The University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program — a statewide program of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources — announced the recipients of its 2021 Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Small Grants Program today (April 12, 2021).

The grants program, which was reinstated this year after a 10-year hiatus, supports pilot projects focusing on strengthening California’s sustainable agriculture and food systems. Together, 11 recipients are receiving $77,000 in funding to support their work.

As part of its mission of sustainability in regional food systems, UC SAREP partners with communities to help ensure fresh, local food is finding its way to consumers through a growing number of channels, including Farm-to-Institution programs.

Penny has spent her time at UC ANR working as a champion of all things that blend agriculture and tourism (“agritourism”).

Penny first brought her creative approach to UC ANR in 2009 when she joined the Small Farm Program, run by Cooperative Extension Specialist Shermain Hardesty.

As the sustainability of agriculture continues to be threatened by changes in climate, pests and loss of biodiversity, the ancient practice of planting hedgerows with edible and medicinal species such as elderberry can help growers generate additional revenue while fostering beneficial insects and improving soil health. 

Bill Liebhardt, who led the University of California’s sustainable agriculture programs, died May 5 of complications of Q fever at his home in Davis. He was 84.

UC SAREP's Agritourism Program is collecting resources to help consumers purchase directly from local farms and ranches. Click for more...

The UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health & Safety has collected a number of resources in English and Spanish for California's agricultural community. Click for more...

Pavlo Ardanov, a research fellow at ASI and the co-founder and leader of Permaculture in Ukraine, an environmental NGO, is a recent recipient of the Fulbright* Scholarship. During his stay, Ardonov is collaborating with Sonja Brodt, Agricultural Sustainability Institute; Robert Hijmans, Department of Environmental Science and Policy.

California elderberries have rich benefits for farms and diets

By Jeannette Wernart, UC ANR
Originally posted Oct 1, 2019: https://ucanr.edu/News/?routeName=newsstory&postnum=31440

Native California elderberries can be found at the intersection of sustainable farming, super nutrition and economic viability. Naturally drought tolerant, flavorful and packed with nutrients, they are capturing the interest of farmers, health-conscious consumers and scientists. 

Sustainable agriculture extension is only as effective as the number of people reached and the quality of those interactions. In California, almost a third of farms and ranches are operated by persons of color, and many are recent immigrants, primarily from Latin America and Asia. Are we effectively engaging with those producers so that their communities, too, can benefit from the latest developments in environmentally sound and economically viable farming practices?  

A project funded by the Global Food Initiative and led by UC SAREP Deputy Director Gail Feenstra, Food Supply Chain Analyst Gwenaël Engelskirchen, and Graduate Student Researcher Li Schmidt is examining local food sourcing at ten UC and CSU campuses to help campuses reach sustainable sourcing goals.