Greetings from UCCE Central Sierra!

We hope you’re staying cool in the heat of summer and encourage you to read the UC Master Gardeners Water Saving Tips to help conserve water during this period of drought. While it is exciting to see so many groups, meetings, and workshops returning to an in-person platform, we’re finding for some things, a virtual format still works better for our clientele. Either way, Central Sierra staff continue their commitment to bring researched based information to our community, regardless of format. Read on to meet some of the new faces working with UCCE Central Sierra, and as always, thank you for your continued interest in our news, workshops, and events! Take care, stay cool, and stay healthy.

Sincerely,
JoLynn Miller
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University of California Cooperative Extension
Central Sierra Nevada
Multi-County Partnership

The Central Sierra foothill region produces a wide variety of agriculture commodities. The University of California brings research and outreach to area farms to assist with growing and cultural practices, pest and disease management, and more!
UCCE Central Sierra Hires Local Food Systems Advisor
Hardeep Singh started June 1, 2022 as a Local Food Systems Advisor with UCCE Central Sierra. Singh comes to us from the UCCE Fresno office where he worked as an Assistant Specialist in small farms and specialty crops. Hardeep is from Punjab, India and has worked closely with Southeast Asian small farmers, African American farmers, Latino farmers, and Punjabi farmers to serve their multicultural needs through his research and extension activities in Fresno County. Hardeep has been assisting and training small farmers in healthy soil practices, Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program, Corona Virus Food Assistance Program, and UCSF Covid-19 Equity Project. Hardeep also has prior work experience as intern in vineyard operations with UCCE Fresno and as a research assistant in plant physiology lab at Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology in Fresno.
Singh holds a Master’s degree in Plant science from California State University, Fresno with a distinction as Dean’s Graduate Medalist. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India. Singh has a research background in various crops such as moringa, cover crops, wine grapes, almonds, pistachios, and citrus. Singh has a research experience in irrigation scheduling and nutrition management in moringa, wine grapes, almonds, and citrus. Singh has a research interest in developing crop coefficients, studying nitrogen dynamics in specialty crops, and reducing production costs for small farms. This aligns with Singh’s goal to contribute towards poverty reduction by engaging with socially disadvantaged communities and further agricultures drive towards greater self-sustainability.
You can reach Singh by email at hdsing@ucanr.edu or by phone at (559) 579-6065. He is based out of the Calaveras office, but covers all four counties in the Central Sierra.
Farm Advisor Wunderlich Retires After 22 Years
Serving Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado and Tuolumne counties, UC Cooperative Extension advisor Lynn Wunderlich was formally assigned to focus on viticulture and integrated pest management in the region. But her curiosity — as well as her dedication to meeting the wide-ranging needs of local communities — led her to develop expertise in an array of topics.
“That was both the challenge and the opportunity of being a foothill farm advisor — lots of small farms, lots of diverse agriculture, so I got to do some cool things,” said Wunderlich, who retired July 1. “To serve the needs of the clientele up here was very gratifying and interesting.”

Wunderlich earned her bachelor’s degree in bacteriology and plant pathology from University of Wisconsin-Madison and her master’s degree in plant protection and pest management from the University of California, Davis. After several years as a UCCE staff research associate in Ventura and Monterey counties, Wunderlich began as a UCCE farm advisor in 2000 for El Dorado and Amador counties.

Although initially tasked with supporting tree fruit and specialty crop growers in topics such as researching alternative methods for managing codling moths, Wunderlich soon found herself studying organizational dynamics and bylaws to help the Placerville Fruit Growers Association cooperative transition to become a limited liability company.
“It was really different than anything I’d been trained in before,” Wunderlich said.
That early experience set the tone for the rest of her career, as she continued to seek out — and share — knowledge across the expansive breadth of her work. In 2007 Wunderlich took on the viticulture role in Amador and El Dorado counties, where grape growers sought counsel on controlling a newly discovered pest.

“Every farm advisor has some quintessential moments of their career and Gill’s mealybug was one of mine,” Wunderlich recalled. “It’s really unique; it’s not found in very many places in California and it had never been described as a pest on wine grapes.”

In addition to developing effective management tactics for Gill’s mealybug, Wunderlich worked with growers and the late Doug Gubler, UCCE specialist emeritus, to set up seven powdery mildew stations and rain gauges across the foothills. The stations filled a great need in the region by providing accessible, applicable pest and disease forecasting and precipitation data.
Crediting her colleagues’ tutelage, Wunderlich also deepened her understanding of the diverse soils in the foothills and the latest research on evapotranspiration on wine grapes – all in the name of delivering the most current and useful information to growers.

“Lynn provided our growers excellent guidance, knowledge and networking with a passionate thirst for continued discovery, and she always brought her wonderful smile and signature friendly demeanor to our farms and meetings,” said Chuck Mansfield, general manager of Goldbud Farms in Placerville. “Farming often goes hand-in-hand with setbacks but Lynn’s continued pursuit of knowledge offered our growers motivation, hope, new strategies and ultimately success against many of the recent challenges presented by Mother Nature.”

When Christmas tree growers in the foothills found their white firs decimated by a phytophthora pathogen, Wunderlich helped them switch to Nordmann and Turkish firs, which were naturally resistant. She became one of only a few experts in the UC system on these conifers and, in one of her last accomplishments as farm advisor, organized the International Christmas Tree Research and Extension Conference in California earlier this month.

Another late-career highlight for Wunderlich was developing training materials on the proper calibration and use of air blast sprayers. Alongside Franz Niederholzer, UCCE farm advisor for Sutter, Yuba and Colusa counties, and UC integrated pest management colleagues Lisa Blecker, Petr Kosina and Cheryl Reynolds, Wunderlich developed, delivered and evaluated a curriculum that included both in-person classes and online components. Their efforts were recognized with an Achievement Award from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and the online course continues to be used today.
“It’s nice to be able to leave something like that behind; its principles are still valid, no matter what type of sprayer you’re using,” said Wunderlich, citing it as one of her enduring legacies.
In retirement Wunderlich said she plans to continue her lifelong learning and also spend more time with friends and family — especially on camping trips on the east side of the Sierra.
And, as for growers such as Mansfield, they hope Wunderlich will stay connected.
“While we are all very happy for Lynn, her presence will be sorely missed,” Mansfield said. “We hope Lynn remains a regular fixture and friend in our community.”
-Mike Hsu, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
Photo Credit: Robin Cleveland
8th California Oak Symposium
Sustaining Oak Woodlands Under Current and Future Conditions
Oct. 31-Nov. 3, 2022
Embassy Suites, San Luis Obispo, California

Join Us for the 8th Symposium to:
  • Listen to science based talks from leaders in academia, industry and agencies.
  • View thought provoking abstracts and posters from colleagues.
  • Experience tours of San Luis Obispo County's various Oak Woodland habitats.
  • Engage in discussions and network with other like-minded professionals, researchers, and scientists.
Presented by the University of California's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the 8th California Oak Symposium is intended for anyone involved in research, education, management, and conservation of California’s oak woodlands. This includes foresters, range managers, tribes, arborists, landowners, community groups, land trusts and policy makers. REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Forests and woodlands in the Central Sierra Nevada are beautiful, extensive, diverse and owned by both public and private landowners. Active management is needed to reduce forest density and to help forests recover after wildfire. The goal of the Central Sierra forestry program is to empower landowners to overcome these challenges.
California Forest Stewardship Workshop
Online August 24 - October 19, 2022 &
In-Person Saturday, September 17

Participants will utilize online resources on their own time to complete learning modules and short activities. Zoom meetings with all participants and presenters will take place once a week on Wednesdays, 6-7:30pm. The in-person field day (location in Amador or Calaveras county TBD) will cover silviculture, forest inventory, and mapping activities. Participants who complete the workshop will be eligible for a free site visit with a California Registered Professional Forester. Contact Kim Ingram with questions. Cost for the workshop is $60. REGISTER HERE
Post-Fire Workshop
Online September 6 - October 4, 2022 &
In-Person Thursday, 10/13 or Friday, 10/14

Participants will learn about managing forestland after wildfire using online resources on their own time to complete learning modules and short activities. Zoom meetings with all participants and presenters will take place once a week on Tuesdays from 6-7:30pm. The focus is on recent fires in the northern / central Sierra Nevada. The in-person field trips will visit the Dixie,
Caldor & Tamarack fires to see fire impacts, restoration needs and strategies and restoration projects on private and public lands. Contact Susie Kocher with questions.
Cost for the workshop is $25. REGISTER HERE
Motherlode Prescribed Burn Association Seeks Conservation Technician
Application Deadline: August 10, 2022
Status: Part time
Pay: Up to $30.00 per hour (based on qualification)
Duration of Position: Through July 2024. Additional funding and extended position duration possible
Grant Funding Provides Experienced Support Staff for Local Prescribed Burn Associations and Post-Fire Recovery Efforts
Kestrel Grevatt
Kestrel grew up in Vermont before attending the University of Southern California to obtain a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. While in school she worked seasonally on fuels crews with conservation corps and as a wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service. Finding a passion for field work and fire management, post-graduation she accepted a position with the American River Hotshots on the Tahoe National Forest. Working on forests throughout the U.S. and witnessing our shifting fire regime and the profound impacts of wildfires on communities and ecosystems inspired Kestrel to get involved in more long-term sustainable forest management and fire prevention efforts. She left fire suppression to work as an AmeriCorps Fellow through the Grizzly Corps program and was placed with the Berkeley Forests network of timber and fire research properties. After her term, Kestrel continued working with Berkeley Forests as a Crew Lead and now as Intern Forester. Through multiple seasons of suppression, prescribed burning, and harvest and fuels treatment implementation and oversight, Kestrel has developed a broad range of forestry and fire experience.
Daylin Wade
Daylin has several years of experience in forest management and monitoring in the Sierra Nevada. She studied physical geography and forestry at UC Berkeley and went on to work at UC Berkeley's Blodgett Forest Research Station. She managed forest health monitoring efforts for the California Tahoe Conservancy's Forest Habitat Enhancement Program, tracking the effects of forest thinning projects and wildfire on vegetation, songbirds, and more. Daylin also collaborated with UCCE on a publication (in press) reporting the effects of post-wildfire treatments on shrub dynamics in the Tahoe Basin. She is very excited to join UCCE's efforts to build resilience in Sierra Nevada forests by engaging with communities affected by fire. Daylin currently lives in Penn Valley, Nevada County where she helps to manage her family's 10-acre organic vegetable farm part-time. She loves growing vegetables, flowers and medicinal plants, recreating outdoors whenever possible (especially in the Yuba River and the High Sierra) and introducing her two-year-old daughter to these, and other good things in life.
New El Dorado/Amador PBA conducts private landowner burns

The new El Dorado/Amador Prescribed Burn association, formed in August 2021, has conducted several burns with private landowners and received funding for a part-time coordinator. A new group of local residents dedicated to helping private...

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ucanr.edu
The 4-H Youth Development Program offers educational opportunities for children, teens, families, and adults. 4-H helps young people to reach their full potential as competent, confident, leaders of character who contribute and are connected to their communities.
Enroll NOW for the 2022-2023 Program Year!
Have questions about 4-H? Contact centralsierrafourh@ucanr.edu

UCCE Master Gardeners are community members who have been trained under the direction of the University of California Cooperative Extension. Each volunteer has completed more than 50 hours of formal classroom training to provide practical scientific gardening information to the home gardeners.
Questions about your home garden or landscape? Interested in upcoming classes and events?
UCCE Master Gardeners are available to answer your questions!
Heritage Rose Garden of Amador County
Our garden is dedicated to old roses, native plants and a selection of old favorite annuals and perennials. It has matured immensely from 2019, when the plot was just a patch of weeds. Now it is bursting with color, fragrance and wildlife!

Not only will visitors see a delightful collection of plants, but also a bounty of handcrafted features not to be missed, including benches, trellises and found-object art.
Visitors can wander through the garden on their own or be guided by a member of the rose team.
Bloom times vary throughout the season, so visitors will be greeted with something new and wonderful each month.

The garden is dedicated to promoting integrated pest management, propagation, and energy-conserving garden practices designed to educate, encourage and inspire.
We are in the garden on Tuesday mornings; stop by and say hello. We are also open every third Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon through September.

There is always something to see at the Master Gardener Heritage Rose Garden. Please come see for yourself. We are located at 1334 Jackson Gate Road in Jackson, CA.

The UCCE Master Food Preserver program trains dedicated volunteers to assist the county UC Cooperative Extension staff provide up-to-date food preservation information. Our current program is active in El Dorado, Amador, Tuolumne, and Calaveras counties.
Ask a UC Master Food Preserver online, any time!
Plus sign up to get e-news, event updates and free class schedules delivered to your inbox each month. Subscribe Here

Through the CalFresh Healthy Living (CFHL) UCCE Central Sierra program, we teach free classes in local schools, community centers, libraries, and other public locations. Our classes show people how to choose, grow, cook, and enjoy affordable healthy foods, and how to make physical activity a regular and fun part of life. We also work to create environments where it’s easier for people to make healthy choices, by supporting school wellness policies, community and school gardens, walking clubs, and more.
More UCCE Central Sierra Programs
California is reopening all activities statewide, but it is important to remember that the pandemic is not over and COVID-19 remains a health threat. As we plan and implement a return to in-person ANR programs, we should stay informed about COVID-19 trends statewide and in our communities. Here are a few resources from the CDPH and other trusted sources.
 530-621-5502 | 888-764-9669 | cecentralsierra@ucdavis.edu | cecentralsierra.ucanr.edu