March 30, 2001
Picnic Day
Saturday, April 21, 2001 Visit the CA&ES Hospitality Canopy Corner of North Quad and West Quad The theme for this Picnic Day celebration is "Aggies Shine Together." Be sure to stop by the college's hospitality canopy. Dean Neal Van Alfen and members of the Dean's Office will be there to say hello. You'll have a chance to ask questions, pick up information about the college and reconnect with faculty, friends and alumni.
Sharon E. Lynch
Assistant Director for Relations
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
selynch@ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-1602
Back to top ^
UC Annual Beef and Range Field Day
Thursday, April 19, 2001 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $12 fee includes lunch Pre-registration NOT required Invasive weeds such as medusahead, yellow starthistle and barbed goatgrass have been identified as some of the most significant problems facing the Sierra Nevada and foothill rangelands. UC scientists will discuss the latest research into using fire and livestock grazing as vegetation management tools. The impact of prescribed fire to native oaks, wildlife and water quality also will be discussed.
Back to top ^
Center for Environmental Health Sciences Booth
Earth Day 2001 Sac State Campus Sunday, April 22, 2001 Visit the Center for Environmental Health Sciences' exhibit booth on the California State University, Sacramento campus on Earth Day 2001. Over 100 environmental education booths and displays will be on campus, along with organic farmers, food, crafts, children's activities, wildlife education, and a mind/body/spirit grove. CEHS will be giving away free ladybugs, UV detectors, suntan lotion, water quality testers, comic books and much more.
Earth Day Sac online
Back to top ^
Arboretum Highlights
Wild Things! - Regional Reptiles and Amphibians Friday, April 20, 2001 7 p.m. Putah Creek Lodge Free The naturalists of the UC Davis Arboretum invite you and your family to join in talking about the reptiles and amphibians that inhabit the Putah Creek drainage and the Sacramento Valley. Sean Barry of the Sacramento Valley Herpetological Society will show slides and discuss the "herps" that share our local habitat, from the common western fence lizard to the reclusive slender salamander and the rare ringneck snake.
Back to top ^
Arboretum Terrace Garden Tour
Sunday, April 22, 2001 2 p.m. Arboretum Terrace, next door to Borders Books Free Arboretum Terrace, located next to Borders Books at the Davis Commons retail center in Davis, is a new home-demonstration garden for the Central Valley. Learn how to create a garden that is beautiful, protects the environment and requires less maintenance than a conventional yard. The garden is based on Mediterranean style, using design elements to reduce water use and encourage year-round, outdoor living
Back to top ^
Desert Bloom in the Arboretum
Sunday, April 29, 2001 2 p.m. Arboretum Headquarters Free Desert plants have evolved many fascinating adaptations that allow them to thrive under harsh and stressful environmental conditions. To take advantage of a short, wet season, they often burst into spectacular bloom after winter rains. You can see some of these tough, drought-resistant plants during a tour led by arboretum docents.
Back to top ^
Pierce's Disease Field Guide
A new, 20-page UC field guide, "Pierce's Disease," was written for grape growers concerned about Pierce's disease, the glassy-winged sharpshooter and how to keep the potentially deadly problem out of vineyards. The field guide, which examines the problem in six major sections with 26 color photographs and four tables, is available through the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Cooperative Extension offices and ANR Communication Services.
Pierce's Disease online
Back to top ^
Studies Focus on Tomatoes, Pistachios and Wild Rice
Four new cost and profitability studies examining fresh and processing tomatoes, pistachios and wild rice are available from UC Cooperative Extension, according to staff research associate Rich De Moura, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. The studies are based on typical farming practices for the crop and region and are designed to help guide production decisions, determine possible returns, prepare budgets and evaluate production loans. Growers, bankers, government agencies, researchers and others will use them to compare operations with costs and revenues from a hypothetical farm. The publications are $1 each.
Ag-Econ website
Rich DeMoura
Staff Research Associate
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
rdemoura@ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-3589
Back to top ^
Teaching Parents How to Be Parents
A four-year study at UC Davis is looking at the best way to help first-time parents create happy, competent families. Professor Carol Rodning, Department of Human and Community Development, is asking whether first-time parents benefit most by receiving hand-out information or by participating in classes where they receive one-on-one guidance. In a separate study published in November 1999, Rodning established that family-based intervention significantly increases the number of infants who form secure attachments with their parents.
Carol J. Rodning
Center for Child and Family Studies
cjrodning@ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-2888
Back to top ^
Survey Results from Beer Lovers
Charles Bamforth, professor of brewing science, Department of Food Science and Technology, knows that beer drinkers are choosy about foam on their beer. He showed over 300 beer drinkers in the United States, Germany, England and Japan photographs of glasses of beer poured with different heads of foam. Then the participants completed questionnaires on what they thought of the beers. Most expected that the beer with good foam would "taste better," even in the U.S. where beer often is drunk straight from a bottle or can. Some thought that the beer with good foam actually looked colder or was darker in color. Survey results were published in the Journal of the Institute of Brewing.
Charles W. Bamforth
Professor
Department of Food Science and Technology
cwbamforth@ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-1467
Back to top ^
State Agriculture Labor Challenges
According to Philip Martin, professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, and an authority on farm labor issues, labor is and likely will continue to be a major issue for California farmers. Most seasonal farm workers are immigrants who have entered the U.S. specifically for farm jobs. But, because these workers do not intend to spend their careers on the farm, there will be a 10 percent turnover rate in the state's farm labor market, with 80,000 to 90,000 new immigrants entering the work force annually.
Phillip L. Martin
Professor
Department of Food Science and Technology
plmartin@ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-1530
Back to top ^
Converting Rice Straw to Fuel
Rice straw could be converted to usable fuel for biomass generators, according to agricultural engineer Bryan Jenkins, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. Biomass generators use fuel such as wood from forest thinning, farm waste or non-recyclable paper either to generate electricity directly or to produce gas that can be used for power generation. Using untreated rice straw as fuel produces a glassy slag, requiring increased boiler maintenance and raising costs. Jenkin's group is researching methods to remove minerals from the straw that form the slag. Leaving harvested straw in flooded rice fields allows most of these minerals to leach out.
Bryan M. Jenkins
Agricultural Engineer
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
bmjenkins@ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-1422
Back to top ^
Ag Machinery State Tax
Hoy Carman, professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, notes that California has one of the highest sales tax rates on agricultural machinery in the nation. Of the 45 states that collect sales tax, 33 exempt new agricultural machinery from sales tax. Of the remaining 12 states that do tax agricultural machinery sales, eight do so at reduced rates, with six states reducing rates by 50 percent or more. California is the only state that levies sales tax on the gross amount of the equipment sales price, even when a farmer is trading in an old piece of machinery on the purchase. Carman suggests that bringing California tax policies on agricultural machinery in line with other states would increase the competitive strength of the state's farmers and boost sales by California agricultural machinery dealers.
Hoy Carman
Professor
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
carman@primal.ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-1525
Back to top ^
Aquatic Pest Control
California's strawberry industry, which produces most of the nation's strawberries, likely will suffer a 20 percent drop in production due to the phase-out of the agricultural pesticide methyl bromide, reports agricultural economist Colin Carter, professor and chair of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. The use of methyl bromide is being eliminated under an international agreement because studies have shown that the pesticide contributes to the destruction of the Earth's ozone layer. Agriculturalists have just a few years to develop alternatives that are both scientifically and economically viable. The study shows that the loss in yield and overall production will translate into lost jobs and displacement of workers. Carter hopes the study prepares the state and industry to prepare for these changes.
Colin A. Carter
Professor
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
cacarter@ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-6054
Back to top ^
Homogenization
Homogenization is the phenomenon of the plants and animals in regions around the world with similar climate becoming increasingly similar to one another as alien species adapted to human activity invade and as native species go extinct or become rare. Studies from the laboratory of Professor Peter Moyle, Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, have demonstrated that within California, homogenization of the freshwater fish fauna is occurring rapidly. Moyle has generated a large database on the distribution and status of California's native and alien fishes. His book is to be published in the fall.
Peter B. Moyle
Professor
Deptartment of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology
pbmoyle@ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-6355
Back to top ^
Foot and Mouth Disease
Economic impacts of foot and mouth disease Jarvis has been studying the market impacts of foot and mouth disease and its eradication in certain South American countries. He also has examined what the economic impact would be if foot and mouth disease should appear in California. He often is quoted on the history of the disease, outbreaks around the world and what a domestic outbreak would mean to California agriculture. Policies and economics of livestock Sumner, director of the UC Agricultural Issues Center headquartered at UC Davis, is familiar with policies that are in place to protect U.S. livestock from diseases such as foot and mouth disease, the economic impact and likely responses if a domestic outbreak were to occur and the impact of outbreaks elsewhere. Safety of our meat supply Harris studies food safety and quality issues and often addresses why foot and mouth disease can be devastating to the livestock industry but does not pose a threat to consumers' health. How ranchers keep beef herds healthy Oltjen provides educational programs for beef cattle producers through a "Beef Quality Assurance Program." He is familiar with management practices that ranchers should use to protect their herds against a variety of health problems, including foot and mouth disease.
Lovell S. Jarvis
Associate Dean
Division of Human Sciences
lsjarvis@ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-0110
Back to top ^
New US Census Data
Planning for urban regions Fleming oversees CDPS, a research/outreach unit devoted to creating more choices for living as California's population grows denser. Staffed by Department of Environmental Design students and postgraduate researchers, the unit plans and designs for small-scale neighborhoods and regional areas. Among the projects is a set of computerized models that depict new urban-living relationships in the six-county Sacramento Valley region and in Northern New Mexico. Migration Guarnizo studies the processes and effects of U.S.-bound migration of people from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia and El Salvador. He has investigated the web of social networks and power structures that transcend national territorial jurisdictions. He also looks at how the countries of origin and destination try to incorporate these migrants as dual citizens and naturalized citizens, respectively.
Randall C. Fleming
Managing Director
Community Planning and Design Services
rcfleming@ucdavis.edu
(530) 754-8408
Back to top ^
Dairy Marketing and Policies
Leslie "Bees" Butler, Cooperative Extension dairy specialist and lecturer, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, is a media source to discuss federal and state government dairy policies and programs, biotechnology, technology transfer and many of the issues currently facing the dairy industry. An authority on dairy marketing and policy issues, he has intensively tracked recombinant bovine somatotropin - also known as bovine growth hormone - research and use in dairy production for many years
Leslie J. Butler
Dairy Specialist and Lecturer
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
ljbutler@ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-3681
Back to top ^
Mexican President's Visit
Labor and migration Martin is an authority on migration and labor issues, particularly agricultural labor. He has published extensively on labor, migration, economic development and immigration policy issues and has testified before Congress and state and local agencies on those issues. He recently co-authored a report urging California policymakers to develop strategies that will encourage and hasten the integration of immigrants into the state's economy and society. Cities, migration, transnationalism Smith has researched and written extensively on the political economy of urbanization, racial and ethnic formation, immigration, globalization and transnationalism. During the past decade, he has been studying the impact of transnational economic, socio-cultural and political practices of people and networks that link cities and regions in California to other communities and regions across the globe. These sites for research include San Francisco, Sacramento, Stockton, Napa, the Silicon Valley and Los Angeles. Migration Guarnizo studies the processes and effects of U.S.-bound migration of people from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia and El Salvador. He has investigated the web of social networks and power structures that transcend national territorial jurisdictions. He also looks at how the countries of origin and destination try to incorporate these migrants as dual citizens and naturalized citizens, respectively. Mexican immigrant communities Grieshop has extensive applied research and education experience with Mexican immigrant communities in California. In the past 10 years, he has completed a number of collaborative projects with the Mixtec immigrant community in the Central Valley of California and in Mixtec areas of Mexico. A primary focus of his work has been on the incorporation of Mixtec into local communities and schools as well as their ongoing cross-border connections to home communities in Oaxaca.
Phillip L. Martin
Professor
Department of Food Science and Technology
plmartin@ucdavis.edu
(530) 752-1530
Back to top ^
Masculinity
Masculinity Kaiser studies issues of gender, race and sexuality in relation to clothing and appearance style. She is a past president and fellow of the International Textile and Apparel Association, and her work over the past 10 years has included a focus on how masculinity is socially constructed through style. Drawing on interviews with men of diverse racial and sexual identities, as well as popular cultural depictions of men and their styles (e.g., the film "Men in Black"), she examines how differences among men become created and understood.
Back to top ^
Visit CA&ES Currents online at http://caes.ucdavis.edu/NewsEvents/News/Currents/default.aspx
.
CA&ES Currents, the faculty/staff newsletter of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis, is distributed every other Friday. News deadline is noon Monday preceding Friday publication. Send inquiries to Ann Filmer, afilmer@ucdavis.edu
.
Issue Editor:
Rhoda McKnight
(530) 752-9328
Contributors: Donna Gutierrez, Thomas Kaiser, Susan Kancir, Rhoda McKnight, Neal Van Alfen, John Weston.
Some Web links cited in this newsletter may be inaccessible to off-campus sites. If you want to view the full stories on the Web from off campus, you will need to provide a username and password the first time you try to view a story: username: clips password: newz
To be added to or deleted from this electronic newsletter list, please write to caeseditor@agdean.ucdavis.edu
.
The University of California does not discriminate in any of its policies, procedures or practices. The university is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.