Farm Continued from Page 11
Last November, the Center for Agroecology and UC Merced were desig- nated as agricultural experiment stations, a category previously reserved for UC’s land grant campuses in Davis, Riverside and Berkeley. “Being an ag experiment station is a rec- ognition of some of the work we’ve done in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems,” Wong said. “It will allow us to use some funding streams we haven’t been able to. We’re hoping it will give us more reliable funding for the work we do.” Funding is already coming in. Wong said the Center for Agroecology received $10 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support “next-generation farmers research.” He added, “We’re excited to see students doing organic research.” USDA has a $200 million project to help smaller farmers gain market access and UC has been designated as the lead agen- cy for the western region, which includes Utah, Arizona and Nevada. The UC Santa Cruz farm is the hub for 11 coastal coun- ties. Once studies are complete, USDA will invest another $200 million in infrastruc- ture for the initiative. In June, the Center for Agroecology re- ceived a $100,000 grant from the UC Santa Cruz Center for Coastal Climate Resilience for a research trial on no-till practices for microfarms and urban gardens. The pi- lot project will create research plots at the
Darryl Wong, executive director of the Center for Agroecology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, leads research efforts to improve organic farming practices. The center and university farm were designated as an agricultural experiment station.
university farm and the campus Chadwick Gardens to support additional research on no-till microfarms in the coastal region. Students at UC Santa Cruz current- ly learn on a 3-acre plot set aside for hand-scale techniques that would be most appropriate for urban farming and a 12-acre plot used for tractor-scale techniques that would be used by small farmers. In addition to Muramoto’s des- ignation as a UCCE organic systems specialist, the growing agroecology pro- gram is bringing on board another UCCE
advisor specializing in agriculture and climate change. Ongoing research will look at ways to prevent nitrate leaching during rainy winters. “We’re also looking for increased funding for a broad range of research,” Wong said. Every Thursday afternoon, students, faculty and neighbors come to the barn near the base of the Santa Cruz campus. There, organic vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers are sold at a farm stand. Food not sold at the weekly farm stand
goes to campus food pop-up stands, which donate boxes to students facing food insecurity. High registration fees and high rent in the Santa Cruz area mean that many uni- versity students need help with food secu- rity, Wong said. “It comes full circle,” he said. “The stu- dents grow this food, and some of it goes back to students who need it.” (Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey County. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.)
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12 Ag Alert August 23, 2023
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