
Greetings from Imperial County!
Welcome Our New Master Gardener Coordinator

Kristian Salgado has been working for the past three years for the University of California Cooperative Extensions (UCCE)-Imperial County, Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) program, as a Community Education Specialist II. In this position, she has greatly enjoyed working with ranchers and farmers in the low desert region brainstorming, applying, and successfully being awarded state funds that support the adoption of CSA practices. She has had the opportunity to visit feedlots and farmer’s fields to see first-hand what management practices are currently used, and how the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) – Climate Smart Agriculture Grants can assist farmers in sustaining their operation in the face of Climate Change. In Mrs. Salgado’s experience, farmers and ranchers greatly appreciate knowing that there is someone housed at their local Cooperative Extension dedicated solely to support and help them access these funds, and who can help demystify the grant application process.
Mrs. Salgado graduated from Cal Ploy Humboldt in 2018 (formerly known as Humboldt State University) with a Master’s of Art Degree in Social Science as part of an interdisciplinary program called Environment and the Community. The E&C Program provided her with the opportunity to engage with a wide range of literature and research methods (not to mention amazing interdisciplinary faculty) that profoundly shaped her community organizing, research, and career work in the far southeastern corner of California - the Imperial Valley. It also gave her the opportunity to shape a graduate project/thesis that explored her identity and place-based knowledge as a Xicana from the small border town of Calexico where she has been working on environmental justice issues for over a decade.
Mrs. Salgado’s graduate research methodology is grounded in Participatory Action Research (PAR), and citizen science, environmental justice discourse, and the environmental decision-making process. She feels passionate about the proper dissemination and development of knowledge that can help support community development. As an undergraduate at San Diego State University (SDSU) she double majored in both her passions: Psychology and Environmental Studies with a minor in Counseling and Social Change.
She is excited to be the new Master Gardener Coordinator for the Imperial County, a county that will be beginning their program in 2022 with their first group of trained Master Gardeners. As an avid gardener and supporter of a handful of small community-based gardens, she can’t wait to start!
Position Available - CalFresh Healthy Living
CalFresh Healthy Living Community Educator Specialist 2, Imperial County, Job ID33274
Date Posted: March 28, 2022
Closing Date: May 6, 2022
Position Summary:
The Community Education Specialist 2 will perform the full range of program implementation duties. Incumbent will be responsible for the coordination, management, and delivery of nutrition education to community-based adults and/or youth. This includes training, guiding, and supporting volunteer extenders with education, information and resources; evaluating program implementation; collecting and compiling enrollment, documentation, and evaluation data from volunteer extenders and participants; performing data entry for reporting and writing reports in compliance with funding requirements.
Incumbent will build and maintain an informal network of partners, align special nutrition education projects with UC approved curricula and educational materials, develop news releases and news articles, and maintain subject matter competence.
This position's primary focus will be on conducting, managing, and evaluating a nutrition education program to improve the environment of the school and community.
This position is a career appointment that is 100% fixed.
This position will promote, in all ways consistent with the other responsibilities of the position, accomplishment of the Affirmative Action goals established by the Division.
The University of California issues policies essential for the safety and well-being of the community, including requirements for employees to be appropriately vaccinated for COVID-19, or to have an approved exception/exemption on file. New employees will be asked to provide validation of full compliance of UC vaccination policies.
To apply, go to:
If you are a current employee of our organization please use the following link instead:
https://ucpath.universityofcalifornia.edu/peoplesoft-native/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_EMP.HRS_APP_SCHJOB.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST&Action=U&SiteId=18&FOCUS=Employee&JobOpeningId=33274&PostingSeq=1
2021 Field and Vegetable Crops Guidelines

UC nutrition education programs pivot to meet California’s needs during pandemic
Excellent Article highlighting Imperial County CalFresh program:
CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE Imperial County
Enjoy the following:
https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=43178
4 Tips To Stay Healthy with CalFresh Healthy Living - UCCE Imperial County
Check out our latest youtube video!!!
IMPORTANT NOTICE!!!!!
Due to the concern from COVID-19, we are restricting all visitors from access to buildings/sites effective March 17th until further notice.
We are sorry for the inconvenience but your health and safety and that of our employees is paramount.
Should you need assistance from our office, please call (442) 265-7700. You can also contact the County Director, Oli Bachie, at obachie@ucanr.edu
Kids R Us Preschool
Great video in Spanish. Wonderful job that CalFresh is doing in our preschools.
Desert Research and Education Center
Watch this short but very informative video about DREC.
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Links
CHECK OUT OUR "LINKS" PAGE!!!!! WE HAVE ADDED A LOT.
Home Garden Planting Calendars
Insights: Water and Drought Online Seminar Series
The latest research-based advice on weathering a drought is now available free online. The UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources is working to help farmers cope with the unwelcome outcome of historically low rainfall the last three years. UC scientists, with support from the California Department of Water Resources, have recorded video presentations on high-priority drought webpages.
Each presentation is about one half hour in length and are available at the link below:
Drought Information
The University of California has been extensively involved in research and implementation of water conservation/management strategies throughout the state. A lot is knows about when and how to most effectively use limited water supplies. The links below contain a brief introduction. Additional information is available at UC ANR drought website. http://ciwr.ucanr.edu/California_Drought_Expertise/
Calendar
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Current Newspaper Articles
Club Celebrates National 4-H Week
UCCE's Bachie tests new desert crops to spur local ag growth
Mysterious unsolicited seed packets prompt warnings
Long-needed Positions soon to be filled at UC Cooperative Extension Office
Holtville Ag Station in Action - Bachie completes two-year insecticide study
13 local farmers awarded Healthy Soils grants
Vegetable Crops Planting & Harvesting Calendar
UC Food Blog
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Desert Research and Extension Center hosts international agriculture student interns
Caring for feedlot cattle, examining onion irrigation practices, and teaching preschoolers about agriculture are not part of the typical college curriculum. But for Desert Research and Extension Center's five college student interns, these activities are...
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Poultry owners urged to protect birds from avian influenza virus
A strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza is currently infecting and killing wild birds and domestic birds in at least 29 states across the United States. A UC Agriculture and Natural Resources poultry expert urges commercial and backyard chicken...
Contact Information
Imperial County
UC Cooperative Extension
1050 East Holton Road
Holtville, CA 92250-9615
Phone: 1-442-265-7700
Fax: 1-442-265-7723
Director:
Dr Oli G. Bachie