The Vantage Point

Glenda Humiston 
Vice President
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

As I write this month’s column, fall is upon us. Leaves are starting to drop, harvest is underway for many crops and we get to enjoy a Blue Moon on Halloween! Gardeners are harvesting vegetables and, as is all too common, finding they have more than they can use while fresh. In this issue we spotlight UC Master Food Preservers - if you have more peppers than you can possibly use, take a look at how to dry them for future use. This is also a great time to take advantage of our virtual classrooms and conferences: join the free Master Gardener mini-conference, learn how to plant your own home orchard, or take the virtual organic farming training. If you’re interested, we have many classes available online! 
 
Unfortunately, for so many of us in California, fall also intensifies our fire season. My heart goes out to those impacted (in some cases, again!) by fire and smoke. We frequently talk about fire resiliency, but what does that really mean? Most of us view resiliency as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, a spirit of being able to endure despite the challenges. What this means for each of us depends upon the difficulties we’ve had to face, but if there’s one thing I know without a doubt, it’s that Californians are resilient. We’re innovative, we find solutions and we adapt. This month’s newsletter highlights some of ANR’s work with California’s communities to reduce wildfire risk through cattle grazing, to assess effects of smoke and ash on crops and livestock, and to provide guidance on measuring fire damage to rangelands, oaks, vineyards and more. We’re proud to be a part of building a better California and contributing to our collective ability to recover from the many difficulties that have been thrown our way this year.
 
As we continue to deal with the pandemic and fires and struggle with reopening schools and businesses, please stay safe out there. Take time to connect with family and friends. We’ll get through this together. 
 
Best wishes,
Glenda