UC Delivers

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  Pest Management Alliances lead to IPM adoption

  Farmers are facing increasing regulation of pesticides, in part the result of environmental concerns about pesticides in water supplies and health effects on farmworkers.

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  Addressing fire in California's foothills

  Fire has always been a natural part of California's ecosystem, but more than 50 years of fire suppression have allowed large amounts of fuel to accumulate. This has increased both the intensity of fires and their impact on the environment. To add to the dilemma, more people are moving into these forest lands, increasing the chance of a fire starting and complicating management of fires once they start.

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  Seed to Table Education Exposes Children to Fresh Produce

  Despite California’s agricultural bounty, many Contra Costa County children lack knowledge of where their food comes from; they have never been to a farm, nor have they eaten freshly harvested produce. Many are from low-income families and do not have access to healthy foods at home. Research shows that a diet low in produce is associated with poor health outcomes, including obesity and impaired school performance. Childhood obesity rates in Contra Costa County range from 36% to 44%.

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  Biological Control Offers Control of Eucalyptus Pest

  The eucalyptus snout beetle, Gonipterus scutellatus, was discovered defoliating eucalyptus trees in Ventura County in March 1994. This insect has been introduced accidentally into several eucalyptus-growing regions around the world from Australia and has caused extensive damage wherever it has become established. Female beetles deposit hard brown egg capsules on shoots and young leaves. Both adults and larvae consume young and tender leaves, buds, and shoots. Extensive feeding completely defoliates trees and kills branches, while intermediate levels of defoliation retard growth and affect tree shape.

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  4-H develops Junk Drawer Robotics to teach youth science and engineering

  The prosperity of the United States relies upon our investment in educating and preparing future scientists and innovators to provide solutions to vexing environmental, economic, and social problems. Science, engineering, and technology rely upon one another and all have a vital role in ensuring the prosperity of our nation. However, engineering programs are still rare within K-12 school walls and in out-of-school time programs.

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  2018 National Youth Summit on Agri-Science “opened eyes” of CA teens to how agricultural science applies to their daily lives

  Youth today are confused about where their food comes from. Children have been quoted as saying cheese comes from plants and pasta from animals (Newsweek, 2017). This confusion is no surprise, as only two percent of Americans live on farms today, disconnected with food and agricultural production. Further, most of the youth today are not aware of the science of food, agriculture, and production, or the need for young people to consider careers in these fields. Creative minds are needed so that we can address the looming worldwide food shortages in the future.

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  4- H Avian Embryology School Enrichment Project

  Animal Science projects have been a primary tool for instructing youth about the food production process in the United States. As fewer people are involved with agriculture for a living and more people live in urban rather than rural areas, the ability for youth, or adults, to have hands-on experiences in agriculture is diminished.

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  A New Vegetable Garden Increased Community Spirit

  The Eastside Neighborhood, one of the oldest residential areas of the City of Riverside, is also one of the poorest. More than half of the adults and almost a quarter of the teenagers were considered overweight in 2012 when Kaiser Permanente funded the Heal Zone Initiative to improve the community’s overall wellness through education and increased access to healthy local food. The Community Settlement Association (CSA), founded over 100 years ago to help immigrants from Mexico settle into Riverside, now provides social services and food distributions to the Eastside residents. The Association needed assistance to revitalize the existing garden to help residents have access to fresh produce.

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  Business planning helps small farms in a challenging economy

  Small-scale foothill farmers and ranchers are known for the quality of their products. However, excellent animal or crop production skills, hard work and dedication may not be sufficient to maintain an economically viable farm business. No matter how good their product, farmers and ranchers who lack the business and marketing skills critical to a viable small business may not be successful.

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