![UCCE Sonoma County](http://ucanr.edu/sb3/display/photos/163.jpg)
Posts Tagged: small
Tips on care of backyard chickens, sheep, goats compiled on new website
UC Cooperative Extension expertise available in English and Spanish on small-scale livestock production, pasture management, pests and predators, weed management and emergency preparedness
A team of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources advisors has created a new comprehensive website for small acreage landowners in California and beyond. The Small Acreage Landowners website, at https://ucanr.edu/sites/smacreage, is designed to be a one-stop shop for backyard livestock producers, youth raising livestock, and other small acreage landowners. Information on livestock husbandry, pasture management, pests and predators, weed management and emergency preparedness is in English and Spanish on the website.
“We've seen an amazing growth in interest in small-scale livestock production throughout California in the last four years,” said project leader Julie Finzel, UC Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources advisor for Kern, Tulare and Kings Counties. “Folks in our communities are hungry for knowledge about how to care for their land and their animals – from urban chickens to backyard goats and sheep.”
The website includes specific information for most common livestock species, as well as links to sites with more in-depth information about specific topics. Other pages include information on protecting livestock and property from pests and predators, controlling common weeds and protecting water quality.
The site also provides links to a variety of other UC ANR resources, including wildfire information from the Fire Network, and videos and webinars from the UC ANR Managing Land & Livestock on Small Acreage Webinar Series.
“We're excited this new website will make science-based information available to a wider audience,” said Finzel. “Most of our educational programming has focused on commercial livestock production.”
In addition to Finzel, a team of UC Cooperative Extension livestock advisors contributed to the project, including Theresa Becchetti (Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties), Brooke Latack (Imperial, Riverside and San Bernadino counties) Dan Macon (Placer, Nevada, Sutter and Yuba counties), Devii Rao (San Benito, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties), Rebecca Ozeran, former UC Cooperative Extension livestock advisor for Fresno and Madera counties and Flavie Audoin, former UCCE advisor for the Central Sierra now rangeland management extension specialist at University of Arizona. UC ANR technician Sequoia Williams in Placer County compiled information and designed the webpages.
The Small Acreage Landowners website was created in part with funds from a USDA-NIFA Renewable Resources Extension Act grant.
Updated March 6, 2024, to add Flavie Audoin as a contributor to the website.
/h3>UC offers resources for urban farmers at EcoFarm
University of California scientists will be participating in the 44th Annual EcoFarm Conference Jan. 17-20 in Pacific Grove. EcoFarm participants gather to celebrate and learn about advances in farming and food systems throughout the state. This year, the three-day conference will highlight Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities that depend on agriculture, while also showcasing the new technological advances that further the development of agriculture.
Researchers from the UC Davis Veterinary Teaching Hospital's Department of Population Health, the Western Institute of Food Safety and Security and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources will be attending the conference to highlight the importance of food safety and technical skills in urban farming.
At EcoFarm, the Western Institute of Food Safety and Security will showcase its Civic Urban Farmer Program with an exhibit. The program, led by UC Davis assistant project scientist Sara Garcia and supported by UC Cooperative Extension, strives to uplift BIPOC communities.
The Civic Urban Farmer Program
The Civic Urban Farmer Program – a no-cost, 11-week program for farmers in the Sacramento region and Bay Area – provides technical support for new and upcoming urban farmers through webinars and in-person events. The program is available for any race, gender, age and skill ability, and seeks to provide safe, expert advice for farmers at any scale.
Soil health, composting, pest management, business marketing, food safety and urban policy are among the topics covered in its lecture-style classes.
Earlier this year, the program graduated its second cohort, with the support of two nonprofit organizations, Three Sisters Gardens in West Sacramento and Common Vision in Oakland. The program is supported by industry professionals, researchers and government officials, as well as local nonprofit and non-governmental organizations.
Elina Niño, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in apiculture, joined the Civic Urban Farmer Program to support urban farmers with training on managing pollinators to increase crop yields and create value-added products such as honey. The success of the pollinator program revealed that small urban farmers desire resources and education that are tailored specifically toward the cultivation of healthy and safe food.
For more information about the Civic Urban Farmer Program, visit https://www.wifss.ucdavis.edu/urbanfarmers.
Organic Agriculture Institute
The UC Organic Agriculture Institute, led by UC Cooperative Extension specialist Houston Wilson, will have an exhibit at EcoFarm. UC Organic Agriculture Institute brings together growers, certifiers, consultants, community groups and other stakeholders with UC research and extension personnel to share information about organic farming.
For more information about the UC Organic Agriculture Institute, visit https://organic.ucanr.edu.
Workshop speakers
Several UC Cooperative Extension advisors will be speaking at EcoFarm, including Richard Smith, UCCE emeritus vegetable crops advisor; Patricia Lazicki, UCCE vegetable crops advisor; and Margaret Lloyd, UCCE small farms advisor.
Connect with @ucanr on X, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Regional Italian ryegrass herbicide trials underscore the importance of IPM in weed management
Summary Review Results from this year's Italian ryegrass (IR) herbicide trials helped quantify differences in herbicide resistance among IR populations within the southern Sacramento Valley. The trial took place in Bird's Landing, CA (near Rio Vista), and was replicated farther north in Esparto,...
UCCE Week-Long Sheep Shearing School is Back in 2023!!!
After two years of Covid restrictions, I'm happy to say that I'll be doing our very popular week-long shearing school. The dates are March 20th through 24th, 2023. It will be located once again at the Twinning Barn near Ukiah.
We will limit the class size to 28 students and we will have 5 instructors including me. The cost is $850 and is not refundable for partial participation. California residents will receive priority and local Mendocino and Lake County students can apply for a scholarship to reduce the cost of enrollment. Scholarships are awarded only after a student completes the course.
As we've done in the past, we ask folks to fill out the interest survey here https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=39994. Make sure you complete the survey immediately if you haven't done so in the past.
We will provide instructions on how and when to register on-line with a credit card
(Visa or Mastercard) only to those on the interest survey list. It is a separate survey.
With the exceptions already noted here, when registration opens on-line it will be a first come first in for the 28 slots. If you are on our interest list from years past and have never gotten in, please write an email to me, John Harper, jmharper@ucanr.edu and describe why you want to take the course. In past years the on-line class has filled in under 2 minutes.
We will take a few extras on the registration as alternates to be contacted if successful registrants' have to cancel before the first week prior to the school
.
Small-scale growers meet virtually to discuss organic agriculture
Over 150 current and prospective organic growers gleaned practical information shared by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources experts at the “Introduction to Small-Scale Organic Agriculture” workshop held virtually on Dec. 15, 2020. While most attendees were from inland San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles and Orange counties, a handful were
“I attended this workshop and it was very helpful to hear different aspects of organic farming from experienced people,” one attendee from Sri Lanka said in an email.
UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP) Director Gail Feenstra and Deputy Director Sonja Brodt kicked off the day with a presentation on program goals and resources. SAREP supports the goals of growers by developing more sustainable agricultural practices and effective regional food systems. They described a new online self-directed training program for organic specialty crop farmers in California and those in transition at https://ofrf.org/beginning-farmer-training-program. They also discussed marketing and business management.
Houston Wilson, director of UC ANR's new Organic Agriculture Institute, provided an overview of the program and pointed out that organic farming is expanding throughout California and includes more than 360 commodities. UC ANR will continue to take a lead role in developing and extending research and extension to this important sector, he said.
UC Cooperative Extension sustainable food systems advisor Rachel Surls discussed legal basics such as permits, licenses and regulations. UC Cooperative Extension organic agriculture specialist Joji Muramoto talked about the importance of soil health, a very popular and important topic. Other UC Cooperative Extension presenters covered nitrogen management (small farms advisor Margaret Lloyd), irrigation management (irrigation specialist Amir Haghverdi), integrated pest management (IPM advisor Cheryl Wilen), and plant diseases (plant pathology specialist Alex Putman).
“Thank you for the great workshop and resource links you provided for workshop materials and beyond! I have already downloaded and started to incorporate information from a few of the UC ANR pest management guidelines and legal and marketing links,” wrote an attendee from Chino. “Tips from peers are always great, too.”
During the afternoon portion of the workshop, five California organic farmers shared tips from their experiences. Carol Hamre (123 Farm, Cherry Valley) spoke about her trials and successes regarding vertebrate pest control and drip irrigation. Grace Legaspi (Tiny Leaf Micro Farm, Temescal Valley) talked about the art and science of growing microgreens. Lisa Wright (RD Flavorfull Farm, Riverside) discussed the importance of planting the right varieties in the right seasons. Arthur Levine (Huerta del Valle, Ontario) stressed the importance of collaboration and working synergistically as a team, and the importance of inclusiveness in all practices. Richard Zapien (‘R Farm, UC Riverside) shared inspiring stories and opportunities regarding the popular and successful UC Riverside community garden he manages.
“I am very glad to attend this workshop as a Bangladeshi,” wrote a grateful attendee from half way around the world. “Really, I have learned many things about organic farming in this workshop. I am working in the Tree nuts sector in Bangladesh but I have only cashew nuts plantation and processing factory…. I want to make an organic farm on 25 acres of land to cultivate vegetables, fruits, livestock, and fishing. Thanks again.”
Following the workshop, an extensive list of UCANR and external resources on topics covered during the workshop was provided to attendees https://ucanr.edu/sites/smallscalefarming/RESOURCES_/.
“I wanted to thank you for such a great webinar,” replied another Southern California participant. “I am a farm business advisor with the non-profit Kitchen Table Advisors and I learned a lot myself. Thank you for providing this list of resources. I look forward to the webinar recordings and slides, which I hope to be able to share with some of my farmer clients.”
The efforts of our co-sponsors also led to the overall success of the workshop. Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD) Manager Mandy Parkes, co-moderator, discussed district irrigation and soil testing resources and handed out gift certificates throughout the day. Evelyn Hurtado from IERCD volunteered to translate the workshop recordings into Spanish and Maggie O'Neill shared membership information and resources from the San Bernardino County Farm Bureau. Other co-sponsors included the Riverside County and Orange County Farm Bureaus. The California Certified Organic Foundation promoted the workshop and heightened awareness of UC ANR's programs and activities in the field of organic agriculture.
The PowerPoint presentations and recordings in English will be posted on the UCCE San Bernardino County website: https://ucanr.edu/sites/smallscalefarming/ by Feb. 15, 2021, and the Spanish translations later this winter. Next year, if conditions allow, actual farm visits will be included.