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
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UC ANR in the News
Read highlights of the latest news coverage here.
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Please note that we are sheltering in place to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We offer many resources and trainings online, including community resources related to the pandemic, and you can always connect with us by email, phone or video conference. Stay healthy!
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UC Master Gardener
mini-conference
Sept. 29–Oct. 2, 2020
Online
The 2020 UC Master Gardener Conference is now the FREE virtual mini-conference. All levels of gardeners are welcome, and so is the general public! We will live stream to the UC Master Gardener YouTube channel and Facebook page. All sessions will be recorded and posted on YouTube, but we hope you can join us LIVE.
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Your Home Orchard: All About Apples & Pears
October 10, 2020
Online, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The UCCE Master Gardeners of Amador County are presenting a free, online class on all things pertaining to apples and pears. The class will cover orchard planning, apple and pear biology, history, variety selection, care, maintenance and harvesting. Register here.
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After the LNU Fire: What to do on the land, and what to avoid
This recorded webinar covers fire impacts on oak woodlands, rangelands, orchards and vineyards, plus restoration and erosion control options, and financial assistance programs.
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Organic Farming Virtual Training
Farmers who want to learn organic production practices for California specialty crops can now get training online. The course includes updates on the latest scientific research and practical information for beginning or transitioning organic farmers of fruit, nuts, vegetables and other specialty crops.
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Spotlight on Practical Resources
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If you have more fresh peppers than you can use right now, you can dry them for later use. It does not matter if they are chili peppers, bell peppers or other varieties. And it does not matter if you have an electric food dehydrator or not. Peppers can be air dried, sun dried, dried in the oven or dried in an electric food dehydrator. Read this UC Master Food Preserver blog post to learn more.
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Hispanic Heritage Month honorees
UC ANR is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month 2020 (September 15-October 15) with a variety of stories, forums and activities. We’re also recognizing the work of three Latino professionals who serve their communities while always upholding UC ANR values: Claudia Diaz - 4-H youth development advisor for Riverside and San Bernardino counties; Sonia Ríos - Subtropical horticulture advisor for Riverside and San Diego counties; and Javier Miramontes - Nutrition program supervisor for Fresno county.
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Read the latest UC ANR staff news here.
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Social media post of the month
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The massive die-off of conifers in the Sierra Nevada between 2012 and 2018 was predictable and unprecedented. Sadly, it is also likely to happen again, said UC Cooperative Extension forestry advisor Susie Kocher. UCCE forest health specialist Jodi Axelson, Stanford graduate student Devin McMahon and Kocher produced a 20-page publication that summarizes current research on tree mortality and outlines actions that can be taken to make the forest more resilient and reduce wildfire risk.
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University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
2801 Second Street
Davis, CA 95618
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