CSUCI- UC Agricultural Natural Resources MOU Update
CSUCI and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in May 2021, which establishes the broad basis for potential cooperation between our institutions. The next phase will focus on networking and establishing personal connections. In February of 2022, CSUCI will host an event to introduce UC ANR to the campus community. A spring seminar series will then follow where Ventura County farmers, UC ANR and CSUCI faculty & staff can share their interests in agriculture with the campus community to promote lively discussions and foster collaborations. If you would like to participate in these events, or have any questions, please contact Ruben Alarcon (ruben.alarcon@csuci.edu) or Rachel Soper (rachel.soper@csuci.edu) or Phil Hampton (philip.hampton@csuci.edu), Acting Dean of Arts and Sciences and designated administrator in charge of the initiative.
Overview
The University of California, through UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) and the Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HAREC) in Ventura County, has reached out to CSUCI to identify opportunities for collaboration on areas of overlapping interest, from development of academic programs and training for CSUCI students, to collaborative research, to community education and support programs, and more. Learn more about UC ANR, HAREC, and the areas of potential collaboration below.
About UC ANR and HAREC
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) operates a statewide network of University of California researchers and educators dedicated to development and application of knowledge to address local agricultural, environmental and health issues. UC ANR achieves its mission through the work of several hundred UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) academics conducting research at six UC campuses and nine Research and Extension Centers (RECs), including the UCCE Ventura County and the Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HAREC), both located right here in Ventura County.
UC ANR is planning to relocate the HAREC from its current location in Santa Paula to a new location that will better serve the needs of the agricultural community in Ventura County and that could potentially bring it closer in proximity to the CSUCI campus. At the same time, UC ANR is setting out an updated vision for the HAREC, with an emphasis on organic research and new programmatic components that will include a plant health clinic, biological control research facility, a student organic farm and CSA, and a children’s education garden and demonstration school garden.
Areas of Potential Collaboration
Areas identified for potential collaboration with UC ANR and the HAREC include, but would not be limited to:
- Development of a student farm, which will provide hands-on training for CSUCI students in regenerative agriculture, provide fresh produce to the CSUCI Campus Dining
- Program, and compost vegetable scraps to reduce waste.
- Efforts to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the agricultural sector, agronomy, and in the beneficiaries of improved food systems.
- Education of the public on the value of agriculture and environmental conservation, including increasing agricultural and scientific literacy.
- Education of the public on climate- and region-appropriate gardening, climate change resiliency, nutrition, reducing food waste, and sustainable living.
- Collaboration with Ventura County Schools to educate teachers in the design and maintenance of school gardens.
- Collaborative research in areas of mutual interest to support sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and the labor force in Ventura County.
- Under the guidance of CSUCI’s Academic Policy and Planning Committee, the development of a faculty-led work-group to explore the creation of an interdisciplinary sustainable agriculture program.
- The sharing of resources and facilities to support research, extension and education activities for mutual benefit of ANR and CSUCI.
- Innovation in agricultural and natural resource management, including technologies such as drone reconnaissance, LiDAR, and satellite imaging, and the geographic information systems used to analyze such data.
What's Next?
Professor of Biology Ruben Alarcon, Ph.D., will be presenting information about the potential collaboration to faculty in Spring 2021. Assuming there is mutual interest in further exploring this collaboration, CSUCI representatives will engage with UC ANR to complete an overarching Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that establishes the broad basis for the relationship, areas for potential cooperation, and the process by which, as particular projects involving collaboration by the parties are identified, those projects are agreed upon and memorialized.
Contact
Have questions about the proposed collaboration with UC ANR? Contact Prof. Ruben Alarcon at ruben.alarcon@csuci.edu.