Agriculture

No, it's not Valentine's Day, yet. Yes, the almonds are blooming. No, it's not spring. But it looks like spring in Benicia. The almonds are blooming in the Benicia (Calif.) State Recreation Area. Some are on the road at the entrance to the park. Other trees are also blooming.

1. 2019 California Plant and Soil Conference February 5-6, 2019 DoubleTree Hotel & Fresno Convention Center 2233 Ventura Street, Fresno, CA 93721 Tel: 559-268-1000. http://calasa.ucdavis.

When you're munching on French fries or potato chips, you're probably not thinking about the potato psyllid. But you should be. You should especially be thinking about the zebra chip. No, it's not a newly marketed potato chip or computer chip.

Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County Client's Request: Thank you for calling the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk this morning with a question about your young peach tree.

It's not outlandish now, if it ever were. A recent article in Science headlined "Once Considered Outlandish, the Idea that Plants Help their Relatives Is Taking Root," and dealing with how plants communicate, is drawing widespread attention.

We have a winner! Several UC Davis bumble bee enthusiasts--encouraged by native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor of entomology--compete every January to find the first bumble bee of the year in Yolo and Solano counties. It's a friendly competition.

My name is Valentina Evans, and I am a new volunteer at the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center. My partners Benjamin Evans, and Zane Petersen have chosen to volunteer with me at the HREC for our senior project at Ukiah High School.

Doesn't Santa give everyone a Mexican redknee tarantula for Christmas? Oh, you didn't get yours? Well, Delsin Russell, 9, of Vacaville, did, and he and his mother journeyed Saturday, Jan.

UC Davis alumnus and molecular biologist Grace Jones, 67, a member of the University of Kentucky (UK) faculty since 1984 and a longtime member of the Bruce Hammock lab at UC Riverside and UC Davis, died Jan. 12 at the university hospital of complications from a severe stroke she suffered in 2000.

The National 4-H Council has named Elisabeth Watkins from San Joaquin County the winner of the 2019 4-H Youth in Action Award for Healthy Living. She will receive a $5,000 scholarship for higher education and will serve as an advocate and spokesperson for 4-H Healthy Living programming.