IN THIS NEWSLINE ISSUED APRIL 26, 2006:

1. NEW YUMA AGRICULTURAL CENTER RESEARCH BUILDING
2. PAMPERED TOMATOES
3. NORTON SCHOOL GROUNDBREAKING
4. 2006 FIRE SEASON OUTLOOK
5. 2006 SUMMER AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTE
6. ARIZONA CHILDREN'S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COALITION LAUDED BY EPA
7. DESERT HORTICULTURE  CONFERENCE MAY 19 IN TUCSON
8. MOM STARTS SCHOLARSHIP TO HONOR LIFE OF CALS STUDENT
9. "VINE TO WINE" ANALYZING WINE GRAPES IN TUCSON
10. WALKING SCHOOL BUS PROGRAM IN TUCSON SCHOOL DISTRICT
11. HIGH DESERT LANDSCAPING CONFERENCE MAY 4-5 IN SIERRA VISTA
12. 2006 WATER CONFERENCE JUNE 20-21
13. 4-H RABBIT CLUB IN PIMA COUNTY

1 NEW YUMA AGRICULTURAL CENTER RESEARCH BUILDING

The CALS Development and Alumni office is leading a campaign to raise money for the completion of the Glen G. Curtis Agricultural Research Building in Yuma. The 20,000-square-foot steel building honors Curtis for the many contributions he has made to the Yuma area. The Curtis family has pledged $250,000 to kickoff the fundraising campaign.

The research facility will provide CALS with the ability to perform practical/problem solving and state-of-the-art research for the citrus and vegetable crop industry to benefit Yuma area rowers and the Yuma area economy. The facilities currently used are very old, small, and very inadequate. This building will hopefully correct all these deficiencies, allowing scientists to be more efficient and effective. The products of their research will be beneficial to the agricultural industry in Yuma and the state.

The CALS Yuma Valley Agriculture Center obtained the building through the federal surplus reserve. Upon completion, it will include labs for citrus and vegetable research, offices, and a large multi-media conference room. Benefits of having such a research facility in Yuma include supporting the economic development of the city; addressing problems encountered by producers in the desert; increasing agricultural productivity and sustainability; the ability of the college to attract world-class researchers; and teaching opportunities for Arizona Western College.

Charles Sanchez, Yuma Agricultural Center

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/9.13.html

2 PAMPERED TOMATOES

It's tomato heaven.

In a valley 75 miles east of Tucson, perfect tomatoes, millions of them, powered by sunlight and juiced on spiked water, climb a 265-acre indoor forest of string.

Three hundred and sixty-five days a year they're turning sun and water into money at Eurofresh Inc.'s hydroponic greenhouses 18 miles north of Willcox.

To read the rest of this story from the April 24 Arizona Daily Star, see the link below.

Gene Giacomelli, Controlled Environment Agriculture Center

To learn more:
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/125882.php

3 NORTON SCHOOL GROUNDBREAKING

The Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences will hold a groundbreaking for its new building on Tuesday, May 9. The McClelland Park complex--named for Norman McClelland, chairman of Shamrock Foods Company and 1944 UA alumnus, and his late sister Frances--will house several Norton School centers and programs. These include The Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing; the Take Charge America Institute for Consumer Financial Education and Research; the Institute for Children, Youth and Families; and two degree-granting programs--family studies and human development, and retailing and consumer sciences.

The groundbreaking and naming ceremony runs from 8:30 - 9:45 a.m. at the construction site located at the southeast corner of Park and Fourth Streets on the UA campus, and includes tributes and proclamations by representatives of the Arizona Board of Regents, the UA and CALS administrations and campaign donors, along with CALS and Norton School faculty, students and staff.

Soyeon Shim, Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/cornerstone/groundbreaking

4 2006 FIRE SEASON OUTLOOK

Arizona has the potential for an extremely severe fire season this year. Warm, dry weather has made both the high and low elevations vulnerable, which will likely result in wildfires throughout the state.

People are the cause of 60% of Arizona's wildfires. From the backyard to the backwoods, care should be taken during fire season. Open flames, burning materials, and equipmecnt that may generate sparks, including cars, are a few ways humans accidentally start fires. There are simple steps every Arizonan can take now to prepare and to reduce fire risk, including creating defensible space around the home and developing or updating each family's emergency plan.

Firefighting is an interagency effort. In Arizona, federal, state and local agencies continue to coordinate and share firefighting resources. Persisting dry conditions might require fire restrictions and area closures to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires. It's important to remember that Arizona has many recreation areas; if a particular area is temporarily closed, here are many other opportunities available.

Deborah Young, Arizona Cooperative Extension

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/firewise/

5 2006 SUMMER AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTE

Arizona elementary school teachers who want to learn more about agriculture in the state should plan to attend the annual Summer Agricultural Institute (SAI) June 12-16. The SAI is a five-day program designed to teach educators about food and fiber production and to help them incorporate that knowledge in the classroom. The Institute combines hands-on learning about agriculture with practical curriculum development.

This is an excellent opportunity for any K-12 classroom teacher who wants to incorporate lessons on agriculture into their curriculum. Teachers receive 85 K-12 lessons that have been aligned to Arizona's Academic Standards. Ninety-two percent of the 2005 attendees rated the Institute as "more valuable" than other in-service programs they have attended.

The application is available at the link below.

Monica Pastor, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/agliteracy/summer-institute.html

6 ARIZONA CHILDREN'S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COALITION LAUDED BY EPA

Dawn Gouge, UA urban entomologist, recently received an Environmental Achievement Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 for her work with the Arizona Children's Environmental Health Coalition. The Coalition, which Gouge leads, is being recognized for promoting the implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Arizona's school districts.

These districts include public, rural, border, inner-city, suburban and Indian Land schools. Pesticide use and pest infestation complaints have been reduced by more than 80 percent at these schools. This has been accomplished without significantly increasing staff workload or district expense. So far, the program has impacted 347,000 children. Arizona's school-based IPM program has also been recognized by EPA and others as a national model for sustainable statewide implementation of IPM in schools.

Now in its eighth year, the U.S. EPA Region 9's Environmental Achievement Awards program recognizes efforts to protect and preserve the environment in Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pacific Island and Tribal Nations. The program received more than 160 nominations this year. Winners were selected based on numerous criteria, including their innovativeness, ability to work with others, and the ability of the project to be replicated in other settings.

Al Fournier, Maricopa Agricultural Center

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/urbanipm/schoolipm/index.html

7 DESERT HORTICULTURE  CONFERENCE MAY 19 IN TUCSON

From arboriculture to zoo landscapes, desert plant aficianados can learn about the latest research, plant diseases and care techniques at the Desert Horticulture Conference.

Held at the Tucson Convention Center on May 19, the conference theme is "15 Years and Stronger Than Ever." Sessions start at 8:00 a.m. and include such topics as starting young trees off right, lowering the risk of storm damage to Southwest trees, the process of introducing new plants, created vs. natural landscapes in urban areas, a panel discussion on exotic versus
invasive plants, and more.

The annual conference is designed for all members of the Green Industry: architects/designers, growers, retailers, contractors, maintenance personnel, and suppliers. Registration information is available at the link below.

Jack Kelly, Pima County Cooperative Extension

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/deserthort/register.html

8 MOM STARTS SCHOLARSHIP TO HONOR LIFE OF CALS STUDENT

The mother of a student who died in a workplace accident in 2004 is hoping to prevent similar accidents by establishing a scholarship that will allow students to go to school without working dangerous part-time jobs.

Joshua Morgan, a 20-year-old animal sciences and agricultural education sophomore, died after being trapped inside a birdseed grinder at a mill. Morgan, an Arizona native, was cleaning the machine when it accidentally turned on.

Pat Summers, Morgan's mother, said her son worked part-time because he didn't qualify for any scholarships and grants to pay for his schooling. He wanted to be a veterinarian in the racetrack industry and also had an interest in agricultural education.

For the entire story that appeared in the April 6, 2006 Arizona Daily Wildcat, go to the link below.

Marcia Klipsch, SIFE

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/12.5.html

9 "VINE TO WINE" ANALYZING WINE GRAPES IN TUCSON

The Tucson desert may seem like an unlikely place to harvest grapes, but UA researchers are finding out if the Old Pueblo's climate holds any secrets to the art of winemaking.

The Vine to Wine program, operated at the UA Campus Agriculture Center, aims to find out if the dry, low-elevation climate will yield a tasty varietal. Vine to Wine is a promotional effort for the wine grape industry.

For the full article from the April 21, 2006 Arizona Daily Wildcat, go to the link below.

John Begeman, Pima County Cooperative Extension

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/media/archives/18.5.html

10 WALKING SCHOOL BUS PROGRAM IN TUCSON SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Sunnyside Unified School District has been chosen as the pilot district for what could be a citywide "walking school bus" program, using Santa Clara Elementary as its model school.

On Friday mornings students meet at four locations near Santa Clara and walk together with parents as chaperones. The walking school bus will continue for the remainder of the school year.

On a request from the University of Arizona's Cooperative Extension, the Elvira Neighborhood Association picked the school because it has a large number of students within walking distance of the school who already walk to campus.

View the entire story from the Arizona Daily Star at the link below.

Dan McDonald, Pima County Cooperative Extension

To learn more:
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/123410

11 HIGH DESERT LANDSCAPING CONFERENCE MAY 4-5 IN SIERRA VISTA

Landscaping with native plants, invasive weeds, food production and environmental stewardship are topics of interest to gardeners throughout the Southwest.

The 13th Annual High Desert Landscaping and Gardening Conference, sponsored by the Cochise County Master Gardeners Association in conjunction with The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension will be held May 4-5 in Sierra Vista.

The latest information about plant viruses, the San Pedro River management challenges, chiles and hydroponic gardening will be presented at the two-day conference by CALS researchers, area plant experts and groups like the Nature Conservancy.

A registration form and conference program are available at the link below.

Rob Call, Cochise County Cooperative Extension

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/cochise/mg/pdf/06regis.pdf

12 2006 WATER CONFERENCE JUNE 20-21

Arizona's phenomenal population growth in recent years has raised concerns over water availability. The UA Water Resources Research Center's 2006 Conference, held June 20-21 at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix at Civic Plaza, will convene water experts, planners, and policy makers, along with leaders in the housing and development industry to discuss water needs. This year's conference theme is "Providing Water to Arizona's Growing Population: How Will We Meet the Obligation?"

The first day of conference of the conference features a session on the different ways city, town and rural area managers address water planning for growth, followed by a panel of diverse water professionals.

Day 2 is an optional half-day workshop, hosted by the Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University, that will focus in-depth discussion on meeting the long-term water needs of Central Arizona and implications for the rest of the state.

For the agenda and registration information go to the link below. Single day registration is available.

Cas Sprout, Water Resources Research Center

To learn more:
http://cals.arizona.edu/azwater/conf2006/index.html

13 4-H RABBIT CLUB IN PIMA COUNTY

When East Side resident Donna J. Wahl moved to Tucson with her husband, Charlie, and two children 30 years ago, she never imagined she'd one day be referred to as the "Bunny Lady."

For more than 20 years, Wahl was a leader of Pima County's 4-H rabbit group. She took on the role after her daughter received a rabbit as a gift for her fifth birthday. Her son also liked the animal and got one of his own. He joined 4-H, and a few years later Wahl was the leader of the rabbit group.

When she started, she knew very little about rabbits. "I learned right along with the kids, and I think that's part of the fun of it," she said.

Read the entire story from the April 7, 2006 Arizona Daily Star.

Julie Adamcin, Pima County Cooperative Extension

To learn more:
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/123506.php

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