Peppermint season is here. Already candy canes are available in many colors and flavors. Any idea where within UC ANR peppermint work is conducted? If you said Intermountain Research and Extension Center (IREC) you're right! The IREC is in Siskiyou County, just a stone's throw from Oregon.
In addition to grain variety trials and potato and onion work, IREC is known for its collaboration with scientists working on peppermint flavor at UC Davis. Darren Haver and I had a great visit with Rob Wilson (REC Director and Siskiyou County Director) and Darrin Culp and met many busy staff.
IREC at Tulelake Peppermint blooms
It was exciting to see the results of summer crops harvested as well as learn from Darrin how peppermint oil is extracted for future analysis. The number of types of peppermint is incredible. There's so much work involved in cultivation and management of the 100+ plots. One sobering fact at IREC is how drought and water policies are impacting farming operations in the region with many acres fallowed and a dry 10,000-acre former wetland. Now more than ever, research is needed to identify how to maintain agricultural productivity and economic viability in the region.
In other parts of ANR exciting news arrived from the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals conference held in Madison, Wisconsin. Three of our members received acknowledgment for 25 years of service: Fe Moncloa, Martin Smith and Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty. JoLynn Miller received the Distinguished Service Award and Jacki Zediker received the Meritorious Service Award. Congratulations all on your accomplishments and for serving UC ANR and California! We're so fortunate.
Other exciting news this last week was the announcement that Dorina Espinoza and Julia Van Soelen Kim are awarded a project from USDA AMR Building Community Resiliency and Strengthening Local Food Systems During Emergencies in Coastal Northern California. Thank you and your partners for applying for these funds and CONGRATULATIONS on being able to do more excellent work!
Also exciting was to see the Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI) applauded in the Morning Ag Clips on Friday for their work at the recent historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. The body of work contributing to the conference was large. This is a reminder that impacts can happen with each project and in this case contribute to the bigger picture of knowledge when taken in context with others' works. Way to go NPI!
From mid-August to early-October we hired 17 Community Educator Specialists I, II or III. The California Naturalist Program welcomed Karyn Utsumi and our Integrated Pest Management Program welcomed Lauren Fordyce. Also joining ANR were Meaghan Donovan and Annalise Traub, Capitol Corridor MCP; Lynnelle Madsen and Kevin Kamp, Sierra Nevada MCP; Ana Resendiz, Imperial; Claudia Pardo, Kern; Julie Brown, Mariposa; Noah Cooke, Nevada Placer; Marlen Gaspar, Riverside; Michele Maia and Karen Looye, San Mateo; Cynthia Morales, Santa Barbara; Brandon Frost, Shasta; Regina Dingler, Sonoma; and Alyssabeth Navarro, Tulare. Welcome to ANR. It's great to be able to hire and onboard so many people. A heartfelt thank you to all who had a hand in these hires as well as those working with our new members during the onboarding process. It takes a village to hire and onboard so many people!