Farmers and local residents are invited to attend a workshop on climate trends and their effects on agriculture in Ventura County. The event, titled “Climate & Agriculture: Farming in a Changing Climate,” will take place on Tuesday, January 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Ventura County Community Foundation in Camarillo.
The workshop is organized by the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) in Ventura County. Attendance is free, but registration is required for both in-person and virtual participation.
“We hope everyone will join us in person to discuss climate and agriculture, but people who aren’t able to come to Camarillo are welcome to join us virtually,” said Annemiek Schilder, director of UC Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center and workshop organizer. A Zoom link will be sent to people who register to participate remotely.
Speakers from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) will address several topics related to climate change. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the UC ANR California Institute for Water Resources, will present information about climate trends and predictions for Southern California.
Tapan Pathak, a specialist in climate adaptation at UC Merced’s Cooperative Extension program, will discuss how climate change affects agriculture in California and Ventura County. He will also introduce CalAgroClimate, a tool designed to help manage agricultural risks associated with changing weather patterns.
Lilian Thaoxaochay from UCCE San Luis Obispo County will speak about disaster prevention, relief efforts, and available resources for Ventura County.
Khagendra Bharambe of UCCE Ventura and UC Merced will provide an update on the State of the Climate report for Ventura County as well as information about the Perry Weather Project—a system that monitors weather conditions and issues alerts relevant for local growers.
Andy Lyons from the UC ANR Informatics and Geographic Information Systems program—alongside Ben Faber, UCCE advisor for soils, water, and subtropical crops—will explain how farmers can use an irrigation calculator tool along with weather stations to improve resource management.
Ben Faber is also scheduled to moderate a panel discussion featuring growers and industry representatives about their experiences adapting practices due to recent climatic changes.
Additional presentations include Maureen McGuire from the Farm Bureau of Ventura County discussing collective implementation of resilience initiatives; representatives from the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office addressing Ag Pass programs; Daisy Banda from USDA Farm Service Agency covering agricultural disaster insurance; as well as further details on decision support tools like CalAgroClimate.
Lunch will be provided for those attending onsite. Recordings of all presentations are expected to be made available on the UCCE Ventura website within two weeks after the event concludes. For more information or questions regarding registration or participation options—including virtual attendance—contact Julie Clark at jdclarkdeblasio@ucanr.edu.
