Agricultural Advice from UCCE Advisors | | |
2025 Irrigation and Nutrient Management Meeting for Vegetable and Berry Crops
August 21, 2025 | 8:20 AM - 12:00 PM
Location:
United Water Conservation District 1701 Lombard Street.
Oxnard, CA 93030
Registration is Free!
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Webinar: Citrus Leprosis Threat, Mites, and Mite Management
August 27, 2025 | 10:00 AM
In this webinar, various presenters will inform citrus industry stakeholders on the threat of citrus leprosis disease and share research results about ongoing vector transmission studies. They will also discuss pest mites of citrus and mite management.
Image: UC IPM
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Webinar: Protect California's Waters From Invasive Species
September 3, 2025 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
In this webinar, Martha Volkoff from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Invasive Species Program will discuss aquatic invasive species like golden mussels and nutria. She will also share simple actions you can take to help protect our waters from these destructive pests.
Image: UC Berkley
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Whitefly!!!!!
Author: Ben Faber
Recently a request came in from a San Luis Obispo Master Gardener asking about some unusual mottling on orange leaves. They didn’t follow a typical nutritional deficiency or fungal disease. They actually looked like huanglongbing symptoms, but there was no history of Asian Citrus Psyllid. It looked like it could be a sucking insect, something like a stink bug, whitefly or mite feeding. But the Master Gardener and grower couldn’t find any insects or any fecal or other debris, indicating an insect’s presence. The symptoms looked familiar, though and I just couldn’t put my finger on it. Then we got a call from a Valencia grower in Fillmore, and they had some really good images of similar symptoms with clear feeding sites on the back side of the leaves. And some whitefly colonies, too.
Continue reading...
Image: UC IPM
| | UCCE Community Education Programs | | | | UC Master Gardener Program | | |
Zoom Webinar: Firewise Living From Structure to Landscape
August 26, 2025 | 6 PM -7 PM
This practical workshop equips homeowners with essential skills to reduce wildfire risks. Participants will learn strategies for creating defensible space around structures, including vegetation management, landscaping techniques, and home modification approaches.
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Interested in becoming a Master Gardener?
Attend an information meeting in August or September to be eligible for the upcoming class starting in November 2025.
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Climate Corner: Sustainable Living Tips
Consider durable patio furniture for outdoor use
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Author: Annemiek Schilder
For those of you who have made the mistake of buying plastic wicker patio furniture in the past, only to see it deteriorate in the span of a few years, you know what I am talking about. While plastic wicker furniture kept indoors or on a covered patio may provide many years of enjoyment, plastic wicker exposed to the relentless California sun will disintegrate due to ultraviolet light and leave you with unsightly brittle and cracked wicker. The eventually useless furniture will then be a problem to get rid of because it is invariably bulky too! Instead, buy metal or wood furniture that has the potential to last longer. Even better, buy used or vintage metal or wood patio furniture, and spruce it up with new cushions.
Speaking of cushions, foam cushions are expensive nowadays and don't seem to hold up as well as they used to; they tend to collapse and be less sturdy than those of yesteryear. So if you are handy with a sewing machine, don't throw away those old foam cushions, especially if the foam is still in good shape; buy some nice (outdoor) material and sew new covers to breathe new life into them.
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Welcome to the Farm: UC ANR’s Role in California’s Agritourism Transformation
Author: Ricardo A. Vela
Explore California Agritourism
In a state where agriculture is a $59 billion industry, a quiet revolution is changing how Californians experience farming—not just as consumers, but as guests, learners, and partners. Agritourism, once a niche side venture for farmers, is now a significant and growing segment of the rural economy. Leading this transformation is the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), which has spent over 25 years equipping farmers to open their gates and diversify their income. Continue Reading...
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Small Farms, Food Businesses to Lose Vital USDA Support
Author: Pamela S. Kan-Rice
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The Southwest Regional Food Business Center, led by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, is one of 12 food business centers across the country. These centers were launched in 2023 with USDA seed funding to serve local food and farm entrepreneurs through on-the-ground learning opportunities.
“Our team has supported nearly 2,000 individuals and over 1,000 farm and food businesses in just two years, and we were ready to deliver 100 grants totaling $4.2 million,” said Tracy Celio, Southwest Regional Food Business Center program manager. “Now, only a fraction – around $1 million – will reach the hands of producers.”
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Wild & Scenic Film Festival
August 23, 2025 | 5 PM - 10 PM
Wild & Scenic shares an urgent call to action, encouraging festival-goers to learn more about what they can do to save our threatened planet.
The Film Festival is Ventura Land Trust's largest annual event to raise funds to protect and conserve Ventura County's open spaces.
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2026 International Carrot Conference
Hosted by the University of California Cooperative Extension
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June 2-3, 2026
The International Carrot Conference is held every 18 to 24 months and its purpose is to bring together everyone and anyone interested in carrots: growers, packers, shippers, seed producers, breeders, pathologists, sellers, marketers, University and government researchers, Extension specialists, students and anyone interested in the carrot industry.
This conference will be hosted by the University of California Cooperative Extension. This is a biennial meeting that attracts people from private industry, government, and universities from throughout the world. The conference is an excellent way for people to exchange ideas and concerns in all aspects of carrot production. Topics such as breeding, new products, production, and pest management are discussed in formal paper sessions, poster sessions, and a field tour. There will also be ample opportunity to interact with others in social gatherings.
This year, the International Carrot Conference will be held in Bakersfield California, which is in the heart of carrot production for the United States. Besides carrots, vegetable crops such as processing tomatoes, potatoes, garlic and onions, melons and a plethora of winter vegetables are grown in Kern County. Almonds, grapes and citrus are actually the largest crops grown in Kern County. We hope to make time during the conference so people can see many of the crops here. Bakersfield is also central to many locations in California with everything only a couple of hours away: Beaches, Los Angeles, The Sierra Nevada Mountains and Mojave Desert!
More information on registration and costs coming soon!
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The University of California Cooperative Extension in Ventura County conducts research and education activities in agriculture, natural resources, and positive youth development. We strive to promote a healthy food system, healthy environment, and healthy communities.
Your support helps in many ways.
Thank you.
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