Russell Ranch Director Kate Scow and fellow UC Davis faculty Thomas Harter, Helen Dahlke, and Toby O'Geen weigh in on the importance of measuring, managing, and protecting our precious groundwater resources.

One of ASI's found board members, Rich Rominger, weighs in on the Agricultural Lands Program, whose funding future is currently in discussion. The op-ed appeared in the Sacramento Bee on October 13, 2015

Yolo County, where my family has farmed for five generations, has lost farmland to development, as part of more than 1 million acres of farmland lost in the state in the last 25 years.

College Values Online rated 100 student farms across the country, and 30 of them met their requirement that the farm "demonstrate sustainability." Sustainability was measured based on:

Mark Van Horn, director of the Student Farm at UC Davis was awarded the first Mark Van Horn On-Farm Educator Award, established by the Sustainable Agriculture Education Association and presented during the association’s recent biennial conference. In choosing future recipients, the association will look for them to share Mark’s passion for teaching sustainable agriculture and engaging students in the learning process.

ASI Distinguished Speaker William C. Clark was quick to admit that a Harvard Professor discussing outreach and research for the public good to a room full of Aggies seemed amiss.

Carol Hillhouse, School Gardening Program Director and Ecological Garden Coordinator at the Student Farm was recently interviewed by Capital Public Radio on water wise tips for gardening in the drought. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it all starts with building healthy soil!

See the story here.

This week, scientists from around the world are convening in Sacramento for the Ecological Society of America’s annual meeting to discuss cutting-edge research for a sustainable future. The meeting comes at a pivotal time for California, as the three-year drought drags on. According to the latest Drought Monitor report, more than 58 percent of the state is experiencing “exceptional drought,” the most severe classification, characterized by extreme water shortages and crop loss.

We are pleased to announce today that Mary Bianchi of the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources is this year’s recipient of ASI’s Eric Bradford and Charlie Rominger Agricultural Sustainability Leadership Award.