Workgroup Meetings
May 29, 2007
The most recent BIFS Workgroup plenary meeting was held on May 29 2007 at the UC Davis Rec Pool Lodge, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The agenda included the following presentations (Slide presentations can be viewed in PDF format by clicking on the links below):
- Conservation and Ag Research in the Next Farm Bill - Where California FitsKaren Klonsky, Dept. of Agricultural & Resource EconomicsConservation and Research in the 2007 Farm Bill
- Biofuels: Opportunities and Challenges for Biological Integration on the FarmSteve Shaffer, Office of Agriculture and Environmental Stewardship, California Department of Food and AgricultureBiofuels: Opportunities and Challenges for Biological Integration on the Farm
- CAFF's Growers Collaborative Project - Scaling up regional marketing initiatives to engage CA commoditiesAnya Fernald, Food Systems Program Director, Community Alliance with Family FarmersBuilding Alternative Distribution Systems
- California’s Sustainable Agriculture Programs: Toward a New VisionTom Tomich, Director, ASI and SAREPCalifornia’s Sustainable Agriculture Programs: Toward a New Vision
- Funding Opportunities: Agriculture in a Working LandscapeCasey Walsh Cady, CA Department of Food and AgricultureFunding Sources for Working Landscapes Projects
June 8, 2006
On June 8, 2006 a BIFS Workgroup plenary meeting was held at the UC Davis Rec Pool Lodge, from 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The agenda included the following presentations (Slide presentations can be viewed in PDF format by clicking on the links below):
- SAREP/Ag Sustainability Institute (ASI) updateCal Qualset, ASI Interim Director & Will Horwath, Chairman, Sustainable Agriculture Curriculum Implementation Committee
- The New Mainstream: Vision for a sustainable food systemDesmond Jolly, Small Farm Program director & Roots of Change Council former co-chairThe New Mainstream: Vision for a sustainable food system
- Biological control in California agricultureNick Mills, entomologist, Environmental Science, Policy and Management Dept., UC Berkeley
- On-farm biologically integrated farming systems projects (panel):
- Table grape BIFS project & peach projectWalt Bentley, IPM entomologist, Kearney Ag Center, Statewide UC IPM Program;
- Lettuce BIFS project on the Central CoastHugh Smith, entomologist, UCCE Monterey County;
- Rice BIFS project - five years laterCass Mutters, farm advisor, UCCE Butte County
-
Certification and eco-labeling programs: A path to BIFS adoption and other sustainable practices? (panel):
- Food Alliance Certification: Creating market incentives for improving agricultural productionKaren Lewotsky, Certification Director, Food Alliance;
- Protected Harvest Certification: Telling a credible sustainability story in the marketplaceDan Sonke, Technical and Scientific Coordinator, Protected Harvest
May 17, 2005
On May 17, 2005, over forty BIFS Workgroup members convened for a plenary meeting at the UC Davis Rec Pool Lodge. The meeting agenda began at 9:30 a.m. with introductions; the meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m. To view a summary of question and answer sessions following presentations, and other discussions and please click here.
Discussions were informed by the following presentations (Slide presentations can be viewed in PDF format by clicking on the links below):
- Brief overview of SAREP and the BIFS program's future including possible linkages with new Agricultural Sustainability Institute (ASI) at UC Davis UC ANR AVP Rick Standiford, UCD CAES Associate Dean Michael Parella, ASI Interim Director Cal Qualset
- From Architects to Privy Carpenters: The Decline of the Land-grants and Extension. George McDowell, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University From Architects to Privy Carpenters: The Decline of the Land-grants and Extension.
- Enhancing Biologically Integrated Farming Systems for Lettuce on the Central Coast of California Hugh Smith, UCCE Monterey CountyEnhancing Biologically Integrated Farming Systems for Lettuce on the Central Coast of California
- Making Biocontrol Work Christy Getz, Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist, Environmental Science Policy and Management, UC Berkeley, and Keith Douglass Warner, Environmental Studies Institute, Santa Clara University Making Biocontrol Work
- Central Coast Extension Programs with Hispanic Growers Daniel Mountjoy, USDA NRCS Central Coast Extension Programs with Hispanic Growers
- Biologically Integrated Farming Systems for Table Grapes in the Southern San Joaquin Valley Walt Bentley, IPM Specialist, Kearney Ag Center, Statewide UC IPM Program
- Lessons Learned from BIFS projects Kris O'Connor, Executive Director, CCVT, and Gary Obenauf, Research Coordinator, CA Dried Plum Board The Central Coast Vineyard Team (CCVT) Integrated Prune Farming Practices (IPFP)
- The State Water Resources Control Board's (SWRCB) Agriculture and Water Quality Grants Program (AWQGP) - New funds available and provide input on granting process Leslie Laudon, Division of Financial Assistance, SWRCB
December 10, 2003
Forty Workgroup members gathered on December 10, 2003 at UC Davis for the fourth plenary BIFS Workgroup meeting. Participants discussed:
- With improved engagement of social scientists in evaluating BIFS-like projects, what have we learned so far about how to increase effectiveness and impacts of projects?
- Pest management decision-making - are growers adopting whole systems or individual practices one by one?
- New funding opportunities and priorities and potential new collaborations for BIFS-like projects.
Discussions were informed by the following presentations (PowerPoint presentations are available online for the highlighted titles.):
- BIFS Workgroup research project report - Assessing the importance of grower participation in agricultural partnerships Keith Warner, UC Santa Cruz Environmental Studies BIFS Workgroup research project report
- Agricultural partnerships and the future of UCCE in California: Rethinking the Cooperative Extension Crisis Christy Getz, UC Berkeley Div. of Society & Environment Agricultural partnerships and the future of UCCE in California
- IPM almond survey results & discussion of pest management decision-making Sonja Brodt, UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program
- The role of eco-labeling & certification in promoting sustainable agriculture Carolyn Brickey, Protected Harvest
- US EPA FQPA - New call for proposals & funding priorities Cindy Wire, US EPA Region 9 Ag Initiative
- New cowpea cultivars for cover crops Milt McGiffen, UC Riverside, Botany & Plant Sciences Dept. New cowpea cultivars for cover crops
October 1, 2002
On October 1, 2002, the BIFS Workgroup convened its third plenary session at UC Davis. There were 42 participants. Topic areas covered included a presentation on partnership models, a panel on nitrogen management, and speakers reporting on impact evaluation in the Walnut BIOS project. Speakers and panelists were as follows:
-
Assessing the Importance of Grower Participation in Agricultural Partnerships.
Keith Warner, UC Santa Cruz graduate student
This presentation was based on his dissertation in progress: "Agroecology in Action,
Nature, networks, knowledge and risk in California agriculture."
- Why is Overuse of Nitrogen a Concern? Marco Barzman, BIFS Coordinator
- The Problem with Bessie Stuart Pettygrove, Land, Air and Water Resources, UC Davis
- Cover Crops in California Agriculture Willi Horwath, Land, Air and Water Resources, UC Davis
- Legume Cover Crops in Almond Orchards: Nitrogen Release and Tree Uptake Alison Berry, Department of Horticulture, UC Davis
- Joe Grant, UCCE Farm Advisor, San Joaquin County, UCCE/CAFF San Joaquin BIOS Walnut Project
- Measuring Impacts of BIFS Projects: Walnut Survey Results Bev Ransom, BIFS Research Associate
August 16, 2001
The second BIFS Workgroup meeting was convened at UC Davis on August 16, 2001 and had 45 attendees. Topics addressed included:
- factors that ensure a lasting impact of BIFS-like projects
- project life span
- scale of on-farm demonstration trials
- wildlife restoration and biodiversity within farming systems
- research tools such as mail-out surveys and PUR analysis used to assess
grower practices and project impact commodity-wide
February 17, 2000
The first BIFS Workgroup meeting was held at the Stanislaus County Agriculture
Center in Modesto on Feb. 17, 2000 and had 48 participants. Results and updates
for eight current and past BIFS projects were presented (on winegrapes, cotton,
citrus, strawberries, walnuts, dairy/forage, prunes, and rice). The first meeting
initiated the planning of the Agriculture Partnership Conference, which took
place in March 2001. Other topics included:
- sociological aspects of BIFS
- economics of sustainable agriculture
- Pesticide Use Reporting (PUR) database analysis
- grower outreach strategies
- data and database management
- specific results from the on-farm production trial