On December 10, 2021 the UC ANR President's Advisory Commission on Agriculture and Natural Resources, joined by the new UC President, Michael V. Drake, MD., visited both the Lindcove Research and Extension Center and the UCCE Tulare County office for tours and hands-on presentations highlighting the research and extension activities conducted by our local UC ANR Farm Advisors and CE Specialists. Personnel from UCCE offices in Tulare, Kings, Fresno, and Madera Counties, under the directorship of Karmjot Randhawa, joined the Commission for a farm to fork luncheon followed by a meet-and-greet opportunity to display programmatic efforts in the lobby, ranging from a 4H display on slime-making to agricultural displays on diagnosing plant pests and diseases.
Elizabeth Fichtner and Caleb Crawford organized an olive oil tasting, allowing Commission members to taste local olive oils pressed by Bari Olive Oil Co. (Dinuba, CA) and perceive the oil characteristics associated with different varieties. The hands-on activity fostered conversation of the unique challenges facing the table olive and oil olive industries in California, as well as UC researchers' efforts to address these industries' needs in pest and disease management, harvest technology advancement, and crop management.
Nut crop advisors, Mae Culumber, Doug Amaral, Phoebe Gordon, and Elizabeth Fichtner prepared a visual display of research activities conducted on almond, pistachio, and walnut in the region. The combined programmatic emphases of the four advisors target a wide range of topics including nutrient, irrigation, soil salinity, tree canopy management, as well as the identification and management of pests and diseases affected orchard productivity and nut quality. The Almond Board of California, the California Prune Board, San Joaquin Figs, and the American Pistachio Growers all contributed materials for inclusion in gift bags presented to the Commission members. A bottle of Bari olive oil was also provided for each guest.
Events such as this allow local UC ANR advisors to interact directly with UC administrators and provide impressions of the valuable work conducted by UC ANR within our local communities. The UC system is both large and diverse, but the UCCE system facilitates engagement of communities at the county level, fostering research and extension opportunities that contribute to the institution's reputation as a world-class system of higher education.
