Program Establishment BIFS 97

PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT

The Regents of the University of California approved a resolution in January 1995 to establish the pilot demonstration program. The University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP) was selected by the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources to implement the pilot program in consultation with a program advisory review board.

PROGRAM ADVISORY REVIEW BOARD

AB3383 calls for the appointment of a 13-member program advisory review board (Section 593. (a)) The board was appointed in February 1995 by UC Vice President—Agriculture and Natural Resources. Members appointed to the program advisory review board were:

Table 1. Members appointed to the program advisory review board.

Name and Affiliation	Category Specified in AB3383, Section 593
Steven Weinbaum, Dept. of Pomology, UC Davis	University of California
Lonnie Hendricks, Farm Advisor, Merced County	University of California
Kathy Taylor, US-EPA Region IX	Relevant Federal Agencies
Larry Plumb, USDA-Consolidated Farm Services Agency	Relevant Federal Agencies
Sherman Boone	Grower
Wynette Sills	Grower
Greg Nelson	Grower
Susan Temple, Bio-Integral Resource Center	Nonprofit Organization
Mike Spezia, Community Alliance with Family Farmers Fnd.	Nonprofit Organization
Judy Stewart-Leslie	Pest Control Advisor
Paul Gosselin	Department of Pesticide Regulation
Steve Shaffer	Department of Food and Agriculture
Bob Curtis	DPR Pest Management Advisory Committee

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

AB 3383 states that pilot demonstration projects should be selected through a competitive grants process (Section 592. (b) (4)) and lists the duties expected of UC SAREP (Section 594):

... an appropriate program whose director, in consultation with the program advisory review board, shall perform the following duties:
(a) Develop policies and procedures to guide the implementation of the pilot demonstration projects. These policies and procedures shall include, but shall not be limited to, a mechanism for monitoring and summarizing pesticide and fertilizer use for each project with an assessment of overall reductions in pesticide and fertilizer use on each project.
(b) Develop and issue requests for proposals for the pilot demonstration projects.
(c) Review and select the proposals to be funded.
(d) Annually review pilot demonstration projects and determine which projects shall be renewed.

UC SAREP drafted a Request for Proposals (RFP) for pilot demonstration projects and reviewed and finalized this RFP with the program advisory review board in March 1995. The program was entitled Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS), to indicate that it is distinct from, yet modeled after, the Biologically Integrated Orchard System (BIOS) program, in accordance with AB3383. (Section 592. (b) (3))

Specific policies and procedures to guide the implementation of the pilot demonstration projects were developed by UC SAREP in consultation with the program advisory review board as part of crafting the RFP.

Table 2. Corresponding sections of AB 3383 and the UC SAREP Biologically Integrated Farming Systems Request for Proposals for pilot demonstration projects.

AB 3383 Section Citation	Request for Proposals Section
591. (a) - (c), 592. (a) & 592. (b)	Introduction
592. (b) (4)	Funding
598. (a) & (b)	Use of Funds
592. (b) (3), 592. (b) (4) & 594. (a)	Criteria
594. (a), 592. (b) (3) & 592. (b) (4)	Procedure and Timeline for Application, Evaluation, and Awards
594. (a)	Publications and Annual Reports
596.	Evaluation and Renewal of Funding
592. (b) (3)	Appendix: A Brief Description Of BIOS Projects

SELECTION OF PILOT DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS

The RFP was mailed to potential applicants and interested parties in May 1995. Completed proposals were due to UC SAREP on July 6, 1995. UC SAREP received five proposals in the first funding cycle of the competitive grants process:

Table 3. Cropping system, applicant, county(s), and funds requested for proposals received in response to the 1996 UC SAREP Biologically Integrated Farming Systems Request for Proposals

Commodity or Cropping System	Applicant	County(s)	Funds Requested (per year)
Winegrapes	Mark Chandler & Cliff Ohmart, Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission	San Joaquin & Sacramento	$100, 000
Row Crop Rotations	Jeff Mitchell & Pete Goodell, University of California	Fresno	$91,912 (the initial budget request was for $86,000)
Citrus	Benjamin Faber, University of California	Ventura	$56,000
Winegrapes & Pears	Glenn McGourty, University of California	Mendocino	$130,000
Cotton & rotational crops	Will Allen, Sustainable Cotton Project	Madera & Merced	$146,039

The program advisory review board was mailed completed proposals for review and met in late July 1995 to evaluate proposals and award grants. Available funds ($670,000 over three years) allowed for the full funding of two projects for three years each. Upon recommendation of the program advisory review board, the UC SAREP director selected two proposals: (1) Implementing a Biologically Integrated Farming System for Winegrapes in the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape District ("Winegrape BIFS") submitted by Mark Chandler and Cliff Ohmart, Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission; and (2) Extending Biologically Integrated Farming Practices within The San Joaquin Valley's West Side ("West Side BIFS") submitted by Jeff Mitchell and Pete Goodell, University of California. Notifications of awards were made the week of August 1, 1995. The following table provides an overview of the competitive grants process:

Table 4. Overview of pilot demonstration project competitive grants process

Activity	Time Period	AB 3383 Section Citation
Establishment of program advisory review board	February 1995	593. (a)
UC SAREP & program advisory review board draft and review request for proposals (RFP)	March 1995	594. (b)
RFP finalized	March 1995	594. (b)
Printing and mailing of RFP	April 1995	594. (b)
Proposals due to UC SAREP	July 6, 1995	594. (c)
Proposals sent to program advisory review board	July 10, 1995	594. (c)
Proposal evaluation and funding decisions made by UC SAREP and program advisory review board	Week of July 24, 1995	594. (c)
Notification of awards	Week of August 1, 1995	594. (c)
UC SAREP & program advisory review board annual review of funded projects and determination of which projects shall be renewed	November 19, 1996 & Follow-up meeting to be held January 13, 1996	594. (d)

SAREP STAFF SUPPORT FOR PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

To help implement the pilot projects, UC SAREP hired a project liaison in September 1995 to work with the funded projects and interface between the contractors and the University. The following objectives were developed to guide the project liaison’s work:

1. Provide and/or facilitate natural and social science technical support to management teams in the areas of implementation (team facilitation, group meetings, information sharing, etc.); and monitoring and evaluation (develop appropriate protocols, analyze data, etc.).

2. Oversee the quarterly reporting process for the Winegrape and West Side BIFS projects.

3. Assist with the development and implementation of protocols for documenting and evaluating the overall BIFS program.

Within these overall objectives, the strategic priority for the start-up year of the projects was to establish the infrastructure for the projects, including staff, communications, coordination among management teams, field sites, grower participation, and outreach.

The project liaison has conducted the following activities to meet the above-stated objectives: site visits, field days, project team meetings, telephone and electronic mail consultations, review and feedback on project materials (e.g. monitoring protocols, data sheets, meeting agendas, etc.), review and feedback on project quarterly reports and newsletters, preparation of UC SAREP quarterly reports, and input into several grant proposals relevant to the BIFS program. Specific activities include:

Table 5. Summary of project liaison activities: September 1995 to December 1996.
(This table does not include a list of the numerous telepone and electronic mail consultations.)

Site Visits, Field Days, Project Team Meetings, and other BIFS-Related Meetings

• Participation in West Side BIFS joint management team/grower-participants, Five Points. 9/18/95.
• Initial meeting with Winegrape BIFS project coordinator to review expectations and discuss technical support available from UC SAREP, Lodi. 9/26/95.
• Meeting with UC SAREP Director and staff to provide an update of BIFS activities, Davis. 11/1/95.
• Meeting with Winegrape BIFS project coordinator to discuss grower outreach program, Lodi. 11/2/95.
• Meeting with Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) grant manager to BIFS program, to discuss UC SAREP reporting process to DPR, Davis. 11/14/95
• Participation in mock Winegrape BIFS neighborhood grower meeting with Winegrape Research Committee. Lodi. 11/15/95.
• Participation in West Side BIFS meeting on organic soil amendments, Five Points. 12/15/95.
• Winegrape BIFS Annual Winter Research/IPM Grower Seminar, follow-up meeting with project coordinator, Lodi. 1/10/96.
• Participation in NRCS/US-EPA/BIOS/BIFS Partnership meeting, Lockeford. 1/11/96.
• Meeting with UC SAREP Director and staff to provide an update of BIFS activities, Davis. 1/12/96.
• Participation in West Side BIFS joint management team/grower-participants meeting, Five Points. 2/2/96.
• Meeting with project coordinator to discuss Winegrape BIFS project, Lodi. 2/22/96..
• Participation in three Winegrape BIFS neighborhood grower meetings, Lodi. 2/23/96.
• Meeting with DPR grant manager to discuss progress of projects, Davis. 3/27/96.
• Site visits to the Winegrape BIFS prototype vineyards -- Lange Twins Twin Oaks Farm and John Kautz Farm Field 1 -- as part of the Winegrape Field Day. 4/11/96.
• Participation in NRCS/US-EPA/BIOS/BIFS Partnership meeting, Lockeford. 4/25/96.
• Participation in Winegrape BIFS Leafhopper Management meeting at Vino Farms, Lodi. 6/12/96.
• Site visits to three Winegrape BIFS farms with project coordinator, Lodi. 6/12/96.
• Participation in West Side BIFS mid-year general meeting, Five Points. 6/18/96.
• Site visits to three West Side BIFS plots, Five Points area. 6/18/96.
• Participation in USDA-NRCS Soil Quality Institute tour to Winegrape BIFS sites, Lodi. 9/25/96.
• Meeting with project coordinator to discuss Winegrape BIFS project, Lodi. 8/20/96.
• Meeting with consultant in UCD Human and Community Development (HCD) department (hired under US-EPA grant) to discuss his work on sociological assessment of BIFS projects, Davis. 8/20/96.
• Participating in Pest Management Advisory Committee meeting, Sacramento. 8/23/96.
• Meeting with UC SAREP Director and staff to provide an update of BIFS activities, Davis. 8/23/96.
• Meeting with UCD department and representatives from CAFF-BIOS, US-EPA, DPR, and UC SAREP to discuss sociological assessment of BIFS and BIOS program, Davis. 9/6/96.
• Meeting with US-EPA Region IX and UC SAREP to discuss monitoring and evaluation in BIFS projects, Davis. 9/10/96.
• Meeting with project coordinator to discuss Winegrape BIFS project, Lodi. 9/11/96.
• Participation in West Side BIFS project evaluation meeting, Five Points. 9/30/96.
• Meeting with project coordinator and monitoring consultant from CRDA to discuss monitoring in Winegrape BIFS project, Lodi. 10/2/96.
• Participation in meeting with UCD HCD department and representatives from CAFF-BIOS, US-EPA, DPR and UC SAREP to discuss sociological assessment of BIFS and BIOS program, Davis. 10/18/96.
• Participation in meeting at Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission to discuss team building for Winegrape BIFS project, Lodi. 11/7/96.
• Presentation at Pest Management Advisory Committee on UC SAREP BIFS program, Sacramento. 11/8/96.
• Participation in meeting with representatives from CAFF-BIOS, US-EPA, USDA-NRCS, DPR, UC SAREP, and CRDA to discuss ways of improving cooperation, Davis. 11/12/96.
• Participation in BIFS program advisory review board annual meeting, Davis. 11/19/96.

Review and Feedback of BIFS Project Written Materials
• Outline of Winegrape BIFS Neighborhood Grower Meeting.
• West Side BIFS project meeting minutes from 9/18/95, 12/15/95, 1/4/96, 1/16/96, 2/2/96, 3/12/96, 4/8/96, and 9/24/96 management team and/or grower-participant meetings.
• Winegrape BIFS Weekly Monitoring Protocol for Vineyard Pests.
• Weekly IPM Data Sheets for BIFS Program.
• Winegrape Research/IPM Program Update, April, June, August, October 1996 issues.
• Winegrape BIFS Quarterly Reports: 9/1/95 to 12/1/95, 12/1/95 to 3/1/96 and 3/1/96 to 6/1/96.
• West Side BIFS Quarterly Report: 9/1/95 to 12/1/95, 12/1/95 to 3/1/96 and 3/1/96 to 6/1/96.
• Winegrape BIFS 1996 Annual Report.
• West Side BIFS 1996 Annual Report.

Written Work Products
• Preparation of UC SAREP BIFS Quarterly Reports to California Department of Pesticide Regulation: 10/15/95, 10/16/95 to 12/31/95, 1/1/96 to 3/31/96, 4/1/96 to 6/30/96.
• Preparation of UC SAREP BIFS Annual Report to California Department of Pesticide Regulation: 1996.
• Contributions to successful US-EPA Grant Proposal to the Central Valley Agricultural Initiative "Sociological Assessment of Biologically Integrated Farming Systems."
• Contributions to US-EPA Grant Proposal to the Pesticides and Environmental Stewardship Program "Beyond BIFS: Building Curricula for State and Community Colleges to Sustain Biologically Integrated Farming Systems."

• Contributions to successful US-EPA Grant Proposal to the Central Valley Agricultural Initiative "Building Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture."

ANNUAL REPORTING AND REVIEW

AB3383 requires that the program director, in consultation with the program advisory review board, "annually review pilot demonstration projects and determine which projects shall be renewed." (Section 594. (d)) UC SAREP received annual reports from the two funded BIFS projects in November 1996 and mailed copies to the program advisory review board. The review board met on November 19, 1996 with the UC SAREP director and staff involved in the BIFS program to review the status of each project, determine if the projects should received continued funding, and make recommendations for future years. The remainder of this report is based on the BIFS projects annual reports, comments from the program advisory review board, and analysis by the UC SAREP.