San Andreas, CA…Residents of the Central Sierra will soon be seeing benefits from California’s historic investment in the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. The state restored UC ANR’s budget to pre-COVID levels of FY 2019-20 and provided a 5% increase plus an additional $32 million in ongoing funding, bringing total state support to $107.9 million for the division, which contains the county-based UC Cooperative Extension, 4-H Youth Development, UCCE Master Food Preserver, and UCCE Master Gardener programs.

UC Cooperative Extension Central Sierra is recruiting for three advisors with expertise in nutrition, local food systems, and forest products to serve El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties.

“I am pleased to announce that UC Agriculture and Natural Resources is devoting more expertise to our community to solve pressing economic, environmental, and social well-being challenges,” JoLynn Miller, 4-H Advisor and director of UC Cooperative Extension in the Central Sierra.

UCCE Central Sierra will replace its nutrition, family, and consumer science advisor position which was vacated in August and add two more experts to our region.

The UCCE nutrition, family and consumer science advisor will provide research-based information to promote community health and nutrition for residents of the Central Sierra along with Placer and Nevada counties. Specific areas of interest will be farm to school programs, social determinants of health in a rural context, partnering with Tribes and tribal communities to co-develop culturally relevant programs, COVID, and mental health.

To learn more about the position and to apply, visit https://ucanr.edu/About/Jobs/?jobnum=1925.

A UCCE local food systems advisor will be hired to help strengthen connections between local farmers and ranchers and consumers in Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and El Dorado counties. The advisor will serve clientele in commercial agricultural crops including; tree crops, vegetables, fruits and berries. The advisor will collaboratively develop and disseminate science-based practices for farm innovation and adoption, including niche and organic production, marketing, resource sustainability, and appropriate-scale equipment and technology. The advisor will also work with producers to expand their role and contribution as foundational members of the area’s food system and community. To learn more about the position and to apply, visit https://ucanr.edu/About/Jobs/?jobnum=1973.

A UCCE woody biomass and forest products advisor will help develop valuable uses for the excess biomass that needs to be removed from forests in El Dorado, Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa counties. As part of UC ANR’s partnership with the California Stewardship Network, the advisor will collaborate closely with local leaders to develop healthier forests and more revenue for the rural communities. The forest products advisor position will be posted at https://ucanr.edu/About/Jobs.

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