Posts Tagged: economic development

REC System Director Haver encourages systemic approach to agriculture

Agriculture generates $59 billion and employs nearly 400,000 individuals in California. The industry, however, is often threatened by challenges like climate change, land conversion and water scarcity. Motivated to act, Sustain Southern California – an organization associated with UC Irvine Beall Applied Innovation – hosted a roundtable discussion on Feb. 20 featuring subject matter experts including Darren Haver, director of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources' Research and Extension Center System.

During his keynote address, Jose Arriaga, Orange County Agricultural Commissioner, defined sustainability as food and fiber production that does not compromise the ability for future generations to meet their needs. In doing so, he acknowledged the benefit of discussing such timely topics with key players, especially for places where agriculture is not as prevalent as it used to be. 

“Many people don't think of Orange County as a place for agriculture. It's probably because less land is being reserved for agriculture, not like back in the day. And that worries me,” said Arriaga. 

The first roundtable discussion centered on sustainable agriculture, with Haver participating alongside other industry leaders based in Southern California, including A.G. Kawamura of Orange County Produce, Steve Brazeel of Sunterra Produce and Elevated Foods, Anthony Curci of Buttonwood Ranch and Parker Cohn from Performance Resource Management.

In discussing today's generation, Haver said that he has seen a shift over the last few decades away from yield alone, which used to be the most important aspect of production in agriculture. Today, much more attention is dedicated to sustainability – a change that Haver attributes to the younger generation of researchers and plant scientists working in agriculture.

There has also been an emphasis on sustaining the environment while maintaining economic progress. Haver recognized these important elements, but highlighted the social impact of sustainability, too.

“I don't have all the answers, but I do believe that addressing the environmental, economic and social aspects of agriculture is important. I also think that these factors should be addressed systemically rather than in silos,” said Haver.

Southern California agricultural producers, in particular, are responsible for $7.8 billion in gross receipts and nearly 100,000 jobs directly related to agriculture. In Orange County alone, where Haver is based at the South Coast Research and Extension Center, agriculture makes up $86 million of total economic output, with nurseries leading as a top commodity followed by fruit trees, vegetable production and livestock and apiary.

Date palm irrigation research provides economic, environmental benefits

Historically, date palms are grown along riverbeds or in areas with groundwater because they require an abundance of water to produce a good crop. Unlike lettuce or table grapes, date palms are deceptive in that they do not immediately wilt if underwatered. Eventually, however, the lack of water hurts yields and fruit quality. 

The default for date growers is to apply excessive water, but doing so is neither economically nor environmentally sound. To help growers, Ali Montazar, UC Cooperative Extension irrigation and water management advisor for Imperial, Riverside and San Diego counties, has developed knowledge that enables growers in the region to establish irrigation guidelines they can use with confidence.

“Water issues in California's desert are very different than in the Central Valley,” said Montazar. “There is no groundwater to recharge so growers in the desert only have the Colorado River.” 

Since 2019, Montazar has been focused on irrigation management for date palms in the Coachella Valley, the largest producer of dates in the United States. Montazar's research identifies how much water is needed for the crop and the best water delivery method according to location, soil type and conditions, and date cultivars.

“Dates require a lot of heat and light, which is why they do well in the desert. But they also need a fair amount of irrigation,” said Robert Krueger, a U.S. Department of Agriculture horticulturist and Montazar's co-author of a paper on date palm irrigation management.

Much of what we know about date palm production comes from the Middle East, which has a climate similar to the low desert of California. “That information is from many, many years ago though,” explained Montazar, whose research shows that drip irrigation cannot be the only form of irrigation for date palms.

“Ali is the first to really look at micro-sprinklers and flood irrigation for date palms,” said Krueger, adding that the other advantage of Montazar's research is that it prepares growers for production during times of reduced water supply.

Albert Keck, president of Hadley Date Gardens, Inc. and chairman of the California Date Commission, described Montazar's research efforts as “subtle yet incredible and profound,” adding that his findings not only benefit other farmers but also cities relying on water from the Colorado River.

Keck, one of the largest date growers in California, is well aware of how disruptive, expensive and time-consuming irrigation for date palms can be. Montazar has enabled growers like Keck to irrigate less without sacrificing yield or quality.

“Ali might save us a tiny percentage of the amount of water we're using. It might be a 5 or 10% savings. It doesn't seem like much, but it's an incremental improvement in efficiency,” said Keck. “And if you add all of these improvements up, say, along the U.S. Southwest, then that has a pretty profound impact.”

Montazar recommends that date growers in his region use a combination of drip and two to three flood irrigation events to manage salinity levels derived from the Colorado River. “We cannot maintain salinity issues over time if we're only relying on drip irrigation in date palms,” explained Montazar.

Flood irrigation pushes the salts below the root zone, when they would otherwise build up within the root zone preventing efficient water uptake. It also aids in refilling soil profiles quickly and more effectively since drip has a lower capacity of delivering sufficient water.

“Growers know what they need to water their crop within a broader parameter. But Ali has narrowed that window and helped us become more precise with our irrigation,” Keck said. “There's still room for improvement but we're spending less money, wasting less time and using less water now, and we're still getting the same positive results.”

Currently,Montazar is collaborating with the California Date Commission on developing guidelines for best irrigation management practices in the desert for date palms, which should be available by the end of 2023. These guidelines are based on a four-year data set from six monitoring stations and extensive soil and plant samples from commercial fields located in theCoachella Valley, Imperial Valley and near Yuma, Arizona. Additionally, Montazar is working to quantify how water conservation impacts growers economically.

“Growers from United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia and Mexico have already reached out asking for this information,” Montazar said, while reflecting on a presentation he made to a group of international date growers in Mexico late last year.

To read the paper on date palm irrigation, published in MDPI's Water journal, visit: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/8/2253.

 

San Joaquin Valley farm and food project awarded $16 million in federal funds

Local food marketing, business and market support for small-scale farmers and food producers, new agricultural products and technology development are parts of a University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources project designed to boost jobs and farm resiliency in the San Joaquin Valley.

The Fresno-Merced Future of Food Innovation Coalition, or F3, received a $65.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge. Of that award, about $16 million is designated for the Local Farm and Food Innovation initiative led by UCANR. With the addition of matching share of cost contributions, the total budget for UC ANR's project is over $20.5 million.

“As a key part of the broader F3 project, this Local Farm and Food Innovation initiative is going to be transformative,” said Glenda Humiston, University of California vice president for agriculture and natural resources. “By strengthening the parts of the food system to better support each other and drive innovation across the region, it's going to deliver many environmental and economic benefits to Californians.”

Gabriel Youtsey is chief innovation officer for The VINE, a UC ANR initiative that helps new technology make it to market and businesses get off the ground by connecting entrepreneurs with mentors and resources, and aligning university and startup technology development with industry needs.

“The Local Farm and Food Innovation initiative is a win for inclusive innovation in agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley and a critical part of the F3 project,” said Youtsey. “It provides a broad set of training and support resources and expertise to help farms, food producers and vendors of all sizes to grow their businesses profitably and sustainably, in alignment with the economic goals of the region.”

To ensure technology solutions address the needs of small-scale farmers, food business owners and local communities, they will be invited to participate in directing the innovation activities, Youtsey said.

“With our deep roots in the San Joaquin Valley, UC Cooperative Extension is uniquely positioned to draw expertise from other parts of UC and expand its efforts in helping farmers and food entrepreneurs realize enduring prosperity and community resilience,” Humiston said. “UC ANR experts are already helping immigrants and other underserved communities adapt to climate change, add flexibility to supply chains and grow grassroots innovations. We are excited the federal government is investing in making food systems more equitable and profitable, and the solutions more scalable.”

To assist small-scale farmers in complying with new regulations and production challenges, adapting to climate change and finding new markets for their produce, UC ANR is convening the Small Farms Technology and Innovation Alliance. They are collaborating with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers and other nonprofit organizations to provide translation services, training and marketing assistance to farmers and food producers. 

Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, UC Cooperative Extension small farms advisor for Fresno and Tulare counties, and Houston Wilson, UC Organic Agriculture Institute director and UC Cooperative Extension tree crops entomology specialist based at UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier, are leading outreach and engagement with small-scale and organic farmers. 

“While we certainly need to create new tools to address the unique challenges of organic agriculture, it is critical that farmers and other end-users be involved from start to finish,” said Wilson. “The development of appropriate technology requires communication across a wide range of stakeholders.” 

To make new technology more accessible for small farmers and food producers, UC ANR will create a new team to test and demonstrate technology that is developed as part of F3 and by startups around the world. To promote adoption, the team will create a tool lending library so farmers can borrow and try out equipment and get training to use it.

“This project will expand on current efforts to support small-scale farmers with access to equipment, new markets and technical support,” said Dahlquist-Willard. “Our team is committed to meaningful engagement of farmers and San Joaquin Valley communities in the development of new tools and resources for the benefit of the region.” 

For local food entrepreneurs and vendors, UC ANR will launch the Cultiva La Salud Kitchen and Food Academy and the Saint Rest Food Entrepreneurship Program, which will provide a kitchen, equipment and training. These will create new jobs and, over time, provide a marketplace to sell those products. The Local Food Marketing Assistance Program will promote purchases of locally grown produce and food products.

The Fresno-Merced project was one of 21 projects funded of the 529 proposed for the Build Back Better Regional Challenge intended to uplift underserved communities.

Many eligible Californians aren't using CalFresh to improve food security

Participation in CalFresh by eligible elderly Californians is estimated at 19% 

CalFresh Food, known nationally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and historically as the Food Stamp Program, is California's largest food assistance program and serves as the first line of defense against food insecurity by providing eligible households with an EBT (electronic benefit transfer) card that can be used to buy food at many grocery stores and farm-direct outlets.

However, CalFresh is greatly underutilized. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that only 70% of eligible Californians are actually benefiting from SNAP, compared to 82% nationally. This is one of the lowest rates in the U.S., putting California in 46^th place among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. For our working poor and elderly Californians, participation is even lower, estimated at 59% and 19% respectively.  

Why does underutilization matter?

SNAP participation has been shown to raise more Americans out of poverty and deep poverty than any other income-based program and is especially important for children. SNAP also improves household food insecurity, a condition that has been correlated with poor diet quality, chronic health conditions, and overall poorer health.

SNAP participation is also associated with reduced health care expenditures. For low-income older adults this includes fewer hospital or nursing home admissions and fewer reports of skipping medications due to income. For participating adults, this includes fewer physician's office visits and a reduced likelihood of psychological distress.

CalFresh underutilization not only impacts food and health, it also results in lost economic activity. Because CalFresh recipients tend to spend their benefits soon after receiving them, it is estimated that for every dollar spent on CalFresh, $1.50 in economic activity is generated. Further, nutrition incentive programs, like Market Match, can have an even greater impact on healthy food access and local economies. Nutrition incentives work by doubling the value of CalFresh benefits, up to a certain amount, at participating farmers markets and other farm-direct outlets. These incentives increase the purchasing power of CalFresh participants, encouraging them to buy locally grown produce while also making fresh fruits and vegetables more affordable to community members on a limited income. The economic multiplier for nutrition incentive programs is even higher than CalFresh and is estimated at $3.00.

Maximizing CalFresh Food enrollment in California is a win-win: eligible residents receive meaningful federal financial support to buy food and local stores and farmers enjoy the direct infusion of federal dollars into their local economy. Low enrollment means that every year tens of millions of dollars in federal hunger relief do not benefit low-income workers, children, and older adults or local businesses and agriculture.

Tell friends and relatives

CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE programs across the state are working with partners to get the word out during CalFresh Awareness Month to let their communities know about CalFresh Food. 

 

In March 2022, UC Cooperative Extension in San Luis Obispo (SLO) and the SLO CalFresh Alliance surveyed eligibility staff and supervisors with the County Department of Social Services (DSS) about perceived barriers to CalFresh enrollment among potentially eligible clientele. SLO County has one of the lowest participation rates in California as reported by the CDSS Data Dashboard Program Reach Index and the CalFresh Alliance, which includes UCCE, DSS, and many other community partners and is led by the local food bank has been working to improve participation rates locally. Survey respondents (n=86) reported that applicants are most likely to hear about CalFresh through a friend or relative, nonprofit agency, or a college or university (likely through campus-based outreach). More information will be coming out soon from the CalFresh survey to inform the work of the CalFresh Alliance and increase access and participation in CalFresh.

In addition, CalFresh is accepted at many farmers markets and farm stands. To find out which farmers markets accept CalFresh or offer nutrition incentives near you, visit the farmers market finder site. By partnering with market managers and other agencies in San Luis Obispo and Northern Santa Barbara County, UCCE outreach has contributed to a 171% increase in CalFresh and Market Match redemption over the last three years with over $380,000 infused directly into the local economy. That is money spent on healthy local foods by low-income community members.

Who qualifies?

In general, CalFresh is for individuals and families with limited incomes. The best way for someone to find out if they qualify is to apply. Interested community members can visit GetCalFresh.org, call 1-877-847-3663 (FOOD) or they can go to their local department of social services.

The time has never been better to tell someone about the CalFresh Food program. Hearing about CalFresh from a trusted source is one of the most effective ways to encourage hesitant community members to apply.

CalFresh Awareness Month is aimed at increasing knowledge of this vital food and nutrition security program and the help it can provide for not just individuals and families, but our community as a whole. This federally funded program has the unique and transformative impact of affording dignity to those experiencing hunger and investing in our local business communities.

Ensuring that people who qualify for CalFresh are aware of the program and know where to apply supports UC ANR's public values of promoting healthy people and communities by increasing food and nutrition security and promoting economic prosperity in California by increasing local economic activity.

Youth-run garden provides 10,000 pounds of produce for San Diego families

UC SAREP's Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems grant helps support Second Chance garden

Fifteen-year-old Xavier knows the anger within him will never leave. “I can't ever get rid of it,” he said.

“I've always wanted to just fight for no reason; I just had an anger issue, losing my temper quick with people,” added Xavier, a ninth-grader in San Diego County. “I have high expectations of myself.”

Xavier is working to keep his emotions under control, and he has found a sense of calm through his volunteer work. He was an intern – and then a peer supervisor – in the youth-run garden of Second Chance, a San Diego-based organization that works to break the cycles of poverty and incarceration by providing housing and job training to adults and young people.

Operating their garden as a small farm business, youth in the program, ages 14 to 21, offer produce to the community through their farm stand and a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model.

“The project incorporates a ‘farm to fork' approach in which youth not only experience how to grow food, but how to cook and eat healthfully,” said Gail Feenstra, director of the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, which has a grant program that funds research and education projects – such as the youth garden – supporting sustainable food systems.

“Second Chance works primarily with youth in communities of color, providing them with training and also helping them develop confidence in themselves,” Feenstra said.

Filling a critical need for fresh produce

Caelli Wright, program manager of the Second Chance youth garden, said that grant funds from SAREP – a program of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources – have been used to purchase the supplies needed to sustain the program. The garden has filled a critical need for produce during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“After the pandemic hit, we recognized the increased need for fresh food in our neighborhoods,” Wright said. “That need was already there – southeast San Diego is considered a ‘food swamp' or ‘food apartheid', if you will – and with the onset of COVID, that need just escalated with unemployment and complications in our food production systems.”

Through a partnership with UC San Diego Center for Community Health and Encanto Elementary School (located down the block from the garden), donations enabled the program to give its CSA shares to about 25 families at Encanto. Over the course of the pandemic, the youth have grown 10,000 pounds of produce to donate.

At the same time, the program helps the young participants grow. For Xavier, being outdoors with peers empowered him to develop positive relationships. Previously, as a student in a charter school program, he was not accustomed to interacting with people and groups. Volunteering in the youth garden has given him a fresh perspective and understanding of others.

“Learning to be patient with people and [to] accept sometimes that if I don't know something, I need to ask about it, because I used to be so in my ego that I thought I knew everything,” Xavier explained. “But I don't know everything – I just learned to accept some things…that's just being part of life. And that's something that the garden has helped me with, personally.”

Opportunities for personal, social growth

Developing – and redeveloping – social skills are especially important for students, as they return from the disconnections associated with remote learning.

“Right now, with a lot of students facing the aftermath of COVID and being restricted to learning at home and not getting as much social interaction in their daily lives, it's led to a lot of challenges, mental health-wise, and social and emotional learning-wise,” Wright said. “The garden program provides that opportunity that some youth have been missing out on.”

In southeast San Diego, such crucial opportunities for personal growth and career exploration are harder to come by, and Second Chance started the garden in 2012 to give youth a unique work experience and valuable skills. About 400 young people have participated in the program.

“The youth that we serve are coming from low-income neighborhoods that are underserved with resources,” Wright said. “They just are not exposed to the same opportunities [as those in higher-income areas] to build skills or be ready for the workforce or to reach higher education – so that's where our program comes in and helps deliver those needed services.”

Xavier, who originally came to the garden because he heard that landscaping could be a lucrative career, recently finished his second stint as a peer supervisor in the youth garden. With his new skills, he and his cousin are looking to start a business of their own, cutting grass and doing yardwork in their community.

And, late last month, Xavier transferred to a more traditional high school environment.

“Being in a charter school after two, three years,” he said, “I've realized I miss being around more people.”

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