Posts Tagged: 4-H

Chandler strawberries get attention

UC strawberry varieties — Chandler in particular — was the topic of a Los Angeles Times article by David Karp.

According to the article, Chandler was introduced in 1983 and was dominant in Southern California production in the late '80s and early '90s, before being surpassed by other varieties. Chandler was bred by Victor Voth and Royce Bringhurst of the University of California.

This year, a well-known strawberry grower among Southern California farmers markets has resumed growing the Chandler variety. Harry's Berries otherwise grows Gaviota and Seascape varieties, both also developed by the UC strawberry breeding program, but will be bringing Chandler berries to markets this year.

4-H Million Trees Project shelters Pacifica Gardens with natives and fruit trees
The Pacifica Tribune

4-H volunteers continue to plant trees for the 4-H Million Trees program, which was started in Pacifica by 4-H member Laura Webber. Reporter Jane Northrop covered 4-H volunteers planting hedge trees at Pacifica Gardens recently.

So far, the paper reports, the program has seen at least 41,000 children plant 350,000 trees.

The program has spurred many 4-H members to propose tree-planting projects at nearby schools, parks and neighborhoods. One of the teens who wrote a grant proposal for another tree-planting event explained why she took on the project.

"I basically wanted to write the grant because I thought it would be a great experience for me and I wanted to help in more ways than just showing up to the plantings. I also wanted to really push myself to do something that I had never done before," said Julia Hurley, a Pacifica 4-H member and eighth-grader.

Fresno farm meeting attracts Asian growers
Fresno Bee

Reporter Robert Rodriguez covered a meeting of Southeast Asian farmers in Fresno, where one of the primary topics was government regulations.

Richard Molinar, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Fresno, has helped Southeast Asian farmers comply with regulations. At the meeting, he urged farmers to spread the word about how to follow government regulations and who can help.

"Part of this is your responsibility to find out what you need to do," he said. "This not an insurmountable problem."

The meeting was presented by the National Hmong American Farmers, and USDA's Joe Leonard, Jr., was the keynote speaker.

4-H members create Sutter County flag

Sutter County now has an official flag because of two Sutter County 4-H members, according to a story on Fox 40 News in Sacramento.

4-H'ers Francisco Ruiz and Franklin Tarke, both high school sophomores, were asked to bring along their county's flag for a presentation at a 4-H conference. That's when they learned Sutter County has never had a flag.

"People that had gone in the past had to either make a flag out of paper or not participate in the flag ceremony and we didn't really want to do that," said Tarke.

The duo designed three flags and conducted an online poll to select the 161-year-old county’s first flag. On Wednesday, the Sutter County Board of Supervisors proclaimed the 4-H'ers creation the county's official flag.

4-H members create Sutter County's first official flag.

4-H members visit board of supervisors

Five members of Glenn County 4-H visited the county board of supervisors on Oct. 4 in recognition of National 4-H Week, Oct. 2-8, reported Rick Longley in the Willows Journal.

"We are very aware of how important 4-H is to our communities," supervisor Steve Soeth said. "You always put on a nice 4-H night for us to come see."

Deanna Rogers, Glenn County 4-H program representative, said there are 459 4-H members in the county affiliated with 10 clubs. Seven of the clubs participated in 4-H week by putting up displays at businesses and schools in Willows and Orland. The displays included information on 4-H history and projects.

SJV cotton harvest under way
Harry Cline, Western Farm Press

Cotton, like most California crops, has been roughly two weeks late through the season, but nice weather in August and September helped it get back on track.

“I think the cotton crop in the northern part of the valley has caught up,” remarked Bill Weir, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor emeritus.

Entomological Foundation announces 2011 awardees
Press release

The Entomological Foundation announced the recipients of its 2011 awards yesterday, which will be presented at an awards luau reception Nov. 14 in Reno, Nev. The winner of the award for excellence in integrated pest management is UC Riverside entomology professor Joseph Morse.

Morse's research focuses on arthropod pests of citrus and avocados in California, dealing in particular with the integration of chemical and biological methods of pest management, invasive species research, proactive pesticide resistance management, and postharvest disinfestation of fruit, the news release said.

Two UC Davis scientists were among the Entomological Society of America's Insect Science award recipients. Michael Parrella, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology, received the Distinguished Achievement Award in Horticultural Entomology. Walter Leal, a professor and former chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology, received the Nan-Yao Su Award for Innovation and Creativity in Entomology.

4-H is about more than agriculture

The 4-H Youth Development program is about sewing, cooking, organic gardening, arts and crafts, scrapbooking, creating PowerPoint presentations and more — all in an effort to build leadership, collaboration and hands-on learning in youth ages 5 to 19 years old, according to an article by Sena Christian on the Granite Bay website. The story centered on the efforts of two 4-H volunteer leaders who rescued a club program "on the verge of extinction."

Obesity Awareness Month
(Solano, Napa) Times Herald, Denise Kirnig, RD, MS

In an article kicking off National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, the Food and Nutrition Network of Solano County asks parents to join the effort to combat childhood obesity. The article notes that UC Cooperative Extension is one of the agencies involved in the Food and Nutrition Network.

State senate approves bills sponsored by State Sen. Anthony Cannella
Merced Sun-Star

The California State Senate approved Senate Bill 707, which adds olives to the list of crops included in the Fruit Tree, Nut Tree, and Grapevine Improvement Advisory Board (IAB) at CDFA and in the Foundation Plant Services program at UC Davis. By including olives, SB 707 provides the industry access to disease-free, virus tested, and true-to-type certification for oil olive trees developed through extensive research.

Leadership, collaboration and hands-on learning are significant parts of the 4-H program.

UCCE adds urban 4-H club in San Francisco

Responding to a strong locavore movement and do-it-yourself ethos in San Francisco, parents Megan Price and Lauren Ward co-founded the San Francisco Urban 4-H Club this year, said an article published yesterday in the San Francisco Chronicle.

"With the whole urban farming movement blossoming, there are a lot of people with backyard chickens, beekeeping, etc.," Price was quoted. "It just seems like a really good time to start exploring these things with our kids."

But that wasn't the only thing that drew the parents to 4-H.

"I like that (4-H is) focused on service, that it's nondiscriminatory," Price said. "I like that it is focused on earth and agriculture and animals and helping - it is something that kids don't necessarily have access to in the city."

The Chron article, written by Lisa Wallace, said 4-H membership, especially in urban areas, has been on a steady rise the last 4 years. According to 4-H National, about a third of participants are now from cities of at least 50,000 or their surrounding suburbs.

Even though these 4-H members generally live in areas not zoned for farm animals, 4-H helps find ways for city kids to experience the joys and challenges of animal husbandry.

For example, UC Cooperative Extension 4-H program representative Mary Meyer worked with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to set up five locations where 4-Hers can lease land - in Pacifica, Daly City, San Bruno, San Carlos and near the Crystal Springs Reservoir in San Mateo County, the article said. The rent is usually around $6 per month, and because there is no caretaker, it's up to the 4-Hers to feed and groom their animals daily.

Nine-year-old Elsa Rafter joined the San Francisco Urban 4-H Club because of her family's interest backyard chickens, but by participating in 4-H, became involved in several other aspects of growing and preparing food.

Elsa learned to milk a club member's backyard goats and make homemade ice cream from the milk. With Price, who is a pastry chef, she baked an apple and blackberry galette with fresh fruit and an egg wash from her own chickens.

"When you live in a city, you're exposed to cool stuff like museums, but you have to go out of your way to see a farm, or experience milking a goat," Price was quoted in the story.

Bay Area 4-H was also recently featured in a Mother Jones blog post. Kiera Butler wrote about 4-H children she met at the Alameda County Fair.

She said the 4-H kids and leaders she talked to spoke passionately about the importance of raising animals in humane conditions and on healthy and varied diets. Members are encouraged to spend time with their animals, and they are required to learn about the biology and health of the animals they raise.

"In 4-H we try to make kids understand the responsibility that comes with raising an animal," UCCE 4-H program representative Stephanie Fontana was quoted. "You're in charge of another being."

4-H member Sarah Hazeltine of Woodland kisses her goat. (Photo: Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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