UC Blog
Santa Ana winds fanning SoCal wildfires
Unfortunately, Santa Ana winds are as reliable a part of Southern California's autumn as colorful fall foliage is for New England. Santa Anas are strong, extremely dry offshore winds often associated with the warmest weather and fiercest fires in the southern part of the state; 2008 is no exception.
According to the Associated Press, powerful winds stoked three major wildfires this morning after destroying dozens of homes, forcing thousands to flee and killing two people.
An article in the New York Times said firefighters have mounted an all-out air and land assault as the flames and smoke chased residents from their homes, threatened neighborhoods, closed schools and parts of two major freeways, and led Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to declare a state of emergency in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Times reporter Randall Archibold sought insight about the fire from Scott Stephens, the co-director of the Center for Fire Research and Outreach at UC Berkeley.
“We always think of fires moving as a wave, but fires move under the Santa Ana winds by leapfrog,” Stephens was quoted. “There are hundreds of waves, and as the embers hop in front, the fire could be starting a mile or two behind. That’s why it can jump an eight-lane highway.”
Meantime, the Merced Sun-Star picked up a UC ANR news release about a new interactive Web site designed by UC Berkeley fire researchers that allows Spanish-speaking homeowners to assess the risk of wildfire damage to their houses and communities. The service, found at http://firecenter.berkeley.edu, was already available in English.
UC Berkeley Cooperative Extension wildland fire specialist Max Moritz was quoted in the release about the online toolkit:
"What's new about these tools is that homeowners and community officials can get an individualized assessment of a specific building's fire risk based upon such factors as the material used in their roof construction or the density of vegetation near the structure. The toolkit then provides immediate feedback that helps identify areas where people would get the biggest payoff in mitigation."
History of home canning to be displayed in Folsom
Much has been made recently of the X Prize, a multi-million dollar award for specific inventions that benefit humanity. Currently, scientists are competing to build a commercially viable 100-mpg car and to land a moon rover that will send high-resolution photos back to earth.
Two hundred years ago, during the French Revolution, scientists were challenged in a similar way to invent a cheap and effective method of preserving large amounts of food. Canning was born. Preserving food by processing and sealing in an airtight container is a time-tested invention that has made safe, healthful food available to humanity year round - in commercially canned products and in the tradition of home canning.
The latter will be celebrated at the Folsom History Museum, where an exhibit created in partnership with UC Cooperative Extension, titled "From Garden to Jar," will run from Oct. 18 through Jan. 4, according to an article in the Sacramento Bee. The museum is at 823 Sutter St., in Folsom.
According to the article:
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Master food preservers will provide a history of canning, with artifacts and photos as well as information on current practices and the Certified Farmers Market program
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Master gardeners will offer gardening tips and explain how eating fresh foods improves health, tastes better and supports the community
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4-H members will take part in weekend demonstrations
UC master food preservers teach home canning.
UC expert provides science slant on enigmatic skill
A light-hearted New York Times story related to the weighty subject of drought got its scientific spin from UC Davis groundwater hydrologist Thomas Harter. Reporter Jessie McKinley wrote a feature about California dowser Phil Stine. Dowsing, also known as water witching, is the ancient, mystical art of finding underground water using a Y-shaped stick.
Dowsers have been in demand recently as California struggles through its second year of drought, the story said. Harter told the reporter that there isn't scientific evidence that dowsers have any special talent for finding water, but he didn't entirely dismiss their gift.
Harter said people like Stine, who worked in the irrigation business for nearly half a century, could have an intuitive sense of where water is, simply by knowing the territory.
"It’s worth a bottle of whiskey to have a guy come out,” Harter was quoted in the story.
Thomas Harter
Time for the chicken run
Proposition 2 continues to make news. Coverage of the initiative, which will set new standards for confining farm animals in California, in many cases mentions the UC Agricultural Issues Center research project that drew conclusions about the probable economic effects of the proposition's passage.
Here's a sampling of stories and editorials from the last week:
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Animal rights activists want more space for hens - San Jose Mercury News
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Groups take sides on changing the living conditions of farm animals - Solano-Napa Times-Herald
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Chickens Gotta Spread Their Wings? - Cattlenetwork.com
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Vote for Prop 2 is vote against animal cruelty - The Hi-Desert Star
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Prop. 2 would destroy our egg industry - The Modesto Bee
The Modesto Bee story noted that authors of the UC report explained why commercial egg operations started moving toward cages in the 1930s.
"Production of eggs in caged housing systems yielded significant labor and capital efficiencies. Furthermore, by separating laying hens from their manure, cages reduced the incidence of parasitic infections such as coccodiosis and roundworms," the Bee quoted the UC report.
Even the state's "Official Voter Information Guide" cites the UC research. Under the "Con" argument, it notes: "A UC Davis study says Proposition 2 eliminates California egg production."
A sunny approach to the topic was taken by The Union, which covers California's Nevada County. It ran a human interest story about a couple and their three children "scratching out a living" by producing free-range chickens. On their small farm, white Cornish Cross chickens peck freely at fresh grass and look for bugs and worms.
“They’re not only eating their ration, they’re eating their greens. They’re actually allowed to be chickens instead of being in a little box,” the story quoted farmer Brad Fowler. (A great last name for a chicken farmer!)
The Fowlers may start a subscription buyer program offering monthly boxes of pork, chicken and beef to customers who sign up for the season.
Cooperative Extension advisor Roger Ingram explained to reporter Laura Brown that such a program, unlike livestock auctions where buyers must order an entire animal, would cater to everyone, regardless the size of their freezers.
“You can buy as little or much as you want,” Ingram he was quoted.
And concerned buyers could rest assured about the animals' welfare, regardless of Prop 2's outcome next month.
“I think it’s a healthier way for us and the chickens. I don’t think I could raise them in cages,” Alana Fowler was quoted in the story.
Chickens
UC nutrition educators reach 32,000 in one fell swoop
Nutrition information was extended to more than 30,000 Shasta County residents today in a prominent Redding Record Searchlight food story with information sourced entirely from UC Cooperative Extension educators.
Shasta County food stamp nutrition educator Lori Coker and nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor Concepcion Mendoza explained in the 850-word article how to add whole grains to one's diet and why it is important.
"You have to read the labels," Coker told freelance writer Debra Moore. The story included a side bar suggesting readers look for products with the first ingredient listed as "whole grain," "whole wheat," "100% whole grain," "100% whole kernel" or "100% percent whole wheat."
Eating whole grains, the educators said, has health and weight control benefits.
"Eating whole grains reduces the risk of heart and other diseases," Coker was quoted. "It also aids digestion and gives you more sustained energy. It eliminates the crash and burn."
"If you eat the appropriate amount of carbs, you won't gain weight," Mendoza was quoted.