UC Blog
NRCS announces $15 million grant program
The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service distributed a news release on PR Newsire today that says the agency will fund conservation projects around the nation to the tune of $15 million.
The release featured comments from the California State Conservationist, Ed Burton, who encouraged California farmers and researchers to apply.
"This is a real opportunity for our University of California, California State University and Cooperative Extension offices to help expand our knowledge in key issues facing farmers and ranchers," Burton was quoted in the release.
The competitive Conservation Innovation Grants will fund projects related to:
- Farms and ranches with emerging and traditional ag and natural resource issues
- Market-based approaches to energy conservation
- Methods of tackling climate change
- Solutions to improve water, soil and air quality
- Nutrient management
- Wildlife habitat enhancement
- Pollinator population enhancement
Ten percent of the funding is being set aside for beginning farmers and ranchers, limited resource farmers or ranchers, Indian tribes or community-based organizations that serve these groups, the release said.
Applicants must submit pre-proposals to NRCS national headquarters in Washington, D.C., by April 26.
For details and eligibility requirements, see the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program Web site.
NRCS Web site.
Hatch Act celebrated in Western Farm Press
The act of Congress that created agricultural experiment stations at universities across the nation, known as the Hatch Act of 1887, was memorialized in a Western Farm Press article published today.
Many stations founded under the Hatch Act later became the foundation for state cooperative extension services under the Smith-Lever Act of 1914. In the Hatch Act, Agricultural Experiment Stations were charged with conducting original research on plants and animals, diseases to which they are subject, feed composition, potential new crops, soil and water analysis and more.
According to a Oklahoma State Web site, quoted in the story, "Breakthroughs resulting directly from Hatch Act funding have literally benefited every man, woman, and child in the United States and much of the world.”
In the article, reporter Ron Smith profiled four land-grant universities; one is UC Davis.
Dean of the UC Davis College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Neal Van Alfen told the reporter that one of the great success stories of the 20th century was the ability of agriculture to keep ahead of the food needs of the world's growing population.
"Much of the credit for this success must be given to the land-grant system of higher education," he was quoted. "The agricultural experiment stations of each state were the key drivers of the research that served as the foundation of this amazing success story."
The Farm Press story, titled "150 years of ag innovations," seemed to be pegged to an anniversary, but 2010 marks 123 years since the Hatch Act's passage. (Perhaps the writer was referring to the Morrill Act of 1862 - 148 years ago.) Nevertheless, the article is a welcome remembrance of U.S. agricultural history, and an early reminder about the upcoming 100th anniversary of cooperative extension. (Established by the Smith-Lever Act of 1914.)
For more information on UC Cooperative Extension, visit the Web sites of the local offices that serve every county in California.
Neal Van Alfen signs ag research agreement with Chilean and California leaders.
Small strawberry industry makes a big splash
Strawberries aren't a large industry in the San Joaquin Valley. Only about one percent of the state's crop is grown on the valley floor. But strawberries' annual arrival on primarily small-scale farms and sale from roadside stands is hailed annually by the local news media.Yesterday, Fresno's ABC Action News ran a report on the effect of recent rain storms on strawberry production. The story featured Southeast Asian grower Nelson Yang, who expressed relief that the rain seems to have stopped before damaging his crop.
Reporter Dale Yurong also interviewed UC Cooperative Extension agricultural assistant Michael Yang (no relation to Nelson Yang) about the fate of Fresno County's 2010 strawberry crop.
"When you have rain like this, most of the time the fruit will rot," Yang said. However, because the majority of the crop is not ripe yet, the fruit is firm and less susceptible to damage.
Warmer weather forecast for the end of this week is sure to open up the strawberry stands, according to a story in today's Fresno Bee.
"It never really feels like spring until local strawberries arrive," Fresno Bee food reporter Joan Obra wrote.
Obra published her annual rundown on local strawberry production, a report that includes a map to local farm stands. She talked to UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Richard Molinar about the varieties buyers can expect to find.
Chandler is a longtime favorite, but has a short shelf life. Albion has large, firm berries that are very sweet. Other popular varieties are Camarosa and Seascape.
Conventional wisdom says the newer varieties are not as sweet at Chandlers, but “we’re talking about minute differences,” Molinar was quoted.
Rural Madera County.
Apply to review AFRI grant proposals
While the National Institute for Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) grants program is getting a lot of attention these days, it is more than just another grant opportunity. It represents a significant and strategic shift in the funding philosophy and goals that reflect the formation and purpose behind the formation of NIFA. One of those goals is to better integrate research and extension in order to solve difficult problems.
ANR academics who are NOT planning to apply for the 2010 AFRI grants are encouraged to consider becoming peer reviewers for the federal funding program.
By participating on a review panel, not only do you get a chance to see and compare proposals, you also have the opportunity to influence the quality and effectiveness of the extension delivery elements of these and future grant programs.
To be considered as a potential reviewer, send an e-mail message with your contact information and area(s) of scientific or technical expertise (limit to 4 or 5 keywords) to newreviewer@nifa.usda.gov and to appropriate AFRI program area leaders.
Candidates should also send a C.V. containing their qualifications and experience to the AFRI program area leaders, whose contact information is listed at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/afri/afri_program_deadline_dates.html.
For more information about the AFRI peer-review process, see http://www.nifa.usda.gov/business/pdfs/afri_reviewer_guidelines_fy2009.pdf.
View or leave comments for the Executive Working Group
These announcements are also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.
Fisher report influenced by timber industry
UC Berkeley wildlife ecology professor Reginald Barrett will present a 15-page letter to the California Fish and Game Commission at their meeting in Monterey tomorrow explaining that a new Department of Fish and Game report about the Pacific fisher misrepresents his input.
The Pacific fisher is a small, nocturnal carnivore that typically perches all day high in large, old-growth pine and oak trees. Related to the mink, otter and marten, fishers historically ranged throughout the mountainous West, from the southern Sierra into Canada. However, only two isolated populations remain today, one in the Sierra Nevada and one near the California-Oregon border.
The Department of Fish and Game submitted its Status Review of the Pacific Fisher in California to the Fish and Game Commission in February. The report concludes the fisher does not warrant protection under the California Endangered Species Act.
In his letter to the Commission, Barrett said he reviewed and commented on a DFG draft report that "is so different in content and tenor from the final (report) that I recommend you request a re-analysis by the panel of reviewers, as would normally be done when a manuscript is substantially modified."
Barrett's letter was the basis of a Sacramento Bee story last week that said the new status report was altered by state officials to favor the logging industry.In 2008, the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the Fish and Game Commission to list the Pacific fisher under the Endangered Species Act. After at first declining, the commission asked the Department of Fish and Game to prepare the report based on biological information, Barrett said.
"It is evident that more emphasis was placed on timber industry input via personal communications and unpublished industry reports than the scientific literature," Barrett wrote. "What I am concerned about is the fact that the Commission is being given a recommendation by DFG that has apparently gone beyond the expected biological, scientific information to include political and economic considerations."
Consideration of the DFG report is the third item on the commissioners' April 7 agenda. The meeting begins at 10 a.m. at the Best Western Beach Resort, 2600 Sand Dunes Drive, Monterey.
A Pacific fisher clings to a tree trunk in the Sierra Nevada.