May 15, 2023 – To adapt to climate change, Karuk Tribe members identified the importance of monitoring climate stress on plant species and actively managing and restoring healthy ecosystem processes to increase the consistency and quality of their food harvests, according to a new report. The Karuk Tribe’s Aboriginal Territory encompasses over a million acres […]
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
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University of California Cooperative Extension seeks statewide input to develop future wildfire programs
February 9, 2023 – University of California Cooperative Extension invites English- and Spanish-speaking adults in California and natural resource professionals to complete a 15-minute anonymous survey to inform the development of wildfire-related education and outreach programs. Results of the survey will guide local and statewide programming at UCCE and be used to inform organizations, policymakers […]
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CalFresh Healthy Living, UC helps connect Native youth with Native foods
January 10, 2023 – More than a tutoring center, the Foothill Indian Education Alliance facility in Placerville also provides cultural activities for youth in El Dorado and Amador counties affiliated with a broad diversity of Native American tribes. In addition to traditional crafts like drum- and jewelry-making, the center began offering a food component last […]
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Where do fall colors come from?
Did you ever wonder why trees “turn” color in the fall? The short answer: It’s primarily a function of long, cool fall nights and short, sunny days. The longer answer? Chlorophyll is responsible for the basic green color of leaves we see in spring and summer and is a necessary component of photosynthesis, which uses […]
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New California Organic Research Agenda available online
Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) has published the new California Organic Research Agenda (CORA), a comprehensive report that examines current needs and challenges of organic farmers and ranchers across California and provides policy and research recommendations to address producer-identified issues. The CORA report is a companion to OFRF’s 2022 National Organic Research Agenda. The national organic […]
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How Can California Protect Its Water Supply From Wildfire?
It’s intuitive that wildfires can affect ecosystems, harm wildlife and contaminate streams and rivers. But wildfires can also have complex, severe and direct effects on our water supply and infrastructure—effects that have only become clear in recent years. Scientists and policymakers must integrate insights and experience from many disciplines and sectors to understand and address […]
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CalFresh can be used at farmers markets, but many recipients unaware
Over the past year, farmers markets in Marin and Sonoma counties have seen an increase in the number of shoppers using CalFresh (known nationally as SNAP or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and Market Match. A recent study conducted by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), found that CalFresh benefits distributed in […]
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Protecting homes in wildfire-prone communities covered in new publication
January 29, 2021 – A team of California and Nevada fire scientists have produced a booklet with step-by-step guidance on retrofitting an existing home to be more resilient to fire. Susie Kocher, UC Cooperative Extension forestry and natural resources advisor and co-author of the new guide, said some homeowners feel powerless to protect their homes […]
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UC ANR releases new publication that synthesizes scientific knowledge on annual rangeland
January 7, 2021 – Decades of research-based knowledge about the history, physical characteristics and vegetation in California annual grassland, oak-woodland and chaparral ecosystems has been consolidated in a new nine-part PDF document. The 200-page publication, The Ecology and Management of Annual Rangeland Series, is available for free download from the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources catalog. The series […]
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UC ANR: Native people take a different view of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving can be a time of celebration, gratitude and sharing. It is also often a time when people assist the most vulnerable in our communities, through donations to food banks, volunteer service at missions and shelters, and similar acts of compassion coinciding with the start of a difficult cold season for those without adequate resources. […]
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Proper land management can help forest owners ease wildfire risk following mass tree die-off
September 10, 2020 – The massive die-off of conifers in the Sierra Nevada between 2012 and 2018 was predictable and unprecedented. Sadly, it is also likely to happen again, said UC Cooperative Extension forestry advisor Susie Kocher. To help landowners manage forests in a way that minimizes the risk of such catastrophic tree die-off and the […]
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Climate-change research provides tools for farmers to adapt
June 29, 2020 – This is one of a series of stories featuring a sampling of UC ANR academics whose work exemplifies the public value UC ANR brings to California. Farmers are already seeing the effects of warmer winter nights and hotter summer days on their crops. Climate change is gradual, but increasing overall temperatures […]
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How has the coronavirus pandemic impacted California food, agriculture and environment?
June 4, 2020 – COVID-19 continues to affect parts of California agriculture in different ways. A new report from agricultural economists at the University of California examines the current and long-term impacts on California’s leading agricultural industries. Profiles in the report illustrate the different ways the pandemic has impacted dairy, beef and produce – industries […]
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New UC studies outline costs of producing irrigated pasture in the Sierra Nevada foothills
May 12, 2020 – Two new studies on the costs and returns of establishing and producing irrigated pasture in the Sierra Nevada Foothills have been released by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Agricultural Issues Center. Ranchers in Nevada, Placer and surrounding counties may find the cost estimates useful for planning. Based on 40 acres of […]
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Urban ag supplies fresh fruits and vegetables, part of a healthy diet
April 16, 2020 – Even as Californians shelter in place to contain the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, nutritious food remains vital to the health and well-being of our communities. “Eating fruits and vegetables is known to benefit our overall health and help our immune system,” said Lorrene Ritchie, director of the UC Nutrition Policy […]
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Volunteers needed to stop SOD from killing oak trees
March 9, 2020 – In California, sudden oak death disease has killed more than 50 million of the state’s iconic oaks and tanoak trees between Humboldt County and Monterey County, threatening survival of several tree species. In 2019 alone, 1 million tanoaks succumbed to sudden oak death (SOD), according to 2019 tree mortality data released […]
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Humboldt County’s Prescribed Burn Association teaches the value of fire
February 6, 2020 – On a crisp and clear morning late last year, around 20 volunteer firefighters, landowners and community members gathered on a plot of land outside of the small rural community of Kneeland in Humboldt County. They listened intently to detailed instructions on how to safely burn 20 acres of private property that […]
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UCCE offers Citrus Preservation Class in Nevada County
December 20, 2019 – Sue Mosbacher, UCCE Master Food Preserver Program Coordinator, Central Sierra is pleased to offer a citrus preservation class to the community in Nevada County: Thursday, January 23 from 12 – 3pm, at the Grass Valley Veterans Building, 255 South Auburn in Grass Valley. Join UC Master Food Preservers as they step […]
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To protect California ecosystem services, they must be valued
November 21, 2019 – The ecosystem services of landscapes in California are essential to the state’s future, but many people take them for granted. In addition to direct economic outputs, working landscapes – farms, rangelands, forests and fisheries, to name a few – sequester carbon, capture water, support wildlife, offer picturesque views and make space […]
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California’s working landscape generates $333 billion in sales, 1.5 million jobs
November 8, 2019 – California’s working landscape and the industries associated with agriculture and natural resources contribute significantly to the state’s economy, according to a new study by the California Community Colleges Centers of Excellence for Labor Market Research, California Economic Summit and the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “When people think of California’s economy, […]