(1110) Ag Extension Division

Conduct practical research related to ranching and natural resources, and extend UC’s research to ranchers, agency staff, and the 4-H community through educational programs.

DEPARTMENT/DIVISION OVERVIEW

Three focus areas: 4-H and Youth Development, Livestock & Natural Resources, and Administration.

4-H and Youth Development: Our half-time 4-H Representative manages San Benito County’s 4-H program, including 202 youth and 40 adult volunteers. 4-H teaches leadership, community service, responsibility, pride, teamwork, etc. Through the program, youth and their families provide community service to the county in several ways. Some examples of activities include a safety fair led by 4-H, which is open to the public; a 4-H booth at youth expo; a blood drive, STEM fair, showing animals at San Benito County Fair; Reach Across America placing wreaths at cemeteries; and downtown cleanup.

Livestock & Natural Resources: This program focuses on two areas: The economic viability of livestock production and the sustainable use of range resources. The economic viability of livestock production involves research and educational programs related to livestock health and pasture management. The second focus area is the sustainable use of a range of resources. This topic's research and education include prescribed fire, forage production, invasive weed management, conservation grazing, and oak woodland management/conservation. The Livestock & Natural Resources program conducts scientific research on these topics in collaboration with UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and other UCCE advisors across the state. Once research results are available, they are shared with the ranching community and agency staff through workshops, meetings, and site visits.

Administration: We have a half-time Administrative Assistant. This position is critical to the success of both the 4-H and Livestock & Natural Resources programs. The Administrative Assistant meticulously manages finances for four 4-H accounts; greets and assists 4-H families when they call or come into the office, especially when the 4-H Program Representative is out of the office; ensures that insurance and paperwork are in order when club members participate in local parades. In addition to duties associated with 4-H, the Administrative Assistant acts as our safety officer, which includes making work order requests to the county to ensure the office is safe and functional. The Administrative Assistant supports the Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor/ County Director by managing twelve non-4-H accounts, including our county budget, purchasing office supplies, and providing general administrative assistance. This past year the Administrative Assistant played a critical role in getting our phone system updated when our phone system crashed.

• 4-H: Our half-time 4-H Representative manages San Benito County’s 4-H program, including 202 youth and 40 adult volunteers. 4-H teaches leadership, community service, responsibility, pride, teamwork, etc. Through the program, youth and their families provide community service to the county in several ways. Some examples of activities include a safety fair led by 4-H, which is open to the public; a 4-H booth at youth expo; a blood drive, STEM fair, showing animals at San Benito County Fair; Reach Across America placing wreaths at cemeteries; and downtown cleanup.
• Livestock & Natural Resources: Last year, we were awarded a CAL FIRE grant for $705,023. This is in addition to a separate CAL FIRE grant for $379,785 awarded the prior year; both grants run through March 15, 2024. We have developed the Central Coast Prescribed Burn Association (CCPBA) through these grants and hired a full-time Prescribed Burn Association Coordinator and a half-time Prescribed Burn Organizer. We conducted three prescribed burns, numerous training on prescribed burning, and home hardening/defensible space. We are planning for approximately seven additional prescribed burns, which will take place over the next couple of years. Three manuscripts have been accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. These include a paper about the influence of livestock grazing on fuel loads and wildfire behavior; how to maintain sheep and goat nutrition when they are grazing chaparral shrubs for fuels reduction; control methods for tumbleweed; and the economic influence of ground squirrels on ranching operations. Finally, we implemented an experiment at Pinnacles National Park to see if livestock grazing can help them achieve their conservation goals related to restoring a prairie. This past year, we brought cattle in to graze and conducted our first full year of sampling.
• Administration: The Administrative Assistant provided guidance related to University and County financial processes and policies to the County Director/Department Head and supported of County Director/Department Head on several ongoing grant-funded research projects being conducted in the county. The Administrative Assistant assisted the 4-H Representative and 4-H families with administrative questions.
  • The Administrative Assistant fosters ongoing business relationships within the county with the Auditors, RMA, Admin, and IT Offices allowing for a more efficient office workflow. This past year she continued to take training to increase her knowledge and efficiency of various administrative tasks, including better workflow in managing County accounts, the County’s ERP system, and several UC and County accounts.
  • In addition to the programs listed above based in San Benito County, five additional UCCE advisors located in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara Counties have projects or programs in San Benito County. Because of the work of these other advisors, their staff, or their volunteers, an equivalent of more than 1 FTE worth of UCCE time was dedicated to San Benito County this past year. Their work in San Benito County was related to viticulture, strawberries & cranberries, small farms, vegetable crops & weed science, and Master Gardeners. In addition to their time, these advisors brought $180,236 of grant funding into San Benito County.

Our top concern is maintaining excellent service to the community despite diminishing financial resources.

• Because of flat state funding, UC can no longer cover the total cost of the half-time 4-H Representative. We are grateful to the county for covering a portion of the shortfall for the past two years and FY22-23. Our goal is to identify county-based funding opportunities to increase our 4-H Representative Full Time Employee (FTE) from 0.5 to 1 in the coming years once we can start increasing enrollment. This will allow us to double the number of 4-H youth and adult volunteers enrolled in the program and provided more consistent and timely services to the community.

• Collaborate with San Benito County Integrated Waste Management, Water Resources Association of San Benito County, and possibly other county organizations to explore the development of a Master Gardener program to provide county residents information about how to reduce their garden water use, how to compost, how to grow vegetables, and much more. If we can get this program off the ground, we will have resources available in Spanish.
• Dramatically increase 4-H enrollment as more housing continues to be built in the county.
• Increase program and research opportunities to address local needs, which will lead to increased economic prosperity, a prepared workforce, improved natural resources management, and enhanced community health and wellness.
• We are in the process of hiring a Fire Advisor who will be headquartered in San Benito County. We hope to have them on board by the summer of 2022.
• Four additional UCCE Advisor positions have been approved for the Central Coast. Though they will be headquartered in other counties, they will have an appointment to cover San Benito County. Along with the new Fire Advisor, these four positions will greatly expand UCCE’s footprint in San Benito County. The four additional positions are as follows:
  • Plant Pathology Advisor - This position has been hired. The new advisor will begin in October 2022.
  • Agricultural Technology Area Advisor – Applications are due April 28, 2022.
  • Ag Entomology Advisor – Recruitment will begin before March 2023.
  • 4-H Animal Science Youth Advisor – Recruitment will begin before March 2023. This position may be headquartered in San Benito County.