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AgNet West
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Growing Produce
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Woodland Daily Democrat
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The Vantage Point
Glenda Humiston
Vice President
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
I’d like to begin this month’s
Connected
newsletter with a few brief budget and organizational updates.
Now that the California Legislature has finished its work on the state budget for fiscal year 2018-19, I can report that the UC ANR budget is being held flat; in other words, we have the same amount of funding from the state for the upcoming year as we had this year. While we appreciate that ANR did not suffer additional cuts, we still need to deal with unfunded obligations of $4 million to $5 million. This results from the UC system getting an increase of 3% in the coming fiscal year, which will cause increases in salaries and benefits. We are managing this $4 million to $5 million in unfunded obligations in three ways:
- We are slowing down hiring of UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) advisors & specialists throughout the state.
- Statewide programs are developing additional cuts to already reduced budgets.
- UC ANR Research and Extension Centers (RECs) are reducing the subsidy that has been provided for research projects at the RECs.
Our priority during this process is to keep UCCE advisors in the field and minimize harm to program delivery. We are fortunate that recent work on administrative efficiencies has provided some savings that we can utilize for our programs and UCCE mission.
On a brighter note, we have had good meetings with the Advisory Committee that is looking at how UC ANR is structured and funded. The Advisory Committee has now met a few times and has received many background materials on UC ANR. Future meetings will dig into how UC ANR allocates funds and prioritizes program delivery. The Advisory Committee will begin interviewing UC ANR stakeholders in the next few weeks.
In other news, we have some terrific events coming up in July:
- On Thursday, July 12, join us at the 62nd annual Weed Day to tour weed science research plots and learn about the latest University of California weed research. The day is hosted by the Weed Research and Information Center, an interdisciplinary collaboration that fosters and distributes research in weed management for the benefit of agriculture and the preservation of natural resources.
- Next, on July 16-18, UC ANR is hosting an invitation-only workshop, The Future of Water for Irrigation in California and Israel, to bring together scientists, Cooperative Extension academics, stakeholders and policy makers to examine the future of water use in semi-arid agriculture and to discuss the policy and economics necessary for sustainability. Israel and California are two of the world's leaders in irrigation and agricultural water use science. The agriculture industries of both California and Israel rely heavily on developed water resources for irrigation, and as water economies become tighter, the partnership between science and policy has become vital, especially if we still want to feed the world and preserve the environment. Sponsored by the US/Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development (BARD) Program, UC ANR’s California Institute for Water Resources and the Israel Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, the workshop kicks off with remarks by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture; Shlomi Kofman, Consul General, Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest; Mark Bell, Vice Provost, UC ANR; and Doug Parker, Director of the UC ANR California Institute for Water Resources; and includes the signing of a memorandum of understanding between UC ANR, UC Davis and the Israel Agricultural Research Organization. This is just one example of how UC ANR partners with others to extend new knowledge about agricultural and natural resource management, promoting economic prosperity.
- Wrapping up July is the 2018 California 4-H State Leadership Conference on July 26-29. This annual conference brings together youth from across California for leadership training, skill building, networking and a memorable learning experience. The 4-H Youth Development Program is delivered locally in every county in California through the Cooperative Extension offices, which are part of UC ANR. 4-H is a fantastic platform through which to foster curiosity, encourage discovery and inspire kids to learn what their passion is. UC ANR is recognized as a nationwide leader in researching and addressing inclusion and diversity in youth programs. UC ANR’s youth and community development programs equip the next generation for college, successful careers and to be active participants in their communities. Last year, the California 4-H Youth Development Program served more than 109,000 youth members who were supported by 15,471 caring and enthusiastic adult volunteers.
- I’d also like to give a shout out to Missouri 4-H and University of Missouri Extension for hosting the 2018 National 4-H Film Festival, an event that helps youth become producers, not just consumers, of digital media. It takes place in Columbia, Missouri, from July 29 to August 1.
As always, please share
Connected
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subscribe.
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Forestry Institute for Teachers
July 8-14, 2018
Humboldt State University
Arcata, CA 95521
The
Forestry Institute for Teachers (FIT)
is high-quality professional development that provides cross-curriculum (Math, Language Arts, Science, History, etc.) training that emphasizes and models Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards while examining current forestry issues.
FIT is a multi-day residence workshop developed by the Northern California Society of American Foresters, University of California Cooperative Extension, Shasta County Office of Education, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and Project Learning Tree. Since 1993, more than 2,600 teachers have graduated from the program.
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California 4-H State Leadership Conference
July 26-29, 2018
UC Davis
Davis, CA 95616
The annual
California 4-H State Leadership Conference
brings together youth, ages 13-19, from across California for leadership training, networking and a fun and memorable learning experience. Participants also experience a slide of college life by living in University of California, Davis residence halls, eating in the dining commons, and attending educational sessions, many of which are taught by UC Davis faculty and staff.
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This is just a sampling of our events. See more events in
our calendar
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Spotlight on Practical Resources
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Growing the Valley Podcast
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Growing the Valley is
a new podcast hosted by two University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) farm advisors,
Phoebe Gordon and
Luke Milliron. Gordon is UCCE orchard systems advisor in Madera and Merced counties and Milliron is UCCE orchard systems advisor for Butte, Tehama and Glenn counties. Primarily focused on the Central Valley of California, the podcast will feature brief research reports and timely information about the orchard crop industry, as well as interviews with USDA and university researchers and industry professionals. The podcast is intended for current and future farmers, pest control advisors, industry representatives and the public. Perfect for downloading and listening to in your truck!
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Fire season is here: Is your ranch ready?
With record-setting forage production in our part of the Sierra foothills, many of us are preparing for another challenging fire season. Like our neighbors, we need to create a fire-safe space around our homes; we also need to think about protecting ranch infrastructure and livestock. If you haven't prepared a ranch fire safety plan, or even if you have one in place, the beginning of fire season is a reminder that we all need to be prepared! Here are
a few ideas for putting together a plan for your operation
.
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More news from UC ANR
UC ANR staff news
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The
UC ANR Calendar
lists events hosted by our programs throughout California.
Check
to see what's happening in your neighborhoood!
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University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
2801 Second Street
Davis, CA 95618
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