As the oldest and largest ecological agricultural gathering in the West, the EcoFarm Conference meets every year to create, maintain, and promote healthy, safe, and just food farming systems. With over 1,500 attendees, the three days yield myriad opportunities for networking with colleagues, discovering the newest ecological agricultural development and techniques, and building skills for us as individuals and together as a community. This year we are Raising EcoFarmers' Voices with over 60 workshops featuring a comprehensive array of technical sessions for farmers, ranchers, handlers, marketers, activists, students, and educators.

For more information and to register, visit: website

Join the Central Coast Vineyard Team for a series of Pesticide Handler Trainings in Salinas, Santa Maria, and Paso Robles. Trainings will cover all the required topics needed for certification along with some pesticide-specific topics (sulfur, Roundup, and class 1 insecticide). Handlers will receive training documentation with a training record signed by both trainer and handler. Fieldworkers will receive an EPA blue card.

2 DPR hours approved

RSVP today to Anne Michul 805-369-2288 anne@vineyardteam.org

Choose from the following locations:
February 7, 2012: 9:00-11:00 am - Spanish Only - UCCE Office 1432 Abbott Street, Salinas, CA 93901

February 9, 2012: 9:00-11:00 am - Spanish Only - Riverbench Winery, 6020 Foxen Canyon Rd, Santa Maria, CA 93454

February 21, 2012: 9:00-11:00 am - Spanish Only; 11:30-1:30 pm - English Only - JUSTIN Winery, 11680 Chimney Rock Road Paso Robles, CA 93446

Education credits: DPR 2

FREE Lecture and Demonstration using the Mobile Education Center (MEC) Sponsored by the California Dept. of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) and the San Benito County Water District. DPR and Ag Waiver Credits will be available

Instructor: Bill Green - Center for Irrigation Technology, Fresno, CA

This class contains the following information:
1. The four main items the grower has to accomplish when chemigating or fertigating to protect the environment and properly inject chemicals through the irrigation system.
2. How Chemigation rules came in to being.
3. Information, brochures, and diagrams of proper equipment set up and how to safely protect the water source when injecting pesticides and fertilizers.
4. The MEC will be used to demonstrate how to supply proper flow and pressure so that the irrigation system maximizes the Distribution Uniformity to enhance the chemigation event.
5. See what happens when improper maintenance and equipment subjects water sources (groundwater, streams, canals, rivers, etc.) to potential contamination or chemical spills.
6. How to set up the equipment properly to comply with DPR state law.

Agenda
7:45 Registration and Refreshments
8:00 Uptake of nitrogen by spinach - Aaron Heinrich, Staff Research Associate, Monterey County Cooperative Extension
8:30 Fertilization trials on spinach and nitrogen fertilizer technology update - Richard Smith, Vegetable Crop and Weed Science Farm Advisor, Monterey County
9:00 Tools for improving irrigation efficiency- Mike Cahn, Irrigation and water resources Farm Advisor, Monterey County
9:30 Reduction of toxicity associated with pesticide run-off using an integrated vegetated treatment system and Landguard A900 - Bryn Phillips, Specialist, Dept of Environmental Toxicology, UC Davis
10:00 Break
10:30 Nitrogen Management Strategies to Comply with the RWQCB Agricultural Order - Tim Hartz, Vegetable Crops Specialist, UC Davis
11:00 Breeding for improved nitrogen and water use efficiency - Ryan Hayes, Lettuce Breeder, USDA
11:30 Three-year summary of low residue cover crops for winter fallow beds - Richard Smith, Vegetable Crop and Weed Science Farm Advisor, Monterey County
12:00 Conclusion and travel to lunch and field demonstration site.
Lunch and Field Trip: Spence Research Station, 1752 Old Stage Road, Salinas, CA
2:30 Conclusion

* Sponsors: University of California Cooperative Extension; Resource Conservation District (RCD); Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF)
* Continuing Education, Certified Crop Advisor and Water Quality Credits have been requested
* For more information call Richard Smith 759-7357 or Michael Cahn 759-7377

Education credits: Ag Waiver, Crop Advisor, other applied for

The UC Vegetable Research & Information Center (VRIC) will sponsor the UC Soil Fertility Short Course on Thursday, February 22, 2012 at the Buehler Alumni & Visitor Center, UC Davis. The short course will focus on the practical aspects of soil fertility management in an era of escalating fertilizer costs and increasing government regulation of nutrient inputs for environmental water quality protection. The topics covered will include getting the maximum value from soil testing, interpretation of laboratory soil test results, comparing fertilizer sources, developing crop nutrient management plans, and fertilizer management and environmental protection. Although the focus will be on nutrient management in annual cropping systems, much of the material presented will be relevant to perennial crops as well.

The program is intended for growers, CCAs, PCAs, government agency personnel, and others involved in fertility management planning. The registration fee is $125, which includes lunch, refreshments and study materials. CCA and PCA continuing education credits will be requested. The course is taught by Tim Hartz (Cooperative Extension Vegetable Crops Specialist) and Stu Pettygrove (Cooperative Extension Soils Specialist).

More information is available on the VRIC website (website

COURSE FEE
$125.00 (if received by 1/21/2012)
$150.00 (if received after 1/21/2012)
$75.00 students and UC personnel
Registration fee includes refreshments, lunch and handout materials. Class size is limited, so early enrollment is suggested. Students must show valid student ID at check-in.

Education credits: Crop Advisor, other applied for

This day-and-a-half course on California water basics and water district board member governance will be held February 23 and 24, 2012 on the Davis campus of the University of California. The course will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. February 23 and 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. February 24.

The course is open to anyone interested in learning more about the history of and the management structure of water in California and about the water issues facing the state. The course will be especially beneficial to water resource industry staff, engineering and environmental firm personnel, legislators, legislative staff, advocates, stakeholders, environmentalists, public interest organizations and water district directors.

Cost: $250. Registration fee includes all educational materials, coffee breaks, lunch on February 23, and a graduation certificate upon completion of the day-and-a-half course.

Watch website for more information or contact the Water Education Foundation, 916-444-6240.

This webinar series was designed to create an awareness of the importance of managing oak woodlands and to present alternative management strategies for landowners to consider. It was presented around the concepts in the University of California’s publication, “Guidelines for Managing California’s Hardwood Rangelands.” The series will be taped and a link to the taped webinar series will be provided for those who are unable to participate on the date and time of the live broadcast. There will also be a weekend field trip to Hopland and/or Sierra Research and Extension Centers at the end of the series. Participants will register for the webinar and pay a nominal fee ($30) to receive a copy of the publication, "A Planner's Guide for Oak Woodlands" and to cover incidental production fees.

March 8 - Session 1: Overview of the Hardwood Rangeland Resource
March 15 - Session 2: Land Management Strategies
March 22 - Session 3: Planning Strategies
March 29 - Session 4: Sources of Assistance, Developing Plans
Session 5: Field Trip (optional) - Hopland Research and Extension Center (April 21, 2012) and Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center (May 5, 2012) 10:00 - 3:00 - Oak planting projects, landscape considerations, mitigation approaches, addressing ecological functionality through the planning process.
For more information visit website