Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources

For Sutter Rogers, community and forest stewardship has been the family business since 1965. That’s when her grandparents bought 200-acres of Plumas County forestland, a site that would become Coppercreek Camp. “They built the cabins and the lodge on their own. It was their dream to have a children’s summer…

Dear University of California community,The last several months have challenged our university community in many ways. We find ourselves in a moment that requires us to navigate a great deal of uncertainty every day. This is not easy, and I know that many of you are understandably anxious about what is…

 Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley Garvey“The Doctor Is In.”That’s a phrase indicating that a doctor is available to see patients, or that a medical office or clinic is open for appointments. In the Peanuts’ cartoon, Lucy offers psychiatric advice in her "Doctor Is In" booth (for the paltry sum of…

 Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley GarveyIf you're curious about crop protection product development, learn it from an insider.Jared P. Jensen, field research manager at SAN Agrow, will present a seminar hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology (ENT), on Monday, April 28 on "Crop…

  UC Master Gardeners are sharing their love for growing fresh fruits and vegetables, helping Californians discover and access local, healthy food across the state. From vibrant demonstration gardens in the low desert of Imperial County to the Bay Area region, volunteers are not only growing food…

For many of us, gardening involves a constant battle with weeds. Basically, a weed is nothing more than a plant growing where it is not wanted, the classic example being dandelions in the lawn. But as the old saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” and there are many “weeds” that are, in…

 Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley GarveyI'm honored and humbled to have one of my images showcased at the annual Insect Salon hosted by the Pacific Branch, Entomological Society of America (PBESA) at its recent meeting in Salt Lake City. It won a second-place award. PBESA covers 11 Western states, plus…

On March 18, 2025, the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (USDA-FSA) announced that it will provide $10 billion in direct payments to eligible agricultural producers of qualifying commodities. Passed under the American Relief Act of 2025, the economic relief will be delivered…

Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley Garvey When the Bohart Museum of Entomology erected its pop-up tent on the Briggs Hall lawn during the recent campuswide UC Davis Picnic Day, insects popped up.They included walking sticks (stick insects) and a few specimens from the Bohart Museum's global collection of…

This year, with high input costs and low rice prices, a lot of growers are testing their soil to determine if they need to apply P and K fertilizer.  I have received a number of calls this week asking about interpreting their soil P test for rice soils. I have recommended using the Olsen-P test (or a…

 Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley GarveyThere she was,  a mining bee (genus Andrena) sunning herself on a Passiflora (passionflower vine). She did not notice me.Such a tiny bee, about the size of a grain of rice. It's a solitary ground-nesting bee known as "an early spring bee" and it lives only a…

Vice President Glenda Humiston announces the launch of the new UC ANR Policy Institute. This institute will be transformative in delivering the UC ANR mission by increasing science-based communications and community engagement to inform policy decisions and implementation. The new UC ANR Policy Institute…

By Carmen Kappos Inyo-Mono Master Gardener Volunteer While the words soil and dirt are often used interchangeably there are differences between them. Recently, Dustin Blakey, our local UCCE Farm Advisor, gave a talk called “Preparing Garden Soil on the East Side.” During this discussion Dustin…

Blog article by Brenda AltmanOne overlooked feature of John F Kennedy Library in Vallejo is the free garden seed station. It is located on the wall just before the restrooms.  Anyone can take seeds for their own use. Seeds are donated by library patrons and the Seed Barn.  The seeds are separated…

Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley GarveyFlameskimmers bring great joy.Today we saw our first dragonfly of the season in our Vacaville garden.  The flameskimmer, a female Libellula saturata, perched on a stick and allowed me to take a few images. It was just a couple of weeks ago that I reviewed a book…

UC scientists are working with growers in Tehama, Butte, Lake, Amador, Contra Costa, Stanislaus and Yolo counties to test a new way of measuring the irrigation needs of walnut trees. Shackel and team think this new method will allow growers to use less water by not irrigating early in the season, and trees…

Blog article by Karen Metz, UC Master GardenerMany of us have plants in our gardens or yards that remind us of people or places.  Sometimes trees or shrubs are planted to honor the birth of a child, a milestone birthday, or in memory of a loved one.  We might have plants that we have grown from…

 Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley GarveyUC Davis doctoral alumna Fiona Goggin, professor of entomology and plant pathology at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, will return to UC Davis on Monday, April 21 to deliver a lecture hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.Professor…