Education and Ag Coming Together Like Never Before in North Valley

04/25/2007 (KFSN) -- UC Merced has just announced a new agriculture research partnership to promote the Valley's number one industry.

Dozens of local agricultural leaders met with university officials to celebrate what they call a landmark partnership. They believe working together will improve the future of Valley farms.

Henry Te Velde owns three dairies in Merced County where he milks more than 4,000 Holsteins. He says the new partnership between UC Merced and the local agricultural community is significant because of the impact farming has on the Valley and the state.

Velde says, "If you take the farmers and the processors and all of the businesses associated with agriculture, it's by far the number one industry in the state."

The goal of the new partnership is to promote research at the university that can help farmers solve some of the problems they face in the field. One of the projects students and researchers are working on here at UC Merced is using sensors to test nitrate levels in water and soil. Thomas Harmon, Professor of Engineering, says, "The sensor technology will help farmers by helping them to see in real time the right amount of fertilizer to add to their fields."

University officials say the research will not only help local farmers stay competitive in their industry, but also include techniques to protect the environment. John Garamendi, Jr., Vice Chancellor for University Relations, says, "Farmers believe in the environment and want it to be productive. They want to have their farms available for future generations."

And researchers hope the lessons learned at UC Merced may one day have a broader impact on farming worldwide.

Officials say this partnership will also benefit the university by giving faculty members places to apply their research near the campus. The university has already received a $200,000 grant to get their research underway.

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