Garden Continued from Page 11
Success of the research program at the farm depends on having a vibrant connec- tion with the small organic farmers who need research help. “The more we know about the research farmers need, the better we can do,” Bernau said. In one current study, an engineering professor on the Santa Cruz campus uses the farm to determine whether fog nets can be used to harvest water for drinking or irrigation. Other ongoing studies focus on organic soil treatments for nematodes in carrots, sustainable fish-raising systems and use of electric tractors to automate farming operations. Meanwhile, farm hoop houses that help foster a warmer microclimate in the coastal hillside are used to study warmer weather crops. “These hoop houses create a warmer environment than we could usually get in our climate,” Bernau said. “We had a great eggplant crop here last summer, and egg- plant doesn’t usually grow well here.” More than 150 students took credit in- ternships at the farm last year, and 500 took agroecology classes. The campus farm also helps supply fruits and vegetables for students who may face food insecurity amid the high
resources/instructional-videos.html . In addition, the center makes available guides on specialty crops and small farm viability at https://agroecology.ucsc.edu/ resources/publications/index.html. (Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey County. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.) Interns, left, tend to vegetables being grown in a hoop house at the campus farm at the University of California, Santa Cruz, run by the university’s Center for Agroecology. The farm is a testing ground for a variety of organic crops, including blueberries, above, which were introduced there 15 years ago despite doubts that they could be a successful crop in the region. They are now a regular feature among organic staples produced by the farm.
costs of living in Santa Cruz. Many of the programs headquartered at the farm are oriented toward farmers and other community members. Beginning in 2018, the agroecology program developed a program to help new farmers and ranchers nation- wide evaluate their progress. The pro-
gram is called Gaining Results through Evaluation Work, or GREW. Some 2,400 farmers and other community members attended workshops at the farm last year, and 1.4 million viewed the farm’s online how-to videos for farmers and gardeners. The videos are available online at https://agroecology.ucsc.edu/
YOUR VOTE COUNTS California Rice Industry
Please cast your ballot and have your voice heard!
IN EARLY FEBRUARY, all rice growers and handlers will receive information from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) regarding the upcoming continuation referendum for the California Rice Commission. Every five years, a vote of all industry members is required to determine if the industry wishes to continue operations of the Commission. If you do not receive a ballot, please contact CDFA’s Ben Kardokus directly at (916) 749-5473. If you have any questions, please contact the CRC office at (916) 387-2264 .
12 Ag Alert February 14, 2024
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