November 2025

Message from UCCE Director

UCCE relies on many sources of funding including state and federal government, local county support, grants, and donations. This cooperative and diverse funding model has helped us weather many storms while we pursue our mission, but changes at the federal level are not without impact.

In July, H.R. 1 eliminated funding for our CalFresh Healthy Living nutrition education program. This ended a new program developing in Ventura County and will end our SLO and Santa Barbara programs next September.

Our Agriculture Advisors are also feeling the impacts of USDA collaborators and agricultural research labs that are currently furloughed or closed – delaying breeding or disease resistance projects in some of our key crops here on the central and south coast.

For decades, UC and the federal government have worked hand-in-hand to advance basic and applied science, leading to transformative discoveries. Across UC ANR, federal funding drives research that supports more productive and prosperous farms and ranches, stronger local economies, and healthier communities. Now we are hoping that you will join us to Speak Up for Science and show that there is bipartisan public support for federal science funding.

Please enjoy this November newsletter with articles on avocado, cilantro, new pests, fire preparedness, and our first quarterly report. We could not bring you this information or deliver on our local mission without the local, state, and federal support we receive.



-Shannon Klisch, UCCE Director in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara & Ventura Counties

Thanksgiving Closure

Our office will be closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday on Thursday, November 27th and Friday, November 28th. We will reopen and resume normal business hours on Monday, December 1st, 2025.

Agricultural Advice from UCCE Advisors

State-Based Financial Relief for Small and Medium-Scale Farms Impacted by Drought and Extreme Weather

Author: Lilian Thaoxaochay

Photo by Bernd Dittrich

CDFA’s California Underserved and Small Producers (CUSP) Program provides disaster relief funds for small and medium scale farms (grossing less than $400k/year) that experienced drought or other extreme weather from 2017 to the present.

Photo by Rob McCarthy

UCCE Advisor Oleg Daugovish talks with Ag Alert about cilantro and nutsedge weed

Author: Rob McCarthy for California Farm Bureau



The spread of an aggressive weed that thrives in coastal conditions has put a damper on an otherwise phenomenal period for California cilantro growers. 

Yellow nutsedge is found in the major cilantro-growing regions of the state, including Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties, according to University of California Cooperative Extension vegetable farm adviser Oleg Daugovish in Ventura County. He calls it one of the worst weeds in the world. 

Read Full Article from California Farm Bureau

Wildfire losses inspire changes in avocado orchards

Photo by Kevin Ball, firefighter/farmer

Author: Rob McCarthy for California Farm Bureau

UCCE Advisor Ben Faber talks with Ag Alert about avocado orchards and fire.

Lessons learned from destructive wildfires in Ventura County have given avocado growers a fighting chance to save their orchards when the next big blaze hits. 

One of those lessons, shared by Ben Faber, University of California Cooperative Extension citrus and avocado adviser for Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, is that healthy avocado trees can survive a fast-moving wildfire. And, he said, the rescue operation starts before the flames and intense heat arrive. 

Zone Zero Requirements for Very High and High Fire Hazard Severity Zones

It is expected that the 2025 California Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Code will become effective January 1, 2026, with implications for new and existing structures in certain defined Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ).

The FHSZ maps were updated earlier this year by the Office of the State Fire Marshal “to more accurately reflect the zones in California that are susceptible to wildfire” (CALFIRE, 2024). Visit CALFIRE’s website to verify your most recent classification.

Implications of new zones: Local governments in areas designated Moderate, High, or Very High are required to adopt the classification. Homes and buildings in High and Very High FHSZ may be required to meet additional requirements. This could include hardening of structures and/or engaging defensible space strategies.

Zone Zero refers to the first five feet of space immediately around a building, your home or its attached structures. The UCANR Fire Network has developed a checklist for assessing vulnerabilities with some recommendations for improvement.

For residents with questions about how potential Zone Zero requirements will affect their insurance coverage – the Department of Insurance’s Safer from Wildfires resources may provide some answers.

Information compiled by UCCE Disaster Resiliency Advisor, Lilian Thaoxaochay. Questions may be forwarded to: lilthaox@ucanr.edu or (805) 441-4119.

Food Resources for Local Communities

Many people in our community are experiencing a delay in receiving SNAP (CalFresh) benefits. Locally, this impacts over 27,000 people in San Luis Obispo County, 54,000 in Santa Barbara, and 75,000 in Ventura County (CDSS Data Dashboard, 2024).

SNAP helps households with very low incomes afford food and it also helps our local economy. We all benefit when people have enough money to buy food. For those impacted, find CalFresh updates at the Ca Dept of Social Services website and emergency food resources at Ca Food Banks website or Food Share Ventura County.

Photo: USDA FNS

UC Master Gardener Program

Join Our Team!

Agricultural Education Specialist (CES3) – Hansen REC – Camarillo, CA

Statewide Cottage Foods Education Specialist - Flexible Location, CA

Ventura County UCCE Quarter 1 Report 2025-26

Photo by Janet Garcia

Upcoming Events

Join the California Native Plant Society for their Naturehood Webinar:

Biodiversity of Native Plants

Thursday, December 4 | 5:30 PM

Learn how your California native plant garden can support a variety of life, from birds to bees to beneficial soil.

SAVE-THE-DATE: Giving Tuesday

December 2, 2025 - Midnight to Midnight

UCCE in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties improves the lives of local residents by working with growers, families, volunteers, and partners to advance science-based solutions in agriculture, natural ecosystems, community health, and youth development. 



Your support helps in many ways.

Thank you.