New Funds, Statewide Visits On Deck
During the changing of the guard (searching for a permanent SAREP director), I'll be holding the reins of this exciting organization. Some new things are in the offing, as AB 1998 has survived the political process (See "New BIFS/Methyl Bromide Allocations,") It provides $1 million as a supplement to our Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS) program and $1 million for research, outreach and demonstration for alternatives to methyl bromide. With these new funds, we can begin to expand our program with greater vigor.
The search for the new director is progressing. Interviews of the four candidates should be completed by the time this newsletter is printed. If one of the candidates is successful, and depending on his/her commitments, we expect that person will be on board around the first of the year.
I'm planning to visit certain University of California campuses, UC field stations, California State University campuses and county extension offices over the next couple of months to assess how administrators, faculty and staff view SAREP's activities. We want to ensure that people know who we are, what we do, and to explore how we can cooperate on specific programs. Meetings with farmers and commodity groups will also be initiated.
It is exciting to be a part of this organization, and I look forward to assisting the staff during my tenure.---- Bob Reginato, interim director, University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.
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