Quarterly News & Events June 2021
San Mateo and San Francisco Counties
COVID19.CA.Gov - "What will change on June 15"
California is preparing to get back to normal. On June 15, capacity and distancing restrictions will be lifted for most businesses and activities. Large-scale indoor events will have vaccination or negative test requirements for attendees through at least October 1.

PROGRAM HAPPENINGS
4-H Arts & Crafts Expo / Favorite Foods Day / and SM County Fair!
Our San Mateo County 4-H'ers have been busy as can be with multiple project activities and preparation!
On May 15th program youth participated in (2) separate events: their annual Arts & Crafts Expo and the Favorite Foods Day. Read all about it here...

And, after a one year pandemic hiatus, our 4-H'ers are gearing up for the much anticipated San Mateo County Fair starting later this week. (June 5th-13th). We hope to see you there! Unfortunately, not all animal entries will be present this year so (2) independent animal shows were held on May 22nd for Rabbits & Poultry and May 23rd for Goats and Dogs. Read more...
What's Happening at Elkus?
SUMMER CAMP IS A GO! with some restrictions due to Covid this year. Most sessions are full but for more information on this fun, outdoor camp, please contact Leslie at LKJensen@ucanr.edu

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to Elkus Ranch during Coastside Gives, a one day coastside fundraiser held on May 6. We are truly grateful for the support and generosity shown to us by our community! A big shout out to Beth Loof for being our Coastside Gives coordinator. Her tremendous efforts helped us surpass our goal and raised just over $10k!

(Compliance with UC ANR COVID-19 Safety Guidelines is required)

Careful...It's Coyote Pup Time!

June is a lovely time of year for hiking and exploring the varied parks and open spaces throughout the Bay Area. But it’s also when coyotes have pups in their dens, so keep an eye out for coyotes and try to give them more space. Pups are typically born between March and May and stay at the den for about six weeks before venturing out with the adults. During denning season, coyotes may aggressively protect the den area when someone approaches. If you have an idea of a den location, it is best to avoid walking near it, especially if you have a dog that the coyote may view as a threat. If you do ever find yourself in an uncomfortable situation with a coyote, don’t run. If you have a small dog, pick it up. Immediately back away, slowly. If the coyote continues following you and you feel uncomfortable, yell at the coyote or even throw rocks. Often times, the coyote just wants to make sure you are actually leaving the den area, and once you have reached a safe distance away, the coyote will be satisfied and will leave. Whenever hiking in areas that may have coyotes, always keep your dog (regardless of its size) on a leash.

For more information on coyotes or other wildlife you may encounter
.
MG's Prepare Exhibits for the San Mateo County Fair!
Master Gardeners are busy putting the final touches on the creation of six garden exhibits for display at the upcoming San Mateo County Fair, June 5th-13th, 2021.

One of our 8x10 foot display gardens, the brain child of Jaime Bennett, is a keyhole garden constructed by Jaime out of bamboo and planted with vegetables and companion plants. An educational exhibit being assembled by Linda Dvorak, Anita Galeana, and Barbara Cohrssen will include written information about keyhole gardens with photographs and diagrams.

The second display garden, designed by Janice Moody, Cynthia Nations, Patty Hontales and Linda Dvorak, will feature succulents incorporated ... Read more
DIY Preservation Series – Pickles!
This fun and informative MFP workshop on May 13th, hosted virtually by the San Mateo Co. Libraries, was a big hit! MFP, Maeve Knoth, presented a whole host of veggie ideas for possible pickling, stressing the importance of food safety, a brief overview of quick pickles and water bath techniques, tips for getting crisp pickles, and lots of references for tested recipes and other useful information. Read more...

'"Go Glow Grow" - Nutrition Curriculum for Pre-Schoolers
CalFresh Healthy Living educators continue to provide virtual lessons as many students and teachers across the county have transitioned back to classrooms. For six weeks throughout the months of April and May, Educator Marisela Ceron taught students of General Pershing State Pre-School at Jefferson Elementary School District in Daly City the Go Glow Grow nutrition curriculum for preschoolers. Students enthusiastically participated in the virtual lessons on Wednesdays, a learn from home day for students across the district.
The Go Glow Grow lessons focused on MyPlate which includes grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and protein as part of eating a healthy diet as well as the importance of handwashing and physical activity. Marisela joined eleven virtual classrooms helping 87 students establish healthy habits that will hopefully last them a lifetime. Even through the virtual platform, teachers reported that students were eager to start lessons and parents commented that they loved Marisela’s energy!
New Case Study on Local Schools Efforts to Keep
Feeding Families During the Pandemic
In partnership with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) and Get Healthy San Mateo County, UCCE Nutrition Family & Consumer Sciences Advisor, Laura Vollmer, co-authored the recently released case study report, PERSEVERING THROUGH COVID-19: Schools Support Food Access in San Mateo County, highlighting the great work that San Mateo County school districts have done to maintain and in some cases expand their school meal programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Food service directors shared their experiences navigating a rapidly changing environment, modifying every part of their operations to continue to feed students. Our local districts have truly stepped up to the challenge of addressing hunger for our most vulnerable young people and their families. Read the full report here.
EVENTS ETC...
Upcoming Events
  • Big Dig Day: June 4th A UC ANR day to ‘dig deep to support the programs you care about’.

  • San Mateo County Fair: June 5th - 13th Come visit our 4-H and Master Gardener exhibits and animals at the fair!




  • Youth Livestock Auction: June 12th 10am Come support our 4-H'ers in purchasing market animals raised through their 4-H projects!








Located at UC Elkus Ranch

1500 Purisima Creek Road
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
650-726-9059

Email: cesanmateo@ucanr.edu

Master Gardener Helpline:

We continue to operate remotely and may be reached via:

PHONE: 650-276-9030
EMAIL: mgsmsf@ucanr.edu

  • Mondays - 9am to 4pm
  • Wednesdays - 10:30am to 2pm
  • Thursdays - 9am to 4pm
We are a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization - #94-6036494
ANR NONDISCRIMINATION AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION POLICY STATEMENT FOR UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
It is the policy of the University of California (UC) and the UC Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources not to engage in discrimination against or harassment of any person in any of its programs or activities (Complete nondiscrimination policy statement can be found at http://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/files/215244.pdf )
Inquiries regarding ANR’s nondiscrimination policies may be directed to UCANR, Affirmative Action Compliance & Title IX Officer, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 2801 Second Street, Davis, CA 95618,(530) 750-1397.