Program Staff
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Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, PhD Small Farms Advisor, Fresno and Tulare Counties rdwillard@ucanr.edu (559) 241-7513 |
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Michael Yang Areas of emphasis: Hmong and Lao translation, Weekly Hmong agricultural radio show, Technical assistance; Education and outreach with Fresno Southeast Asian farmers Michael has been with the Small Farms team since 1993. He was born in Laos and fled to the U.S. with his family as a child. They settled in Fresno and became farmers. He is fluent in both Hmong and Lao and has worked diligently to expand extension services for Southeast Asian growers of all backgrounds and experiences in Fresno County for nearly three decades. Michael is the host of UCCE Fresno's once weekly Hmong Agricultural Radio Show on KBIF 900AM. He also conducts hundreds of office and farm visits each year with growers. Michael both translates and presents at events and workshops to assist farmers with topics ranging from production to marketing as well as pesticide use and regulatory compliance. In 2020, he was a recipient of the UCANR wide Staff Appreciation and Recognition (STAR) Award. |
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Jacob Roberson Areas of emphasis: Technical Assistance for SWEEP, PSA Lead Trainer for FSMA, Irrigation Educational Workshops, COVID-19 Food Assistance Program, Grant Writing Jacob moved to Fresno from Visalia to attend Fresno State where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration – Management. Agriculture was not a part of Jacob’s life growing up, but it gained his interest during an internship with a local manufacturing facility that sold various agriculture products for shipping and storing purposes. He has been with the Small Farms Program in Fresno County for nearly 5 years and has enjoyed every minute of it. Jacob is a PSA Lead Trainer for FSMA, TA provider for various funding programs for farmers and regulatory programs, and a lot more! He enjoys being able to use his education for those that are underserved and helping farmers apply for funding through local, state, and national organizations. |
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Marianna Castiaux, MS Areas of emphasis: Healthy Soils Program, Food Safety, Education and Outreach, Equipment Sharing Program, Spanish Translation Marianna has eight years of practical cross-cultural experience in agriculture, teaching and implementing climate smart agricultural practices as well as summarizing complex topics in a more simplified form to various diverse audiences. She was a bilingual lead educator for community based participatory climate change resiliency programs for sugar cane farmers in Paraguay and coffee farmers in Mexico. Marianna is also experienced and successful in building long-term relationships with growers and industry members building capacity for growing challenges faced in California agriculture. |
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Jessie Kanter, MS Areas of emphasis: Research on soil health building practices, Healthy Soils Program technical support, Education and Outreach, Equipment Sharing Program Jessie grew up in Minnesota and completed her BA in Biology and Environmental Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After college, Jessie worked on various small, diversified vegetable farms before moving to California to complete a dual master's degree in International Agricultural Development and Soil Science at UC Davis. Jessie is passionate about creating healthy agroecosystems and has always been interested in agriculture education and outreach. While in graduate school, Jessie coordinated the internship program on the UC Davis Student Farm, worked with UC Cooperative Extension to conduct a statewide needs assessment for agronomic crop production, and spent a summer in Cambodia carrying out a research project on vermicompost production with the Royal University of Agriculture in Phnom Penh. She also ran an elementary school garden club through Yolo Farm to Fork. Most recently, she worked as a field research assistant for UCCE's Small and Organic Farms advisor in Yolo County and as a volunteer with the International Rescue Committee's urban farm in West Sacramento. She is excited to continue working on research and outreach around topics such as soil health, local food systems, and farmer equity. |
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Lilian Thaoxaochay, MA Areas of emphasis: COVID-19 Prevention and Outreach, Farmer Safety, Healthy Soils Program, Hmong translation Lilian is a first-generation Hmong American born and raised in Fresno, CA. She is descended from a long line of farmers in and around Southeast Asia who have cultivated a variety of crops. Lilian's family have now farmed in the Central Valley for over 30 years. She completed her MA in Cultural Anthropology at UC Santa Cruz and has a BA in Medical Anthropology and Asian American Studies from Stanford University. Her previous research experiences include community racial/ethnic health disparities and policy, cultural competency in medical education, and oral histories as political protest. Her current interests include the history of Hmong agriculturalists in Southeast Asia throughout the 20th century, refugee farming in California, and the futures of small-scale grower families in the Central Valley. |
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Sukhmony Brar Areas of emphasis: Research on regenerative agriculture and soil health practices, Education and Outreach, Technical support with HSP and SWEEP Sukhmony is a recent graduate of UC Berkeley where she studied English and Integrative Biology. As an undergraduate, Sukhmony was a research assistant at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health’s Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health and served on the board of directors at the Berkeley Student Food Collective, a student-run nonprofit grocery store and educational/organizing hub. She is a current recipient of UC Berkeley’s 2021-2022 Judith Lee Stronach Baccalaureate Prize for public service. Sukhmony’s experiences, along with her family’s roots in farming in both California’s Central Valley and Punjab, India, have inspired her commitment towards creating a more just, equitable food system. She is excited to bring this enthusiasm to UCCE Fresno County’s Small Farms team as a GrizzlyCorps fellow for the 2021-2022 term of service. |
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Sara Qaderi, MS Sara was born and raised in Afghanistan. She received her BA in Agronomy from Kabul University and her MS in Horticulture from the University of Tirana. While finishing her BA, Sara also studied IT at a community college in Afghanistan. Her areas of expertise include: capacity development, curriculum development, computer programming, project management, budgeting, supporting youth as agents for change, data analysis, M&E planning, equity and inclusion, women's empowerment, and women's leadership development. |
Affiliated Staff
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Sua Y. Vang, LVN Areas of emphasis: Food, Recipes and Nutrition, COVID-19 Outreach and Prevention, Hmong and Lao translation Sua was born in Laos and came to the US at the age of 14. She graduated from Pacific Coast College as a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN). She has worked as a Nutrition Educator for over 35 years. Her classes have reached more than 7,500 Fresno County families! Sua works with the Small Farms team as a Hmong and Lao translator at various events and trainings. She has been instrumental in COVID-19 prevention and outreach for both farmers and community members at large. Throughout 2021, Sua was a vaccinator at FIRM’s COVID-19 vaccine clinics, a weekly event part of the Immigrant Refugee Coalition branch of the COVID19 Equity Project in Fresno County. |
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Vong J. Moua, BS Areas of emphasis: Education and outreach, technical assistance for grants/applications and Healthy Soils Program, Hmong translation Vong was born and raised in Merced, California, where he grew up working on various small family farms. He received his BS in Agricultural Economics from CSU Stanislaus. He has over 13 years of hands-on experience with specialty crops and still helps out on the family farm on weekends with harvesting and selling produce at farmers markets. Vong is eager to assist BIPOC farmers because he understands the barriers and issues facing socially disadvantaged farmers. He currently provides support in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Merced Counties. |