Current Newsletter
What a year 2025 was! As with most years, there were many highs and lows, but the moments that really kept me going were often experienced right here at South Coast REC.
After implementing a digital check-in system as well as an updated facilities reservation system this past year (thank you for your patience with these!), it was easier than ever to pull some stats from these systems and create the first-ever "SCREC Wrapped". Inspired by Spotify Wrapped, which gives you your year in review for everything you listened to on Spotify, SCREC Wrapped is a fun way to showcase some of the research and extension impacts we had throughout the year. I hope you enjoy scrolling through it!
Wishing you and yours a safe, fun, and restorative holiday season and a bright year ahead!
To read the entire newsletter, click on the link below to download the PDF, or click on the cover page below to view it online.
Past Newsletters
November 2025
We hope you are enjoying the fall season! The weather is starting to cool down, there is rain in the forecast, and the fall veggies are ready to harvest. Will we see you at our veggie u-pick?
In this issue we are excited to bring back the Employee Spotlight, featuring South Coast REC's Senior Agricultural Technician, Naomi Robles. We are also sharing the first of many delicious recipes provided by our UC Master Food Preservers. Plus, there are a lot of exciting upcoming events to check out!
To read the entire newsletter, click on the link below to download the PDF, or click on the cover page below to view it online.
October 2025
We kicked off the fall season with a very successful pumpkin u-pick event during our annual Urban Ag & Garden Expo last Saturday, October 11th. We had nearly 1,000 people attend the Expo and they had a great time taking tractor tours of the center, learning from our expert researchers and programs, and interacting with our community partners. We have a couple of u-pick opportunities coming up in a few weeks so be on the lookout for those dates once we know when things will be ready to harvest!
To read the entire newsletter, click on the link below to download the PDF, or click on the cover page below to view it online.
September 2025
Fall is here and we are gearing up for our Annual Urban Ag and Garden Expo on October 11th! Will we see you there?
The next few months at South Coast REC are some of my favorites. During our Urban Ag and Garden Expo we'll also have our Pumpkin U-pick. Later in the fall we'll have our Fall Veggie U-pick and our Persimmon U-pick. All of these u-pick events are great fun for the whole family, and they really highlight our mission of educating the community about where their food comes from. Stay tuned for the specific dates, pending harvest availability!
In this issue, we are proud to feature overviews of recent events, new research findings, and several upcoming events.
To read the entire newsletter, click on the link below to download the PDF, or click on the cover page below to view it online.
August 2025
Summer is still going strong, but fall is just around the corner and our pumpkins, pictured above, are getting ready for our annual U-pick event on October 11!
With many schools starting up in the last few weeks, things are really picking back up at South Coast REC. Our programs are wrapping up summer activities and getting ready for the fall, with more field trips than ever before scheduled to come to the REC. We are proud to feature updates from a couple of programs as well as a TON of event announcements, including a controlled environment agriculture workshop, a coffee workshop, and our annual Open House event. Make sure to check them out below!
To read the entire newsletter, click on the link below to download the PDF, or click on the cover page below to view it online.
July 2025
Happy tomato season! The GROW Program is testing out growing some different tomato varieties to see which would work well for a u-pick, so SCREC staff get the pleasure of tasting some really cool varieties, like the 'Gezahnte' variety pictured above.
In this issue we are excited to spotlight the 4-H Youth Development Program, the Watershed Resilience Research Program and smart irrigation month, and our Urban Agriculture & Small Farms Advisor, Amrita Mukherjee. There are also a few upcoming events to check out, especially our Open House which is scheduled for October 11th!
To read the entire newsletter, click on the link below to download the PDF, or click on the cover page below to view it online.
June 2025
Happy Summer!
In this issue, we are proud to share recaps of the UC Landscape Plant Irrigation Trial team's Spring Open House and the California Invasive Species Action Week talks. We are excited to highlight the 4-H Youth Development Program and our Urban Forestry and Natural Resources Advisor, Beatriz Nobua-Behrmann. Additionally, the amazing work of two of our advisors was featured in the media and we have some fun events to add to your calendar!
Be sure to scroll through to stay in-the-know about what South Coast REC and UCCE Orange County are up to this summer. Lastly, make sure to stop by and see us during the Orange County Fair from July 18th to August 17th!
To read the entire newsletter, click on the link below to download the PDF, or click on the cover page below to view it online.
May 2025
The month of May seems to have flown by and we're getting closer to summer!
This month, the UC Master Gardeners of Orange County's training class of 2025 celebrated their graduation, the South Coast REC Grow Vocational Education Program hosted several field days for hundreds of local high school students, and we had the pleasure of welcoming a group of visitors from Australia!
Over the next few weeks there are many exciting events to attend, so make sure to check out the upcoming events section!
To read the entire newsletter, click on the link below to download the PDF, or click on the cover page below to view it online.
April 2025
Though this April did not bring many showers, I do believe we will see some May flowers!
Over the last month, we had the opportunity to connect with many new and existing partners throughout Southern California. We met with our Orange County stakeholders and UC ANR leaders to discuss the work being done throughout the county, and networked with the community at two different farm bureau events. Check out the "Event Recap" section to learn more.
Now get ready because May 4-10 is International Compost Awareness Week! Learn more below about compost and how to use it in the "Research Spotlight".
Lastly, make sure to check out the upcoming events section as registration is closing soon for some of them!
To read the entire newsletter, click on the link below to download the PDF, or click on the cover page below to view it online.
March 2025
Happy Spring! The days are slowly getting longer and it's finally lighter later in the day.
In this issue we are excited to highlight work that our UC ANR advisors have done and continue to do to combat food waste, because April is Food Waste Prevention Month! Coincidentally, our employee spotlight this month features Natalie Levy, our Soil Health and Organic Materials Management Advisor, whose work often involves managing food waste and compost. We hope you enjoy Issue 3 of The RECap!
To read the entire newsletter, click on the link below to download the PDF, or click on the cover page below to view it online.
February 2025
Thank you for reading the second edition of The RECap, our new monthly newsletter brought to you by South Coast Research and Extension Center (REC) and UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Orange County.
In this issue, we are excited to share updates on recent events hosted by our extension programs, our first Employee Spotlight, some helpful gardening tips as we get closer to spring, and info about upcoming events!
To read the entire newsletter, click on the link below to download the PDF, or click on the cover page below to view it online.
January 2025
Thank you for taking the time to read our very first newsletter. As a research and extension center (REC) and home of UC Cooperative Extension Orange County, we are excited to share updates on the innovative research projects and impactful outreach and education programs that are housed at South Coast REC.
This inaugural newsletter features some general information about the research center and cooperative extension as well as spotlights on some of the seasonal produce we are harvesting, tips from our experts, delicious recipes made from SCREC-grown produce, and upcoming events.
To read the entire newsletter, click on the link below to download the PDF, or click on the cover page below to view it online.
