ANR blogs
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Other news blogs written by UC ANR staff and academics:
Los Angeles Agriculture
History, current information, and human interest stories about agriculture in Los Angeles County
By Rachel Surls, UC Cooperative Extension Los Angeles County director
VictoryGrower
Encouraging school, home and community gardens!
By Rose Hayden-Smith, UC Cooperative Extension Ventura County director
Web Communications Tip of the Week
Best practices for web communications
By Cynthia Kintigh, UC Communications Services marketing director
Bug Squad
Happenings in the insect world.
By Kathy Keatley Garvey, Public Information Representative
UC Davis Department of Entomology
Daily news blog
Olive harvest underway in SonomaPosted 11/19/2009 - The Sonoma Press-Democrat ran a brief story today about the beginning of the olive harvest in the Northern California County better known for vineyards. Although olive production in the area is no match in size for the long-established grape industry, the crop's novelty and quality attract attention. “There are about 600 acres and 150 growers,” the story quoted Paul Vossen, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Sonoma County. By comparison, the county boasts 60,000 acres of...
Sterile light brown apple moths released in CarnerosPosted 11/18/2009 - USDA scientists released 3,000 sterile light brown apple moths yesterday in a Carneros vineyard, according to an article in the Sonoma Index-Tribune. The scientists hope that flooding the environment with sterile moths will prevent females from mating with normal moths and producing offspring. Reporter Emily Charrier-Botts wrote that UC Davis entomologist James Carey does not expect the program to be successful. He said releasing sterile insects has eradicated only one pest in history - the...
Good job outlook attracts students to ag schoolsPosted 11/17/2009 - The Associated Press this morning reported that enrollment in agriculture schools across the nation is growing, even though the number of farms tumbles. Reporter David Mercer provided statistics from a survey of ag schools by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Enrollment in bachelor's degree programs in agriculture, the survey said, increased 21.8 percent from 2005 to 2008, from about 58,300 students to nearly 71,000. The story gave specific information about the UC Davis College of...
Desert farmers face a new pest threatPosted 11/16/2009 - Farmers growing vegetables in Southern California and Arizona deserts had to contend with a new pest this fall. The Bagrada bug - a native of East and Southern Africa, Egypt, Zaire and Senegal - made its first appearance in the area, posing especially significant problems to organic farmers, according to an article in Capital Press. Bagrada bugs were introduced to California last year in Los Angeles and San Diego counties. This past August, farmers began seeing the pest in broccoli,...
The California NPR affiliate reports on Small Farm Program closurePosted 11/13/2009 - The fate of UC's Small Farm Program was the center of a nearly five-minute story on this morning's California Report radio news program. Central Valley bureau chief Sasha Khokha opened her story on the east Fresno farm of strawberry grower Chang Fong. He and his family have for years worked with Fresno County UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Richard Molinar and his assistant Michael Yang, cooperating on research and gleaning information on farm safety, plant diseases, pests and other ag...
