The Vantage Point



Glenda Humiston 

Vice President

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources 

Beyond our century-plus history in California, UC Cooperative Extension and UC ANR have had an immeasurable impact on the vitality and prosperity of the entire nation. To mark the 250th birthday of the United States, UC administrators and community members showcased some of UC’s extraordinary contributions to our country at the Board of Regents meeting on July 14. Speakers highlighted how we advance health care, drive innovation, expand opportunity, and support the farmers and ranchers who feed America and the world.

After illustrating how UC ANR reinforces California’s position as the top agricultural state in the U.S., Darren Haver, our interim associate vice president of research and Cooperative Extension, introduced Mark Mason, agricultural manager of Nature’s Reward/Huntington Farms in the Salinas Valley. Mark shared how the data-driven CropManage decision-support tool and insights from UCCE advisor Michael Cahn have helped his operation “do more with less” – scaling back inputs like water and fertilizer and reducing environmental impacts while maintaining productivity.

In addition to lauding collaborations with UCCE scientists (such as plant pathologist Yu-Chen Wang) on crucial variety trials, Mark called our advisors his “fire department” who respond promptly to the “9-1-1” emergencies that threaten the ag sector. As one example, he credited the work of advisor emeritus Richard Smith and his colleagues for guiding lettuce growers through the calamitous outbreak of the impatiens necrotic spot virus, which wiped out entire fields earlier this decade. Our deepest gratitude goes out to Mark for making the trip to San Francisco to tell his story (watch recording) – and for bringing a delicious bounty of romaine, cauliflower, berries and honey from his farm for the Regents to sample!

This week, at the 2026 Western Plant Health Regulatory Conference in Sacramento, Jim Farrar, director of the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program, summarized emerging pest challenges and underscored the need for better monitoring, information-sharing, coordination and response.

I had the great honor of delivering the keynote address at the conference, during which I called out several overarching trends across California agriculture today, including increased demand for sustainably grown and produced food, and also the promising rise of the bioeconomy (read articles by M. Anne Visser, David Zilberman, Sat Darshan Khalsa, Patrick H. Brown and Alexandra Hill in ARE Update to learn more). In my talk, I also emphasized the tremendous opportunities presented by the judicious use of leading-edge technology, including robotics and AI – as well as the need to multiply strengths through novel partnerships across sectors and at the regional scale.

Those themes of innovation and collaboration are at the heart of the F3i Supercomputing Center, a shared resource for growers, startups, researchers and students to process large datasets, train AI models, run simulations and more. Built upon existing infrastructure at Fresno State, the center is also made possible by the technical know-how of the San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego and the connections and programs of F3i (of which UC ANR is a proud partner).

The center has immense potential to generate real-world solutions for the challenges of pests and diseases, water crises, extreme climate volatility and other pressing issues. As I remarked during the center’s July 9 launch event, I am excited about how this endeavor will not only facilitate much-needed workforce development, but also fundamentally supercharge our work to translate scientific research into practical tools that benefit growers and communities in the Central Valley and beyond.

Finally, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the educators and staff who deliver CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE programs across California; our CalFresh Healthy Living, UC colleagues who steward the grant and administer our program and evaluation; and the Nutrition Policy Institute researchers who work on CalFresh Healthy Living evaluation as contractors for the California Department of Public Health.

At our May and July UC ANR-wide Town Hall meetings, our community came together to express gratitude toward everyone involved with CalFresh Healthy Living – California’s name for SNAP-Ed, which was ended nationwide when H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” was signed into law last year. While some of these folks have competed for and attained other positions at UC ANR, many will be leaving us in the coming weeks. I want them all to know their passion and dedication have been appreciated by their colleagues and communities – and that their legacy of healthy bodies, minds and spirits will endure in every corner of our state.