UC Cooperative Extension in Ventura County hosted a recent workshop examining the intersection of climate change and agriculture. The event, coordinated and hosted by Annemiek Schilder, director of UC Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center, attracted dozens of growers and other engaged members of the public.
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources climate scientist Daniel Swain kicked off the event with a dire public service announcement: Ventura County is one of the fastest warming counties in the entire United States. UC scientists, including postdoctoral researcher Khagendra Bharambe, complemented that presentation with research, data and tools to help growers adapt to higher temperatures, longer dry seasons and intensifying rain events.
UCCE advisors Ben Faber and Andre Biscaro unveiled two online irrigation planning tools tailor made for Ventura County farmers. Working with IGIS program coordinator Andy Lyons, they created web programs that pull data from local weather stations to give growers individualized watering schedules. Following the app’s guidance will improve water use and plant health.
Tapan Pathak, Cooperative Extension specialist in climate adaptation in agriculture at UC Merced, gave a presentation on his free decision-support website called CalAgroClimate, which puts weather forecasts into a context farmers can use statewide. By filling in details about their location and crops, farmers receive tailored information about heat, frost, crop phenology, pests and agroclimate indicators to guide their business.
Ventura County farmers were introduced to UC experts who can personally help them adopt new practices and obtain relief funding after a crisis. That included UC Cooperative Extension advisor Lilian Thaoxaochay, who covers disaster resiliency, planning and policy. She provided an overview of support programs available to farmers and opened the door for future one-on-one conversations.
“Part of my position is to walk through these resources with you,” Thoaxaochay said. “You don’t have to do these things alone.”
Other speakers at the workshop included personnel from the Ventura County Agricultural Commission, Farm Bureau of Ventura County and the Farm Service Agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Recordings of the presentations can be found on the Ventura UC Cooperative Extension's YouTube channel.