CONCLUSION

The Merced almond BIOS project has made great strides toward increasing the use of biologically intensive management practices, reducing or eliminating the use of targeted agricultural chemicals, improving information exchange, and being responsive to participants. These accomplishments are due largely to the extraordinary collaboration among private business, a non-profit organization, and local, state, and federal agencies. In a 1995 workshop on "Charting the Future of Merced County BIOS" for representatives from all the participating groups, one key theme that emerged was the essential role of coordination among partners and the outstanding job that CAFF Foundation has done in performing this function. Workshop participants also cited these strong points of collaborating within BIOS:

• the project’s ability to meet diverse needs and goals of individuals and agencies;

• excellent cooperation among scientists, extension agents, and farmers, where all are treated with respect;

• a forum for experimenting with new ideas and equipment;

• the ability to demonstrate success in farmers' fields; and

• a small-group atmosphere with an individual orientation.

Recognition of BIOS and its impacts have moved beyond the initial partners. In fall 1994, California Governor Pete Wilson signed into law Assembly Bill 3383 (AB 3383) which established an agricultural chemicals reduction pilot program. Key concepts for AB 3383 come directly from the BIOS program. For example, the bill aims to:

• establish pilot-demonstration projects to provide extension services, training, and financial incentives for participating farmers to reduce their use of chemicals for agricultural production;

• extend integrated farming systems through the proven technique of farmer-to-farmer communication, with technical support provided by farm advisers, scientists, and pest control advisers; and

• pattern the structure of each pilot-demonstration project, to the degree feasible after the successful Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS) program coordinated by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers in Merced County.

AB 3383 has become known as the Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS) bill. In 1995, following a competitive grants process, two groups were awarded approximately $100,000/year grants to implement BIFS projects. (Each group is eligible for renewed funding for up to three years.) Funding for the BIFS program comes from the California EPA Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) and US EPA Region IX. BIOS has also been formally recognized by Cal EPA DPR, which gave it an IPM Innovators award in 1994 for leadership "...in adopting techniques that increase the benefits and reduce the risk of pest control."

Having expanded the BIOS program and begun implementing the new BIFS program, the CAFF Foundation and the BIOS consortia members defined project steps that are transferable across cropping systems and local farming culture. These include:

• initiate a program based on existing biologically integrated systems and the people who have contributed to developing these systems;

• combine scientific and practical knowledge;

• emphasize farm-level decision-makers (farmers and PCAs) through program activities conducted on the farms;

• include these farm-level decision-makers in the overall program decision-making framework (whether the management team or its equivalent); and

• provide organizational support to link public and private groups to provide technical assistance, and financial incentives.

In summary, the existence of local biologically integrated systems was fundamental to creating the Merced BIOS project. Farmers with several years of demonstrated success in terms of similar yields, pest-damage levels, and profits were the working models for BIOS. The farmers who developed these systems did so in the context of information exchange. The synthesis of information generated by both scientific research and actual farming experience continue to be a cornerstone in the foundation of BIOS and in BIFS as well. Scientific research helped identify, describe, and evaluate the performance of key farming system components. Farmers' experiential knowledge allowed participants to integrate scientific information into their local production systems. The exchange and interaction between the groups has also been critical.

As the BIOS program expands and more BIOS-style projects get started in California and other states, the opportunity emerges to share experiences and learn from other programs. Each new project will have its own successes and challenges. Sharing how we understand our own successes and meet our challenges will greatly benefit everyone involved in similar projects.