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The Vantage Point
Glenda Humiston
Vice President
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
Cooperation is at the heart of UC Cooperative Extension and UC ANR more broadly. That’s why, during this season of gratitude, I’d like to express my heartfelt appreciation for the many wonderful partnerships and people who make our work successful – and that includes you! I hope you enjoy this monthly message that allows me to recognize just some of those partners who enrich our lives with their collegiality – and help accomplish our shared mission of improving the lives of Californians.
Earlier this month, I had the honor of attending the ribbon-cutting for the Sam Farr United States Crop Improvement and Protection Research Center, along with California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas; USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics Chavonda Jacobs-Young; and former U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.
The new facility in Salinas – which includes lab spaces, greenhouses and offices for affiliated researchers (including Steve Fennimore, UCCE weed specialist) – will expand the capacity of USDA’s Crop Improvement and Protection Research Unit. Working to improve the production of lettuce, spinach and melon and better protect crops against pests, the group includes Daniel Hasegawa, who has been a vital collaborator with UCCE emeritus advisor Richard Smith and farm advisor Yu-Chen Wang to develop countermeasures against the impatiens necrotic spot virus.
At the ceremony, it was a great pleasure to honor, in-person, Sam Farr, the retired U.S. congressman who represented the Central Coast from 1993 to 2016 and has been a staunch advocate for agricultural interests and Cooperative Extension. Legislative support and allyship – in D.C. and Sacramento – are crucial to advancing UC ANR research and extension activities that help our communities meet the challenges of invasive pests, drought, wildfire, extreme weather, food insecurity and economic inequity, among others.
During the annual meeting of the Council of State Governments West (CSG West) this month in Los Angeles, I emphasized to state legislators and staffers from across the West that science-based solutions are essential to addressing the region’s most pressing issues. Many thanks to Jackie Tinetti, policy analyst for CSG West, who invited me to participate in a very productive Agriculture and Water Committee meeting.
Jackie is among the new members of the UC President’s Advisory Commission on Agriculture and Natural Resources. My thanks and appreciation go out to Jackie, Manpreet Bains, Jaron Brandon, Matt Dias, Luna Latimer and Juliet Maestas – as well as to the longer-serving commissioners – for volunteering in this critical capacity and sharing their insights and perspectives to guide our work.
As valuable as UC ANR programs, projects, institutes and initiatives may be, they are only useful if the diverse communities of California know about them. With 2 out of 5 Californians identifying as Latino, the efforts of UC ANR’s News and Information Outreach in Spanish (NOS) are more important than ever.
At a UC regents meeting this month, NOS Manager Ricardo Vela shared some highlights from the team’s 40-plus years of experience in reaching Spanish-speaking people. He showed a Spanish-language video that boosted participation in a breakfast program for schoolchildren, and – alongside Josie Huerta of Entravisión/Univisión – discussed their joint campaign to inform California residents who speak Mixteco, Zapoteco, Triqui and Purépecha about COVID vaccination. I was so happy to hear that several regents remarked that NOS is an outreach model to emulate across the UC. I couldn’t agree more!
During those meetings, while I was giving an introductory overview of UC ANR for the new regents, I felt both tremendous pride in the work that we accomplish together – and immense gratitude for all our staff, academics, volunteers and supporters. The breadth of our scope, from Siskiyou to San Diego, and the depth of our impact, from healthier environments to stronger communities, are only possible through your hard work and tireless advocacy.
Thank you so much for your ingenuity, energy and dedication – and for your generous contribution to today’s GivingTuesday campaign, if you wish to participate! I wish you and your loved ones a most joyful holiday season.
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