive oil.”

According to Wang, California olive oil mills have nearly maximized their efficiency, and the growth opportunity for the industry is in the orchards: to optimize practices to produce more fruit, and to plant more trees. Wang said the new manual can help on both fronts.

“Just like for other crops, focusing on quality – while increasing efficiency and productivity, and therefore profitability – is the name of the game,” she said.

Ferguson also stressed that knowledge continues to evolve and urged growers to reach out to the editors and chapter authors with their experiences.

“Most of the authors are in California and they're working,” she said. “So if you start to notice things that are different, or you want more information or something is not clear, the authors are available.”

The manual can be purchased at https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=3559.

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