This study examines the availability of food assistance programming at certified farmers markets in the Sacramento region of California. These programs offer nutrition benefits to shoppers and economic benefits to direct-marketing farmers and the wider regional economy. We used surveys (_n_ = 59) and interviews (_n_ = 9) to ask market managers about acceptance of CalFresh (the program name for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in California), WIC/Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and incentive programs. Food assistance programming was widespread: 59% of markets redeemed CalFresh, 64% accepted WIC/Senior FMNP benefits, 34% offered the incentive program Market Match and 14% offered another type of incentive. Regarding CalFresh, market managers reported that staffing needs, administrative work and lack of information were their top challenges. The most common concerns with FMNP were a perceived lack of customers, lack of participating farmers and lack of information. One of the most notable findings was that the market operator’s legal entity type was related to program acceptance: 80% of markets that accept CalFresh and 90% that offer incentives were operated by nonprofits, whereas only 14% of certified producer-operated markets accepted CalFresh and 5% offered incentives. The results point to the need to collaborate with markets operated by certified producers who are interested in accepting CalFresh and work with community organizations interested in partnering with markets to support the availability of food assistance programs.
Plastics are integral to modern life, but their production, use, and disposal also create significant environmental and social challenges, making scientific literacy about plastics important for informed civic and personal decision making. We examined how the grade 9-12 4-H Sustainable Polymers curriculum supported youth scientific literacy in two California school settings led by 4-H educators. Using a multiple case study design, we analyzed post-program focus group data from 13 high school youth with a framework that defined scientific literacy across four dimensions: science content, scientific reasoning skills, interest and attitudes, and contribution through applied participation. Youth described learning core ideas about plastics, including material properties, life cycles, and environmental impacts. They also reported using evidence through graphs, observations, research, and discussion to interpret plastics-related issues. Hands-on, materials-based activities were described as especially engaging, and youth connected what they learned to possible actions ranging from reducing personal plastic use to supporting community, producer, and policy responses. These findings suggest that experiential, place-based environmental science education can support youth scientific literacy when learning is tied to meaningful everyday issues.
Anecdotal and fire behavior modeling evidence indicates that livestock grazing can reduce herbaceous fuels and improve ecosystem resilience in an era of expanding and intensifying wildfires. To quantify these effects in California, we established a statewide, multi-year (2020 to 2022) study manipulating herbaceous biomass levels within prescribed fire footprints to examine the relationship between herbaceous biomass levels and key fire behavior metrics. We identified multiple biomass thresholds that may be incorporated into land management and planning documents. Grasslands with fewer than 384 pounds (lb) per acre (43 grams per square meter \[g/m²\]) biomass had greater than 90% probability of stopping a fire before reaching 33 feet (ft) (10 meters \[m\]) while grasslands with biomass greater than 1,248 lb/acre (140 g/m²) had a near zero probability of stopping a fire before reaching 33 ft. Biomass values below 2,496 lb/acre (280 g/m²) had only a 3% probability of reaching 4 ft (1.2 m) flame height. These biomass thresholds and associated fire behavior metrics can be strategically employed to manage grasslands to protect California's communities in the context of meeting other goals, including minimum residual dry matter standards.
California’s Assembly Bill 1066 overtime-for-farm workers law increased minimum sheep and goat range herder wages by 250% in 6 years, from less than $2,000 a month in 2018 to almost $5,000 in 2025. However, higher wages did not attract domestic U.S. workers to herding: most herders in the United States are workers from Peru and Mexico who have H-2A visas. Sheep and goat ranchers responded to higher herder wages by assigning more animals to each herder, switching from monthly to hourly wages where feasible, and expanding their herds or exiting the business. More became vegetation managers, earning payments from clients when their sheep and goats consume vegetation on crop lands and solar farms and grass and brush in the urban–wildland interface to reduce wildfire risks.
Woody encroachment is a common threat in many fire-dependent ecosystems throughout the world. In northwestern California, conifer encroachment threatens the survival of deciduous oak woodlands and rangeland habitats, resulting in many negative impacts to flora and fauna biodiversity and livestock production. This study characterizes the benefits and costs of oak woodland restoration projects where Douglas fir is removed, weighing the timber value of the encroaching Douglas fir trees with the costs of removal and the value of post-restoration forage. Through a series of interviews and surveys, coupled with additional data collection and literature review, we found that the benefits of oak restoration through the removal of the Douglas fir encroachment exceeded the costs of treatment for landowners on average.
Reducing irrigation usage for residential landscapes is a key strategy for managing water demand, but many property owners struggle to implement effective water conservation. Garden Walks is an educational program that supports trained volunteers to visit local residential properties. They suggest improvements to irrigation systems, mulch usage, grouping plants based on similar water needs, and other water-efficient landscaping techniques. Working with a Marin County water district, we measured water use for 481 households participating in Garden Walks and 478 non-participating households for six years to assess potential water savings. On average, participating households used 7,780 gallons less water in an irrigation season (8% less) than non-participating households. Much of the water savings appears to have come from leak detection. Irrigation leaks were detected in 6% of participating households, and fixing those leaks accounted for nearly 40% of program water savings.
Drying is an energy-intensive step in walnut production, accounting for 19% of processing costs and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. This study surveyed 19 California walnut drying facilities to update energy consumption estimates and identify factors influencing energy use. The variables analyzed included production volume, implementation of energy conservation strategies, the type of fuel used for drying, and ambient air conditions (temperature and relative humidity). The results show that the average energy consumption for walnut drying in California was 1.156 million British thermal units per short ton of in-shell dried walnuts, 11.1% lower than 2009 estimates. Natural gas facilities used 41.5% less energy than those using propane. The type of fuel used for drying was the only factor that significantly affected energy consumption; energy conservation strategies, including in-bin moisture meters and air recirculation, did not have a significant impact. This suggests the need for improved application of energy conservation strategies through better automation and operator training.
This study introduces a novel decision support web tool (https://doi.org/10.15140/D3J04K) to assist farmers and policymakers in managing salinity in California’s Central Valley. The tool integrates agronomic, economic and spatial data to predict crop yield and profitability under varying irrigation water salinity. This resource also supports policymakers and groundwater sustainability agencies in identifying areas where saline groundwater prevents profitable farming and prioritizing those areas for land repurposing to reduce agricultural water demand. We evaluated the tool by predicting yield and profitability for alfalfa, almonds, pistachios, table grapes, and processing tomatoes under varying salinity at field and regional scales. Alfalfa maintained high yields and profitability across varying salinity levels, while table grapes showed strong economic resilience; however, almonds were most sensitive to water quality degradation. The spatial analysis indicated regional variation, with western Central Valley regions showing lower yields and profitability due to high groundwater salinity. This tool highlights the role decision support technologies can play in advancing sustainable irrigation under water quality constraints.
Byproduct feedstuffs play a crucial role in California dairy rations and contribute to the sustainability of the industry, but the extent of their usage in the state has not been widely investigated. In March 2022, we sent a byproduct feeding and management survey via email to 61 dairy cattle nutritionists in California. Twenty-six completed surveys were included in the final data analysis (response rate = 46%; _n_ = 26/61). Nutritionists reported servicing 498 dairy farms that represented approximately 936,700 milking cows. Respondents serviced mostly cows housed in San Joaquin Valley herds (87.6%), with some cows housed in Northern California (5.5%) and Southern California (6.9%) regions. Survey respondents also reported 58 byproducts that were fed on California dairies; almond hulls and whole cottonseed were the most frequently utilized byproducts. The average lactating ration byproduct inclusion rate was estimated at 40.9% on a dry matter (DM) basis. Looking ahead to the next five years, 20 nutritionists (80%) thought byproduct usage would increase in California dairy rations, with fewer anticipating decreased (_n_ = 3; 12%) or unchanged (_n_ = 2; 8%) usage.
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires stakeholder participation in developing groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) to ensure the reliability of groundwater resources. Groundwater models became widely used in GSP development (e.g., to evaluate management actions). This study explores stakeholder perceptions of the benefits and challenges of using these models in GSP development and of models' abilities to deal with uncertainties arising from existing data gaps. Qualitative interviews and minutes from groundwater advisory committee meetings from three groundwater basins reveal that groundwater models can improve stakeholders' understanding of the groundwater system and help stakeholders identify management actions. However, model complexity and uncertainty in terms of hydrogeological processes and data gaps hinder stakeholders' full understanding of the model development and results. Modelers should leverage stakeholder knowledge to build trust and collaboratively improve model accuracy through active participation in the modeling process. To prevent misunderstanding, future and ongoing processes should prioritize transparent communication about the model design, assumptions, and limitations. In general, SGMA's regulatory process facilitates decision-making amid uncertainty and ensures lasting collaboration between modelers and stakeholders.
California farmworkers experience lower health outcomes and underutilize health services compared with the general population, impacting their well-being and farm productivity. Employer sponsored health insurance facilitates access to health services and represents one method for improving farmworker health outcomes, but more knowledge is needed to promote employee uptake and utilization. From 2021 to 2023, we surveyed 497 vineyard workers in Napa County on their views of health insurance. Offering insurance has a large impact on benefits satisfaction. However, satisfaction is limited and uptake low when employers contribute less than 80% to the annual premium. This is principally because when the cost to them is greater, farm employees opt out of health insurance to avoid wage reductions to prioritize other essential living costs. Seasonal workers opt out at especially high rates because they are offered the lowest employer premium contributions and are simultaneously the lowest earners.
