November 1996
New Funds Awarded to Sustainable Ag Projects
Funding from the UC Davis-based UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program has been awarded to 19 farming, ranching and community development projects. Among those funded include projects focused on Tulelake Basin crop and wetlands management, alternate side irrigation to control root rot in avocados, grazing in the Shasta-Trinity National forest, phylloxera suppression in soils, farmers' markets in low-income communities, environmental effects of selenium supplementation in grazing cattle, market development of natural beef, and the impact of border companion plants on natural pest control in strawberries. Additionally, 11 educational meetings and one graduate student project were funded, bringing the total of SAREP grant awards to $267,000 plus $75,000 for ten continuing projects. Bill Liebhardt, SAREP director, notes that the program is committed to continued funding of the Sustainable Agriculture Farming Systems Project at UCD, now entering its ninth year. 'We are very pleased with the collaboration among various disciplines on this project," he says. "The knowledge being developed on the soil aspects of this project has potential ramifications far beyond the two- and four-year tomato-wheat-field corn cropping system that this research is exploring. It is providing fundamental information on the effects soil organic matter management is having on Central Valley cropping systems."
Media Contacts:
Lyra Halprin, (530) 752-8664, lhalprin@ucdavis.edu
