Community Nutrition and Health

veggie garden plan

Twelve people of mixed races sitting around a dining table

Article

SNAP-Ed-supported program energizes older adults through gardening

August 4, 2025

CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE promotes healthy habits for older people in Oakland“I not only live here, I garden here,” said Karen Smulevitz, a resident of Palo Vista Gardens, a public housing complex for older adults in East Oakland. She was wearing sunglasses and sporting a white bucket hat, a…

Steve Fennimore, right, stands next to grower Mark Mason

Article

Fennimore’s advice: Invest at the intersection of ag and engineering

July 31, 2025

By Trina Kleist

UC Cooperative Extension specialist Steve Fennimore has retired after 28 years with the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. But this milestone only marks the beginning of a new chapter for the weed scientist.

Emily Jane Freed smiles in a field of thyme at Jacobs Farm/del Cabo, Inc. in Santa Cruz County

Article

New director to elevate UC Cooperative Extension impact on Central Coast

July 30, 2025

By Michael Hsu

Emily Jane Freed began as UC Cooperative Extension area director for Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties in June. She brings experience in agriculture issues, logistics and emergency services administration and she aims to help UCCE academics provide even greater benefit to local communities.

People carrying vegetables out of a field

Article

Small farms, food businesses to lose vital USDA support

July 21, 2025

By Pamela S Kan-Rice

Southwest Food Business Center seeks new path to keep small farms and food businesses growingApryl Sims was excited to sell 100 bottles of her cold-pressed, fruit and vegetable-based juices to a local store in South Los Angeles. Sims, the owner of Apryl’s Life in a Bottle, received marketing…

Ag fields between a winding river and mountains in the distance

Article

UC ANR–led FutureFood Engine named semifinalist in NSF Regional Innovation Engines competition

July 16, 2025

By Hanif R Houston

The FutureFood Engine, led by UC ANR and backed by more than 50 partners across California and Nevada, has been selected as a semifinalist in the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines competition.

Santos stands beneath an arch decorated with red, yellow and green vegetable ornaments. Three women stand on both sdies of him

Article

‘Don Santos’ leaves legacy of healthy habits in Contra Costa County

June 23, 2025

By Pamela S Kan-Rice

UC EFNEP educator Santos Lopez has helped people improve their eating and physical activity habits by delivering bilingual nutrition lessons to families in Contra Costa County. He is retiring after serving the community for 17 years.

View of a vineyard & Winery in the north of San Diego

Article

Welcome to the Farm: UC ANR’s Role in California’s Agritourism Transformation

June 17, 2025

By Ricardo A Vela

In a state where agriculture is a $59 billion industry, a quiet revolution is changing how Californians experience farming—not just as consumers, but as guests, learners, and partners. Agritourism, once a niche side venture for farmers, is now a significant and growing segment of the rural economy…

Orchard machinery retrofitted for autonomous operation

Article

Startups to showcase irrigation, robotics, pest-detection tech June 26

May 19, 2025

By Hanif R Houston

Six ag tech startups will demonstrate their products at a free public field day hosted by UC ANR Innovate, in partnership with Farmhand Ventures, on June 26 in Fresno County.

View of the Port of Stockton on the San Joaquin River. Photo by by Downtowngal https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26671447

Article

Webinar May 19: How might trade-policy shifts affect California growers, consumers?

May 15, 2025

By Pamela S Kan-Rice

UC expert James “Jay” E. Sayre hosted a webinar on what trade policy shifts may mean for California growers, processors and consumers. A recording is available.

View over the tops of avocado trees from a tower with scientific instruments

Article

UCCE advisor provides first-of-its-kind avocado irrigation data

May 15, 2025

By Michael Hsu

Crop coefficients are numbers used to calculate the amount of water a particular crop needs. In an unprecedented study, Ali Montazar, UC Cooperative Extension irrigation and water management advisor, set out to develop more reliable crop coefficients for avocado based on real-world data.

Lettuce seedlings in a tray with white plastic identification tags for each seedling

Article

New video series to help new California vegetable growers

May 5, 2025

By Pamela S Kan-Rice

To train new people to work with California specialty crops and update the skills of current workers, educators from UC Davis and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, Fresno State, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Chico State and five California community colleges are producing educational videos.

Gray wolf from the Lassen pack among a herd of cattle in July of 2022

Article

Study calculates cost to ranchers of an expanding wolf population

April 21, 2025

By Emily C. Dooley

Tina Saitone, a University of California, Davis, professor and Cooperative Extension specialist in livestock and rangeland economics, sought to quantify the direct and indirect costs after the California Department of Fish and Wildlife launched a pilot program to compensate ranchers for wolf-related losses.

The buds shown on the walnut branches are male flowers called catkins

Article

UC scientists ask walnut trees: When do you need to be irrigated?

April 16, 2025

By Trina Kleist

UC scientists are working with growers in Tehama, Butte, Lake, Amador, Contra Costa, Stanislaus and Yolo counties to test a new way of measuring the irrigation needs of walnut trees. Shackel and team think this new method will allow growers to use less water by not irrigating early in the season, and trees…

Ranunculus flowers at The Flower Fields in Carlsbad

Article

Summit to showcase California agritourism best practices, May 14-15

April 11, 2025

By Michael Hsu

Agritourism stakeholders are invited to San Diego County to share current initiatives and industry developments and gain practical tools to start or expand an agritourism business.

Olives in a bin

Article

Olive growers, enthusiasts invited to UC olive webinar April 4

March 14, 2025

By Pamela S Kan-Rice

Growers and others interested in growing table olives or olives for making olive oil are invited to a California Statewide Olive Seminar on Friday, April 4. The online seminar, a series of presentations from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., is sponsored by the University of California Cooperative Extension and UC…

Brown chickens peck at bugs in the grass at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

Article

Bird flu's impact on egg and milk markets varies

March 12, 2025

By Ria DeBiase

Egg prices soar while dairy prices remain stable as H5N1 spreads through CaliforniaConsumers have faced reduced egg supplies and high egg prices. A recent article by University of California, Davis agricultural economists explore the reasons for reduced egg supplies and high egg prices and assess what…

Rod Stiefvater speaks at a Department of Plant Sciences seminar

Article

Gift extends UC Davis pistachio research on new scions, rootstocks

March 6, 2025

By Emily C. Dooley

The University of California, Davis, is enhancing and expanding its Pistachio Breeding Program after a generous gift from philanthropist and pistachio farmer Rod Stiefvater, who is donating more than $335,000 over three years to develop new rootstocks that thrive under changing climate conditions.

Rows of date palms

Article

Date production workshop set for April 23 in Palm Desert

March 5, 2025

By Pamela S Kan-Rice

The 2025 California Date Palm Workshop will be held on April 23 in Palm Desert at the UC Riverside Palm Desert Center. Anyone who is interested in growing dates is welcome to attend. "This workshop brings together researchers, growers and stakeholders to discuss recent research data on the ‘state of the…

A shepherd and dog move sheep across a field

Article

California producers: Climate change is real; we could use a little help

February 26, 2025

By Trina Kleist

How can farmers and ranchers continue to grow our food while facing challenges of a changing climate, increasingly scarce water, land use pressures and rising costs? UC and UC ANR scientists are using surveys and interviews with people in the state's agricultural sector to learn what folks need to stay…

Cows gathering in the shade of a clump of trees

Article

Sweet molasses feed key to understanding grazing behavior in cattle

February 19, 2025

By Emily C. Dooley

Researchers tempted grazing cattle with sweet molasses feed to discover whether cows would roam far and wide to graze or stick close to the herd, water supplies and feed stations.

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Community Nutrition and Health

What we do

Teach nutrition education to youth and families.
Provide nutrition tools and information to make healthier food choices.
Train teachers and community organizations to use our nutrition curriculum.
Offer training to volunteers to prepare food safely at community events.

What sets us apart

All programs, curricula, and educational tools are evidence-based.
Education services are free of cost.

Nutrition Education

San Joaquin County offers nutrition and physical activity education through two programs.

Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)

CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE

Get to know your local Farmers Market

Farmers markets are easy to find:

Use the USDA Farmers Markets Search to find one near you. Due to their flexible locations, some community farmers markets provide fresh, healthy foods when other sources aren't as easily accessed.

SNAP and WIC cards are accepted at most farmers markets.

Click here for more information on food assistance programs.

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