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Paving the way for the Paving the way for the farming industry's farming industry's success. High quality construction High quality construction projects. On time and budget projects. On time and budget. 831.768.2789 | graniterock.com Hire a Hartnell Intern From Our Career Technical Education and Workforce Programs • Addiction Studies • Administration of Justice • Advanced Automotive Technology • Advanced Diesel Technology • Agriculture • Allied Health • Business Administration To learn more about hiring a skilled and motivated Hartnell intern for your company, contact Belen Gonzales, job and internship placement coordinator for the Career Technical Education and Workforce Program. (831) 759-6066 CareerServices@hartnell.edu • Computer Science • Construction Management & Architecture • Early Childhood Education • Elementary Teacher Prep • Nursing • Welding 1991 KEE KITAYAMA 1992 AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYEES 1993 PATRICIA "PAT" WILEY 1994 FRANK ESTRADA 1995 LARRY B. GALPER Farm Bureau... Continued from page 2 1996 HENRY HARNEY 1997 ARNE THIRUP 1998 MARVIN GLAUM 1999 MIKE JANI 2000 PAST FARM BUREAU PRESIDENTS 1917-1999 2001 ELIO RODONI 2002 HULDA MCLEAN 2003 KIRK SCHMIDT 2004 TOM AM RHEIN 2005 GROWERS WHO DONATE TO AG AGAINST HUNGER 2006 JIM RIDER 2007 HENRY WASHBURN, Post- humously 2008 RICHARD "DICK" PEIXOTO 2009 DIANE PORTER COOLEY 2010 BARGETTO FAMILY 2011 STANLEY E. IVERSEN 2012 JOHN PISTURINO 2013 KENNETH J. KIMES 2014 JOHN E. EISKAMP 2015 MARGUERITE REMDE & CHRIS BANTHIEN 2016 SILVIA PREVEDELLI 2017 GEORGEANN COWLES EISKAMP 2018 STEVE BONTADELLI 2019 EDWARD ORTEGA 2020 ALL SANTA CRUZ COUNTY GROWERS AND FARM EMPLOYEES Supporting on-farm research by Caroline Baptist, Organic Farmer and Communications Manager, Organic Farming Research Foundation Innovations are always at work in the world of organic agriculture. Organic agricultural research ensures that the most efficient and effec- tive farming practices are documented and shared, and may also serve as a catalyst for change toward a more equitable, sustainable and just food system. On-farm organic research allows farm- ers to work alongside researchers so they may test and evaluate new farming techniques and processes in real-world conditions. Generally, on-farm research identi- fies an issue and poses a specific research question. Research is conducted on a working farm or ranch and is designed with clearly defined param- eters using replications and statistical analysis. Often only a portion of the farm is used to conduct research but research plots are large enough to allow field equipment and data collection to take place. In August 2020, the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS) broke ground on its cut- ting-edge research facility, Agricultural Research Technology Center, in Salinas. The Agricultural Research Technology Cen- ter builds on the existing ARS Crop Improvement and Protection Research Provided photo Laboratory and includes new laboratory facilities and greenhouses. "We will be able to vastly advance our re- search on the sustainable production of vegetables and fruit crops – research that is crucial to the success of California's large agricultural sector," said ARS Administrator Chavonda Jacobs-Young at the time of the ground- breaking. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the state's organic production covers more than 2.5 million acres. The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Santa Cruz, recently launched its 2021/22 organic research grants cycle. The successful longstanding program offers funding for research on organic production systems and the dissemination of these results to organic farm- ers and agricultural and research communities. Past projects have ranged from studying soil fertility to developing disease-re- sistant crop breeds. All projects are required to address the resiliency of organic systems to challenges such as climate change. The ARS' only dedicated organic researcher in the country, Dr. Eric Brennan, works at the Agricultural Research Technology Center as a USDA Re- search Horticulturist. Dr. Brennan was a previous OFRF grant recipient and has conducted on-farm research for roughly 20 years. The work of Dr. Brennan and organic farmer-researcher teams is critical as organic farming expands in California and nationwide. To date, OFRF has invested over $3 million to researchers and organic farmers, with projects designed and executed on certified organic land. Re- search results are shared widely and freely on their website (www.ofrf.org) and have been presented at various educational and outreach engagements. Provided photo