May 2008
Standardized taste testing leads to more enjoyable eating
For centuries, farmers decided their fruit was ready to pick by plucking one from a tree and taking a bite. Agricultural scientists now know that shipping and storage affect fruit flavor, and that standardized, scientific tasting produces more reliable results.

April 2008
UC offers free forestry institute to California teachers
California kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers are invited to apply for a free week-long summer institute co-sponsored by the University of California to boost their interest and teaching skills in forest ecology and forest resource management practices.

March 2008
UC groundwater scientist studies aquifers beneath valley dairies
UC research will help determine how dairy management practices can be modified to ensure milk production continues in a sustainable and economically viable manner.

February 2008
UC study: Teen drivers distracted by passengers “fooling around”
More than a third of teenage drivers surveyed by University of California researchers admitted that they have been distracted by young passengers while driving

December 2007
Daniel M. Dooley named vice president for ANR
The UC Regents appointed Daniel M. Dooley, a distinguished agricultural and environmental attorney with extensive experience in California agriculture, to head UC’s statewide agricultural and natural resources programs, effective Jan. 2, 2008.

November 2007
Homeowners can help keep the blaze at bay even as wildfire rages
After serious wildfires, it can seem like flames leapfrogged through neighborhoods, leaving some homes unscathed alongside others that have been reduced to rubble. University of California scientists have found that this familiar site is not entirely random.

October 2007
Service-learning helps 4-H members reach out to the community
“Learn by doing” is the well-known 4-H creed. But many are unaware that, in addition to learning to sew, keep animals, build Web pages and cook, 4-H members are crafting kind hearts.

September 2007
UC helps Californians keep their homes healthy
Home is a place of refuge and safety, but dangers can be hidden from view. A large number of invisible mold spores may be causing respiratory problems, lead in paint applied long ago could impede children’s learning and growth, and tap water that looks perfectly safe may contain chemicals or pollutants that can make your family sick.

August 2007
UC Berkeley researchers urge children to drink water
As summer simmers to a close, University of California, Berkeley, nutrition experts suggest parents send their children back to school with a message: When buying beverages at campus vending machines and snack bars, pass the sports drinks and select water.

July 2007
UC Cooperative Extension advisor researches biodynamic grape production
Biodynamic farming involves some curious practices. Fill a cow’s horn with manure, bury it on the fall equinox; months later carefully blend the manure with water and spray it on the soil. At the spring equinox, bury ground quartz for later blending with water and crop application.

June 2007
Trained sheep can provide vineyard benefits
UC researchers are training sheep to have an aversion to grape leaves so they can eat weeds in vineyards without harming the crop.

May 2007
Flavor is the final frontier
In terms of quality, scientists are now going where the fruit and vegetable industries haven’t ventured before. They are researching the vast and mysterious world of flavor, according to Diane Barrett, the UC Cooperative Extension fruit and vegetable products specialist at UC Davis.

April 2007
Master Gardeners add style to substance in classes held throughout the state
The University of California Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners make it possible to adopt a wide variety of practical ideas like these for routine landscape maintenance and unique garden style in classes held regularly throughout the state.

March 2007
UC sets aside land for organic research
The University of California is designating 10 acres at the UC Kearney Research and Extension Center near Parlier for organic research. The three-year transition period needed to meet organic standards began this winter.

February 2007
UC helps bring cattle grazing back to Bay Area grassland
Because changes in natural California have given non-native plants an edge over native species when there are no cattle grazing the land, UC Cooperative Extension is helping Bay Area agencies manage public lands by putting cattle back on the range.

January 2007
Achieving peaceful coexistence with biotechnology is a goal of UC program
Growing genetically engineered (GE) crops in the United States continues to stir debate, but some University of California scientists believe attention should now be focused on how farmers opposed to the technology and those in favor of it can step back from the controversy and successfully produce and market their crops in the way they personally see fit.

December 2006
Perceived high cost deters farmworkers from eating produce, according to UC study
The perception that fruits and vegetables are too expensive helps explain why Fresno County farmworkers eat too few of these foods, according to a UC Berkeley study. Previous studies have suggested a link between poor nutrition and high rates of overweight, obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol in the generally young and active farmworker population.

November 2006
Master Gardeners support teachers, parents and 4-H leaders in youth gardening efforts
Former California superintendent of public instruction Delaine Eastin has challenged the University of California Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners “to sow a sense of wonder and magic” in children by joining her initiative to create a garden in every school.

October 2006
Surfing makes Monterey County farm advisor’s water quality concerns personal
Among scientists, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Michael Cahn has a unique perspective of the water in California’s Monterey Bay. He sees it from the crest of gnarly waves, rides its radical tubes and tastes it with every wipe out.

September 2006
Better reading is goal of UC Cooperative Extension program
UC Cooperative Extension nutrition, family and consumer science advisors Sharon Junge of Placer and Nevada counties and Sue Manglallan of San Diego County have developed a series of classes called “Let’s Read Together” to teach them why it is important and give pointers on making the reading experience even more valuable.

August 2006
Space-age technology becoming more commonplace on California farms
A new scientific discipline – the computer-driven “geospatial technologies” – is helping agricultural researchers and farmers get a whole new look at cropland, pest interactions and disease movement.

July 2006
UC Cooperative Extension helps farm employers and workers meet challenges of heat stress
As a new law hits the books this summer to prevent heat-related illnesses in California workplaces, UC Cooperative Extension agricultural personnel management specialist Howard Rosenberg of UC Berkeley is ready with resources and information to support farmers in complying with the new standards.

June 2006
Interest in growing berries grows in California
Growing berries presents thorny challenges that aren’t limited to the sharp spikes on some varieties’ canes. Many of the challenges are being tackled by UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors up and down the state of California.

May 2006
UC tries to stop northward movement of sudden oak death
University of California scientists are hustling to contain a deadly plant disease that is creeping northward in Humboldt County, killing swaths of tanoaks like a forest fire in slow motion.

April 2006
UC helps maintain the state’s agricultural roots in scenic settings
The University of California Cooperative Extension, established in 1914 to increase farm productivity and improve rural life, is increasingly offering support to farmers in counties where beautiful scenery and favorable climates threaten their agricultural industries.

March 2006
UC urges use of pesticide alternatives in California homes and gardens
The University of California has comforting news for people who are assailed by ants, spiders, cockroaches, aphids and other pests. Very often, you don’t need to resort to spraying pesticides.

February 2006
UC raisin taste tests reveal a new marketing wrinkle
University of California research may allow raisin growers to take advantage of the culinary mystique formerly reserved for producers of fine wines.

January 2006
Nickels Soil Lab marks 20 years of successful walnut planting
UC Cooperative Extension research at the Nickels Soil Laboratory in Arbuckle opened the door for walnut production on the area's shallow soils.

December 2005
Give good nutrition during the holiday season
Charitable food gifts to the poor are more nutritious with advice and ideas from the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE).

November 2005
Invasive root weevil spreads to Southern California
Entomologist Beth Grafton-Cardwell knew it was just a matter of time before the Diaprepes root weevil, a serious foe of citrus and nursery crops, showed up in California. Grafton-Cardwell’s instincts were excellent because the destructive weevils that feed on more than 270 plant species were recently found in southern California.

October 2005
Growers can profit from parking carbon on farm
When major events come to the fairgrounds, people who live nearby can make extra money by charging visitors to park cars on their front lawns. In much the same way, people who have a place to capture carbon on earth can profit by supplying carbon parking.

September 2005
Imperial Valley kids get “Farm Smart”
The University of California has reinvented the old-fashioned school field trip to the farm by creating a series of programs in the Imperial Valley that make a tangible connection between food production and people who eat.

August 2005
Mexican woods offer a look at California forests' past
A largely unmanaged forest in Mexico holds lessons for improving the health of California wildlands, according to UC Berkeley fire science professor Scott Stephens.

July 2005
4-H creates support system for military kids
Ninety-six California children whose military parents have been called up for duty overseas gathered at a six-day summer camp in the Los Padres National Forest in June to have fun, make friends and learn to cope with their loved ones' absences.

June 2005
Key to delicious tree fruit is keeping it out of the "killing zone"
The fond memories of delicious peaches just plucked from a backyard tree or purchased at a roadside sand can now be relived with fruit picked up at the neighborhood grocery store. The key to great-tasting fruit with a pleasing texture, according to a UC scientist based at the Kearney Research and Extension Center near Parlier, is the way it is handled after harvest.

May 2005
UC Kearney Research and Extension Center marks 40th anniversary
On May 26, the UC Kearney Research and Extension Center near Parlier will mark the 40th anniversary of its dedication. On that date in 1965, several hundred farmers, farm advisors, specailists and UC administrators gathered to usher in a new ear in Central California agricultural research.

April 2005
UC Cooperative Extension helps farmers reduce fungicide use in the San Joaquin Valley
When just a fraction of San Joaquin Valley grape farmers use a new UC Powdery Mildew Risk Assessment Index (RAI), they can cut fungicide applications on their vineyards by 1 million pounds per year, according to industry reports.

March 2005
Perspective change needed in obesity prevention
The idea that eating right and getting physical activity are solely governed by personal responsibility is a concept of the past, according to University of California nutrition experts. Terms such as "environment" and "community" are now creeping into the lexicon of obesity prevention.

February 2005
UC's CalAgrAbility is an advocate for disabled farmers and farmworkers
Fresno raisin farmer Ray Austin received support from CalAgrAbility, a University of California program that works with disabled farmers and farmworkers to keep them in agriculture.

January 2005
UCCE helps children eat smart and play hard
The slow and steady effort to reverse the nation's obesity crisis took a step in the right direction on California's Central Coast during a six-week pilot project last summer.

December 2004
UC Cooperative Extension encourages saving for retirement
People are bombarded daily with messages telling them to spend their money. University of California Cooperative Extension is a voice encouraging them to save, and offers a variety of tools to help them do so.

November 2004
UC helps nurseries in Southern California stop polluting waterways
University of California scientists have found a way for nurseries in Southern California to stop releasing traces of fertilizer, pesticides and other contaminants into natural waterways in their irrigation runoff water.

October 2004
New Small Farm Initiative boosts UC efforts for Coachella Valley small farmers
University of California Cooperative Extension, in collaboration with California State University, San Bernardino, is reaching out to the Coachella Valley's small-scale farmers with a new program to provide information about alternative crops, marketing niches, cooperatives and financial risk.

September 2004
UC teaches parents to help children get off to a good start in school
No matter their educational level or English proficiency, parents are their children's most important teachers. That's why two University of California Cooperative Extension advisors have developed a program that gives parents new ways to enrich their children's early years.

August 2004
Noxious weed nutsedge tolerates ozone better than cotton does
UC research indicates that, if San Joaquin Valley ozone levels rise, nutsedge may become an even more fierce competitor with cotton than it is currently.

July 2004
UC research on caviar production helps protect endangered fish in the Caspian Sea
Even before dinosaurs roamed the planet, wild sturgeons swam in the rivers and lakes of the Earth's northern hemisphere. However, when humans realized the delicacy female sturgeons produce within their ovaries - sweet, nutty tasting glossy black eggs known as "caviar" - sturgeon numbers began a steady decline.

June 2004
UC Cooperative Extension educates Sacramento home care providers
Sacramento County UCCE director Gloria Barrett presents classes to increase in-home caregivers' knowledge, boost their confidence and help them feel better about their work.

May 2004
UC President Dynes is committed to research information delivery
UC President Robert Dynes said he is committed to ensuring that research innovations developed by University of California scientists end up in the hands of people who will use them.

April 2004
UC studies genetically engineered alfalfa to produce objective information about the new agricultural technology
University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisors and researchers are growing genetically engineered alfalfa in small experimental plots to determine whether the technology will be beneficial to California farmers.

March 2004
UC Cooperative Extension helps a community flourish and raise funds
A unique idea that generates thousands of dollars for charity every year emerged when a University of California Cooperative Extension nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor combined a local inspiration with her community's creativity.

February 2004
Military kids on the move find consistency in 4-H
Cooperative Extension has joined with the U.S. Army and Air Force to make transitions a little smoother for the children of soldiers, officers and civilians serving at America's military installations worldwide.

January 2004
UC provides Food Stamp recipients information to eat right and shop smart
When ringing in the New Year, many Californians resolve to eat healthier and spend less. These are resolutions that University of California Cooperative Extension nutrition educators promote year-round to Food Stamp recipients.

December 2003
UC asks revelers to help control pitch canker by disposing of Christmas trees promptly
University of California scientists recommend the public dispose of their Christmas trees quickly and properly after Christmas to help stem the spread of pitch canker, a disease that is now affecting Monterey pine Christmas tree lots, landscape plantings and native coastal forests in 16 California counties.

November 2003
UC aims to turn the adolescent obsession with diet and weight into a passion for health and fitness
While the advertising, movie and music industries tell adolescents to be thinner or stronger, and the news media are obsessing over an obesity epidemic, University of California is helping 11- to 14-year-olds learn to make sensible fitness decisions for themselves.

October 2003
UC helps farmers produce pumpkins without pesticides
Every October, thousands of delighted children on school field trips or family outings carefully select pumpkins at the Satterstrom Pumpkin Patch near Reedley, Calif. After a hayride and a mug of hot cider, they'll go home to carve their jack-o-lanterns never knowing a groundbreaking technique developed by University of California scientists was behind their fun.

September 2003
4-H horseback riding is therapy for children with special needs
Smiles, laughter and physical therapy go hand-in-hand for special needs children participating in a 4-H horseback-riding program in Mendocino County.

August 2003
UCCE shows how to pack safe, nutritious lunch for preschool children
If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, lunch just might be the trickiest - at least as far as preschool children are concerned.

July 2003
California Pima cotton growers faced with a challenging summer
When consumers rest in fine Pima cotton sheets in coming years, or feel the silky smoothness of a Pima cotton shirt, they may not appreciate the stress that production of those luxurious products caused California Pima cotton growers during the summer of 2003.

June 2003
Tropical papaya a possibility for California small-scale farmers
UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors believe the papaya, a fruit most often associated with the year-round mild and humid climates below the Tropic of Cancer, could be a profitable new specialty crop for California farmers.

May 2003
Low-income Los Angeles residents grow supplemental food with UC Cooperative Extension support
UC Cooperative Extension feeds the body and the spirit of low-income Los Angeles County residents by helping them supplement their diets with fresh produce while enhancing the sense of purpose and pride that comes from self-sufficiency.

April 2003
UC delivers research and extension programs that benefit California
The tremendous impact of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources programs is being compiled in an online database to give California residents a better picture of ANR's collective contributions to the state.

March 2003
UC nutrition research and education aim to ease diabetes crisis
To a large extent, Spanish-speaking California Latinos are not well informed about the causes and treatment of diabetes, while many are at high risk, but have never been screened for the disease.

February 2003
Spanish speakers get help in their native language from UC Cooperative Extension
Offering UC Cooperative Extension programs in Spanish is as much about building relationships as extending information.

December 2002/January 2003
UC launches Web site to teach teens financial management
A new Web site for teens, "Money Talks, Should I be Listening?" was launched in December in English and Spanish by UC Cooperative Extension to present sound financial information to "Generation Y," a savvy and sophisticated group that spends lots of money.

November 2002
Food irradiation might have prevented largest meat recall in US history
In the northeastern United States in October, producers recalled more than 27 million pounds of cooked deli products amid concerns it could be tainted by listeria. The contamination is blamed for 23 deaths and 120 illnesses. Many of those casualties could have been avoided by irradiation, a safe, effective way to reduce food-borne illness

October 2002
Conservation tillage is the emerging technology of the day in California agriculture
Driving a powerful tractor as it rips, cuts and tills under plants after harvest is a satisfying fall ritual for many row crop growers. However, farmers may be willing to give it up for the economic and environmental benefits of conservation tillage.

September 2002
UC study reveals some low-income families aren't getting services intended to help them
Rural low-income families are not taking full advantage of support and assistance programs that are known to improve families' financial situations and increase children's well being.

August 2002
Living safely in the I-Zone
Residents of the urban-wildland interface run a greater risk than city dwellers of finding themselves in the path of a wildfire. The UC Forest Products Laboratory offers tools for safer living in the "I-Zone."

July 2002
UC scientists share tips for summertime food safety
Food-borne illnesses strike more often in July and August than any other time of year. Whether it's the warmer temperatures, outdoor eating, choice of foods or other factors that lead to the increase, UC scientists have recently documented techniques for consumers to cut their chances of getting sick from fresh fruits and vegetables.

June 2002
UC ANR's Sea Grant Extension Program brings scientific solutions to coastal resource issues
UC's Sea Grant Program covers a wide range of issues touching many aspects of coastal life, from water quality and ocean fisheries management to seafood safety and coastal resource planning.

May 2002
4-H "On the Wild Side" program is a world of discovery for Sacramento children
In early June, nearly 200 fourth- and fifth-graders from low-income areas in Sacramento will canoe across Lake Vera, hunt for frogs in the forest, gaze at the Milky Way and fall asleep to the sound of crickets. They are students in the Sacramento START after-school care program who will travel 60 miles outside of Sacramento for a 4-H camping experience called "On the Wild Side."

April 2002
Agri-tourism offers new opportunities to California farmers
The UC Small Farm Center is helping farmers capitalize on more than the crops they grow. Quaint lifestyles, a rural getaway and a connection with history are commodities that can be offered to people who live in urban settings, long for a simpler life, and have money to spend.

March 2002
UC works to curb 'sudden death' of California's majestic oak trees
Dead and dying oaks create an ominous landscape in California coastal areas stricken by the recently introduced disease 'sudden oak death.' No treatment or cure for sudden oak death is known, however, UC scientists are at the forefront of research to understand the disease and its host range, and to find effective treatments.

February 2002
1% milk campaign results in dramatic rise in 1% milk sales
Sales of 1% milk at four Fresno grocery stores soared following an 18-week "1% Milk - Healthy and Delicious!" campaign aimed at raising public awareness about the health benefits of lower-fat milk, according to a summary report released in January.

January 2002
UC Battles Pierce's Disease
The University of California is mobilizing its research and Cooperative Extension resources to find a solution to Pierce’s disease, a fatal bacterial disease of grapevines that is on the rise in California. Since 1997 more than 800 acres of grapevines have been destroyed by Pierce’s disease in southern California’s Temecula winegrape growing region. This year, Pierce’s disease was confirmed in a dozen table grape vineyards in Kern County.