UC Blog
Valley strawberry farms get a publicity boost
The second best thing about May -- the first being Mother's Day, of course -- is sweet, fresh and flavorful Central Valley strawberries, especially those purchased at a roadside stand next to the field where they were grown. Even as the number of small-scale strawberry growers dwindle, the extraordinary fruit is getting some ink in Valley newspapers.
Today, the Sacramento Bee ran a business-section article about Southeast Asian farmers featuring Lo Saetern, who has grown "impossibly sweet strawberries" on 25 acres south of Sacramento for 11 years.
The article was prompted by a UC press event slated for 10 a.m. tomorrow at Saetern’s strawberry stand, corner of Florin and Elk Grove-Florin roads, Sacramento. The media are invited to taste fresh strawberries and hear about University of California and Farm Bureau efforts to support local farms, according to a UC news release.
The Sacramento Bee story said a research team, led by UC Berkeley's Jennifer Sowerwine, is seeking new ways to bring Mien- and Hmong-grown berries to market, including a pilot program to provide berries to Sacramento City Unified School District's lunch program. The program will serve 19,000 schoolchildren fresh local strawberries once a week.
Many Hmong and Mien immigrants were farmers in their homeland and have translated their knowledge to their new world.
"Under the radar, through family connections, the farm became the primary means for information and for the transferring of cultural institutions," Sowerwine is quoted in the story. "They're finding patches of land that are close to roads, at the threat of development and maintaining a bit of green in places that were once agricultural."
This week the Fresno Bee ran a follow-up to an April article on finding local, environmentally green strawberry stands. Food writer Joan Obra devoted her Tuesday column to reader feedback on the green strawberry story. As Obra often does, she sought assistance from the UC Cooperative Extension office in Fresno. Agricultural assistant Michael Yang was able to help her determine where certain preferred strawberry varieties are being grown.
UC researchers work with a Southeast Asian farmer.
Cooperative Extension system suggested for health care
Since imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, the nation's Cooperative Extension service got a tremendous compliment in an article that outlined a plan by UC San Francisco physician Kevin Grumbach.
He told a Washington gathering of family physicians that the federal government should establish a cooperative extension service modeled after the one created nearly 100 years ago by the USDA. The new system, administered by HHS, would help primary care physicians transform their practices into patient-centered medical homes, according to a story posted yesterday on the American Academy of Family Physicians Web site about Grumbach's April 23 presentation.
Grumbach's idea has "the real action" taking place at the local level, with county extension office personnel working directly with medical practices.
"(Local agents) would create a sense of local learning communities among all primary care practitioners in a county, or a group of counties, or in sparsely populated rural counties," Grumbach is quoted.
In his presentation, Grumbach noted that CE agents (in California, "advisors") are placed in every county to serve as "coaches" helping farmers adopt new technologies and new methods of farming. The agent also helps facilitate the sharing of best practices and the exchange of information.
"At this point, we know what a high-performing, advanced primary care medical home looks like," Grumbach is quoted. "The problem is, change is hard, particularly in primary care. While you are on that hamster wheel running as fast as you can, it is very hard to step off and engage in the process of practice change."
Grumbach's idea speaks to the genius of the cooperative extension model as it is currently offered to the agricultural industry, and the importance of ensuring it is not dismantled.
Kevin Grumbach
Fresno's Hmong farmer outreach on California Gold
The tireless efforts of UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Richard Molinar and agricultural assistant Michael Yang to aid Fresno County's immigrant farmers are featured on the PBS program "California Gold" this month.
The program was previewed in the Fresno market in April, and will be aired statewide as follows:
KPBS - San Diego 8 p.m. May 7 5:30 p.m. May 9 |
KVIE - Sacramento 9 p.m. May 7 7 p.m. May 19 |
KVPT - Fresno 9 p.m. May 7 7 p.m. May 18 |
KEET - Eureka 12:30 p.m. May 10 |
KVCR - San Bernardino 9 p.m. May 7 |
According to the California Gold Web site, the program's host, Huell Howser, visits "two farms that are growing some of the most interesting and unusual produce in California. From a small family farm to the largest Hmong farm in the county, it’s a wonderful day."
The show is currently only available for purchase on the Web site (about $30 for video or DVD), but it appears Howser is beginning to post some of his programs for free viewing online. I'll post a link when one becomes available.
Richard Molinar, left, and Michael Yang, center, with farmer Ka Neng Vang.
4-H's future contemplated in the media
Across the nation, 4-H programs are threatened by cuts in state and county spending, according to an Associated Press story by John Seewer distributed widely last week. The article recounted the dire situation in Ohio, Tennessee, Louisiana and Minnesota. Today, the Fresno Bee localized the article for California by adding comments from the assistant director of News and Information Outreach for ANR, Pam Kan-Rice. (The story does not yet appear on the Bee's Web site. If it is posted later today, I'll add a link here.)
According the print version, Kan-Rice told the newspaper that California 4-H is operated as a partnership between UC Cooperative Extension, the federal government, county government and private donations.
"If UC takes more budget cuts, then the Cooperative Extension could take more cuts," Kan-Rice was quoted. ""But at this point we just don't know until the state approves its budget."
The AP article reported these developments in 4-H funding around the country:
- Voters in one Ohio county will decide this month whether to approve a levy that will keep 4-H and other agriculture services operating.
- A 4-H center in Tennessee where youngsters learn swimming and canoeing is scheduled to close this summer.
- Washington County commissioners outside Minneapolis voted last month to eliminate the $130,000 it spends each year on 4-H.
- In Louisiana, a proposed $13.3 million cut for the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center would mean the loss of about 100 extension instructors and staff, including 4-H educators.
4-H logo
UCCE's Kent Brittan outlines 4-H swine flu precautions
The farm animals taking part in the Yolo County 4-H Spring Fair this weekend will be monitored for symptoms of flu and other diseases, according to UC Cooperative Exension director Kent Brittan. Brittan's comments were in an unbylined article in yesterday's Woodland Daily Democrat..
"All animals will be checked by a veterinarian upon arrival at the fairgrounds. Only animals that pass these health checks are allowed to be shown at the fair," Brittan was quoted. Brittan also said in the article that animals will be kept at a safe distance and will have no direct contact with visitors.
Health monitoring is of particular importance this spring because of a worldwide swine flu scare, which has been reported on extensively by the news media. Swine flu is a contagious respiratory disease that affects pigs. When the flu spreads person to person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it harder to treat or fight, because people have no natural immunity.
According to media reports, such as this one from CNN.com, the World Health Organization is warning of widespread human infection from the swine flu outbreak that originated in Mexico.
The story in the Woodland paper also quoted UC Davis Cooperative Extension specialist Martin Smith as saying that "biosecurity is a priority in UC ANR."
"Because backyard flocks and herds serve as potential vectors of disease, and fairs and exhibitions where 4-H youth show animals represent potential bio-security risks, education outreach efforts that include practical strategies for 4-H have been developed and implemented," Smith is quoted.
Swine in repose.