By Tim Hearden

In recent years, I’ve had the good fortune to visit and work with some of California’s most successful trade schools and career-technical education programs.

About a year ago, I visited with instructors and students involved with an apprenticeship program at Stockton’s San Joaquin Delta College called ThinkBIG, in which students split their time between classes and work in the service department of a Caterpillar dealership.

I’ve done several projects involving the agriculture and heavy equipment program at Shasta College in Redding, whose dormitory immerses students in the campus’ farming operation. Shasta’s heavy equipment program offers certificates in trades such as welding, equipment operation, and maintenance, which students can use to get jobs in logging, construction, or other industries.

Many argue that programs such as this are the wave of the future, as recent high school graduates become wary of racking up thousands of dollars of debt going to a four-year university and risking not being able to find a job when they earn their degrees.

Highlighting this fear was a 2013 report by economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York asserting that only 27 percent of graduates found jobs related to their majors, and only 62 percent of graduates ended up with jobs that required a college degree.

Some commentators point to declining enrollment in many universities’ humanities and social sciences programs as evidence that higher education in the future will be dominated by STEM subjects, such as business and economics, as students seek degrees that will lead to better employment.

If this is the case, I can think of no more practical application of science and technology than occurs in the agriculture departments of land grant colleges, including the University of California. In fact, it’s not an overstatement to say the vast network of Cooperative Extension offices and research facilities operated by the UC has enabled agriculture in the Golden State to survive amid daunting challenges.

Drought? The UC is developing soil maintenance strategies, conducting groundwater recharge trials, and giving growers updated evapotranspiration information so they can manage water stress in trees. Labor shortages? The UC is working on numerous automation projects.

There’s no greater example of the UC’s practical approach than its relationship with the Citrus Research Board, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Among their numerous joint efforts, the UC and CRB are working feverishly to protect the state’s commercial groves from the deadly tree disease Huanglongbing, which has devastated citrus in the U.S. Southeast.

Stephanie Doria, a UC-Davis graduate who is now a staff research assistant at the UC’s Lindcove Research and Extension Center, puts it this way: “It’s very practical — that’s the best thing. We’re producing research that actually helps people.”

For that, growers throughout California, particularly in the citrus industry, are grateful.

Link to story

Danish wind turbines

By Geetika Joshi, PhD

This week I am honored to be among a United States delegation invited to visit Denmark by the Danish Trade Council and the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We are there to share information and learn from Denmark’s experiences as it evaluates the prospect of becoming a biogas-based economy. The delegation was welcomed in Copenhagen on Sunday and attended a dinner that included California wines.

Denmark requires large amounts of natural gas for heating due to its cold climate. The country’s approach combines various sources of methane biogas. On Monday the delegation met with officials from the State of Green and the Danish Energy Agency. State of Green is a public-private partnership organization that facilitates relationships with international stakeholders interested in green economy solutions. We learned about the history of Denmark’s focus on biogas and the nation’s ambitious goal of becoming fossil fuel-independent by 2050.

Agriculture is currently the largest contributor of methane biogas and that role is expected to grow. Agriculture also accounts for almost 66 percent of all land-use in Denmark. The public and private sectors have worked together to establish long-term financial agreements for renewable biogas and dairy waste products to help facilitate renewable energy and address environmental issues such as excessive on-farm nutrient application and runoff into water bodies.

We had the opportunity to meet with engineers from two multi-national companies that specialize in cleaning-up and conditioning methane biogas before it can be injected into pipelines. We also visited the Danish Technical University, where we heard from researchers working on the Future Gas Project, which aims to predict the sustainability and feasibility of a biogas-based economy for Denmark over the long-term. And we met with engineering students working on developing innovative technologies to cleanup biogas and establish real-time measurements in the biogas production process.

We are looking forward to visiting several biogas plants in Denmark to learn first-hand how animal agriculture systems are contributing to the biogas-based economy.

Dr. Geetika Joshi is a Supervising Senior Environmental Scientist who manages CDFA’s Dairy Digester Research and Development Program and its Alternative Manure Management Program – both housed in the Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation. 

From Morning Ag Clips

According to the California Fresh Fig Growers Association, the 2018 California Fresh Fig season is well underway and will continue through mid-December. This year’s crop is as sweet as ever with lots of colors, shapes and sizes to enjoy.

“When you see them, buy them,” says Karla Stockli, Chief Executive Office of the California Fresh Fig Growers Association. “You’ll see different varieties throughout the season and they each have their own unique flavor and texture. Try them all to find your favorite.”

In California, there are six primary varieties of figs:

• Black Mission. Purple and black skin with deep earthy flavor.
• Calimyrna. Pale yellow skin with a buttery and nutty flavor.
• Kadota. Creamy amber skin with a light flavor.
• Brown Turkey. Light purple to black skin with robust flavor.
• Sierra. Light-colored skin with a fresh, sweet flavor.
• Tiger. Light yellow color with unique dark green stripes and a bright red-purple interior fruit with fruity, raspberry, citrus flavor.

Note – California is the sole producer of figs in the United States, due to the advantages of its Mediterranean climate. Figs are also grown in the countries of Turkey, Spain, Greece, Egypt, Iran, Syria, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.

Link to Morning Ag Clips