UC Blog
Olive trees to be added to ag assessment program
The California Senate Agriculture Committee has approved a bill that would add oil olive trees to the list of crops that are subject to a 1 percent state levy, according to a statement released by Sen. Anthony Cannella, one of the two sponsors.
The release said the bill, SB 707, will add oil olive trees in the CDFA Foundation Plant Services program at UC Davis. The service helps provide the industry access to disease-free, virus tested, and true-to-type certification for oil olive trees developed through extensive research. SB 707 also expands the membership of the Fruit Tree, Nut Tree, and Grapevine Improvement Advisory Board, which oversees the program, to include representatives of licensed olive nursery stock producers.
According to AroundtheCapitol.com, existing law imposes an annual assessment of 1 percent on the gross sales of all deciduous pome and stone fruit trees, nut trees, and grapevines, including seeds, seedlings, rootstocks, and topstock, including ornamental varieties of apple, apricot, crabapple, cherry, nectarine, peach, pear, and plum, produced and sold within the state or produced within and shipped from the state by any licensed nursery dealer, and provides that for packaged or containerized stock.
The new bill would include olive trees within the plants that are subject to the assessment.
Cannella's news release said another bill, SB 515, also passed by a unanimous committee vote. SB 513 would reinstate pre-existing, self-imposed industry fees that help ensure the safe and proper disposal of animal by-products, as well as to prevent the theft of kitchen grease.
“Agriculture is a $35 billion industry in California, and it’s important that we work together to ensure consumers can buy our state’s home-grown products with confidence,” Cannella is quoted. “I’m pleased to have earned the committee’s support for these two bills, and I remain committed to working with all interested parties to ensure these bills are approved by the Legislature.”
Steve Quarles takes job with insurance institute
He will also occupy the South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association Hazard Resilience Chair at the IBHS Research Center.
Quarles has been a wood durability advisor for UC Cooperative Extension since 2000.
“Although my years with UC Cooperative Extension were very rewarding, I could not pass up the opportunity to work for IBHS and in particular at the Research Center with its scientists and staff," Quarles was quoted in the news release. "I am excited to have a more direct role in IBHS research and outreach activities that will help improve the durability of our new and existing buildings.”
Quarles has a bachelor's degree in forestry from Virginia Tech, and master's and doctorate degrees in forest products from the University of Minnesota. He is co-chair of the eXtension Wildfire Information Network (eWIN) Community of Practice, and is a member of the Society of Wood Science and Technology, the Forest Products Society, American Society of Testing and Materials, American Wood Protection Association, the National Fire Protection Association, and the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals.
“Steve brings a wealth of experience in the areas of wood durability, aging, water penetration, and wildfire - all critical aspects of our field and laboratory research programs," the release quoted Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO. “We have long admired Steve's meticulous, incredibly smart work, and look forward to having him add new dimensions to our already impressive group of property loss mitigation experts.”
Quarles begins his new position Aug. 1.
Congressman praises UC research and extension
United States Congressman Jim Costa visited the UC West Side Research and Extension Center in Five Points last week to introduce his new legislative director, Nick Choate, to west side farming practices. A focus of the visit was conservation tillage, a farming system in which growers minimize tractor work and plant crops in the residue of a previous crop.
UC research has shown that CT practices have numerous benefits, including water conservation, dust suppression, reduced runoff, lower labor needs and costs, fuel savings and carbon sequestration. Members of the Conservation Tillage and Cropping Systems workgroup asked Costa for federal funding to study the adoption process and fund CT extension activities.
Costa is a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, which is laying the groundwork for the reauthorization of the Farm Bill in 2012.
He shared the following comments about the value of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources programs:
Youth-led 4-H project to impact community health
The California 4-H Youth Development Program awarded six counties with $1,000 grants to implement healthy living projects within their communities. The grant proposals were written by 4-H teens, and successful projects may involve 4-H members as young as 5 years old.
The Ventura County 4-H All Stars, youth leaders within the California 4-H YDP, received funds to build a walking trail at Ormond Beach, south of Hueneme Road in Oxnard. Ormond Beach is the largest continuous wetland in California and is an EPA superfund site — a former hazardous waste site that has undergone extensive clean-up in order to be re-established for safe and productive use.
In addition to providing a safe place for physical activity and observing nature, the trail will feature educational displays highlighting information about bird species and ideas for including flexibility and strength development in daily exercise. “We want to relate the featured exercises to the movements of the diverse birds that live in the wetlands. For example, the blue heron stands on one leg. When visitors learn about the Blue Heron, they will also stand on one leg, strengthening their abdominal muscles and improving their balance,” said Dayle Morris, one of the 4-H members leading the project. The Ventura County 4-H members hope to inspire others in their community to get active and practice healthy habits.
Ventura County 4-H also will be partnering the City of Oxnard and the Ventura County Master Gardener Program to make their dream a reality. The new walking trail will be used by a variety of nature-loving visitors, including children participating in the Ormond Wetlands Outdoor Classroom Program. The trail will open to the public in November.
"We commend the 2011 4-H Healthy Living Grant recipients for their creative solutions to solve real health needs in their communities. 4-H youth are the catalyst for a living, breathing, culture-changing revolution for doing the right thing, breaking through obstacles, and pushing our country forward by making a measurable difference right where they live,” said Sharon Junge, director of the California 4-H YDP. This is the first year 4-H has offered Healthy Living Grants.
The 4-H Healthy Living Grant Program supports youth-directed healthy living projects that address physical, social or emotional health needs in California communities. Current 4-H members are encouraged to apply for funding, lead a project and partner with one or more adults throughout the process. The proposed healthy living project must be implemented with a focus on service-learning, leadership or youth-adult partnerships. Applications are due January 15 annually. Visit http://www.ca4h.org/Projects/HealthyL... for more details.
This story is contributed by a member of the Ventura community and is neither endorsed nor affiliated with Ventura County Star
50,000 acres of California farmland lost to urbanization each year
California had been spending nearly $38 million a year to protect about 16 million acres of farmland under the Williamson Act, but budget cuts could mean the program designed to slow the state's staggering rate of urbanization will disappear, the Associated Press reported.
California cut Williamson Act funding funding by 10 percent in the 2008 budget year and cut all but $1,000 for it in 2009. The current budget originally included $10 million for the program, but Gov. Jerry Brown eliminated that last month. Budget negotiations are continuing, but there's little expectation the program will receive much, if anything.
"California would look a lot different today without having these millions of acres restricted to agriculture," the story quoted John Gamper of the California Farm Bureau Federation. "It helps keep cities compact and prevents leap frog development."
Not everyone agrees the Williamson Act should be saved, according to the story, written by Gosia Wozniacka. She reported that the Legislative Analyst's Office recommended the program be phased out over 10 years. It said the state hadn't determined which land was at risk and gave tax breaks for some properties that would never have been developed anyway.
The report also found that the program didn't stop development in the long run because landowners could cancel their contracts, and developers often paid the hefty fine. Farmers also could just not renew.
"If it pays you $10,000 per acre to grow tomatoes, but $100,000 per acre to build a shopping center, then the Williamson Act is not going to stop you from selling," AP quoted Daniel Sumner, director of the UC Agricultural Issues Center. "The shopping center always wins."
The story was picked up widely around the country, including