From the UC Blogosphere...

The Place to 'Bee' on March 19

The Veterans' Memorial Hall in Sebastopol is the place to "bee" on Saturday, March 19. That's when and where the fifth...

Marla Spivak

MARLA SPIVAK, one of the 2010 recipients of a MacArthur Fellowship or "Genius Award," will speak at the Bee Symposium, March 19, in Sebastopol. (Photo courtesy of Dan Marshall)

Bee on almond

HONEY BEE heads for the next almond blossom on Bee Biology Road, UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Inyo Mono County Master Gardeners Community Group of the Year!

The passion for affecting positive change in Inyo and Mono County has earned the Master Gardeners there the honor of being named the Community Group of the Year in 2010.  The Master Gardeners there are a fairly new group with their first class training held in 2009-2010.  However, they are very enthusiastic group with lots of ideas that are clearly aligned with the ANR Strategic Initiatives.  In a very short time and in a small community, they are up to 80 Master Gardeners.  Their main projects are really focused on sustainable food systems which is especially important because of the isolation factor for many of the residents.  It is a two hour or more drive to the closest Costco!  They have worked extensively with Easter Sierra Harvest and Plant-A-Row, and are developing a community/ demonstration garden.  In addition, they are teaching classes in the community, focused on sustainable food growing and collaborating with a variety of groups in the county.  To quote Kerry Lozito, one of the volunteer coordinators of the group, "It's not about getting the training and going back home to grow pretty roses.”  “It's about giving back." Congratulations to Inyo Mono County Master Gardeners!!!

Inyo Mono County Master Gardeners Volunteer Group of the Year!

The passion for affecting positive change in Inyo and Mono County has earned the Master Gardeners there the honor of being named the Community Group of the Year in 2010.  The Master Gardeners in that county are a fairly new group with their first class training held in 2009-2010.  However, they are a very enthusiastic group with inspiring goals and ambitions that are clearly aligned with the ANR Strategic Initiatives.  In a very short time and in a small community, they are up to 80 Master Gardeners.  Their main projects are really focused on sustainable food systems which is especially important because of the isolation factor for many of the residents.  It is a two hour or more drive to the closest Costco!  They have worked extensively with Easter Sierra Harvest and Plant-A-Row, and are developing a community/ demonstration garden.  In addition, they are teaching classes in the community, focused on sustainable food growing and collaborating with a variety of groups in the county.  To quote Kerry Lozito, one of the volunteer coordinators of the group, "It's not about getting the training and going back home to grow pretty roses.”  “It's about giving back." Congratulations to Inyo Mono County Master Gardeners!!!

USDA official promotes renewable fuel infrastructure

A USDA official was in Oakland yesterday to promote the development of renewable fuel infrastructure in the United States, according to a news release from Propel Fuels. The federal agency plans to fund the build-out of 10,000 renewable fuel pumps across the nation in the next five years.

Judith Canales, administrator of USDA's Rural Business and Cooperative Programs, spoke at a press conference held at a gas station where customers can purchase E85 Flex Fuel and biodiesel from Redwood City-based Propel Fuels.

A story produced by KGO-TV in San Francisco said high fuel prices came at a perfect time for Propel, whose biofuel business is booming.

"What we are trying to do is focus on fuels that are domestically made, and fuels that could contribute to American jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil," Propel executive Jim Iacoponi told KGO reporter Wayne Freedman.

Most American-made biofuel is produced with corn. Corn is high in starch, but low in sugars, making it less efficient for making fuel than foreign sugar cane. But high U.S. tariffs make corn a viable alternative.

In the news story, UC Berkeley physicist Richard Muller attributed some of the interest in corn to presidential politics.

"Well, it's Iowa," Muller said. "In order to win the Iowa caucuses go to Iowa and promise they will support corn ethanol."

At the news conference, Canales said corn will only be part of the solution.

In the U.S., there are more than 20 million vehicles (more than 1 million of those in California) capable of running on renewable fuels, but the majority do not have access to these fuels. Propel has plans to build 75 additional stations in the Bay Area and Sacramento, as well as in new markets later this year, the news release said.

USDA's Judith Canales fuels a CalTrans vehicle that runs on biofuel.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Ants

Unlike the Saints, the ants won't "go marching in"; they'll be "marching on." The "Ants Go Marching On” will set the theme...

Kissin' Cousins?

ARGENTINE ANT (Linepithema humile) and honey bee (Apis mellifera) share a flower in the Storer Garden at UC Davis. They both are members of the order, Hymenoptera, which includes bees, ants and wasps. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Argentine Ant

MARCHING ON--Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) searching for food. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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