We are excited to welcome Dr. Fadzayi Mashiri, as the new Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor for the Central Coast region of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties. Fadzayi will be based in the San Benito County office. She joins our Unit after serving in a similar role with UC Cooperative Extension in Mariposa and Merced Counties for the past 12 years.
Fadzayi brings a strong background in research and outreach focused on helping land managers and livestock producers increase economic viability and ecological sustainability. Her recent work includes projects on weed management, impacts of rangeland conversion, ecosystem services payment for working rangelands, fire risk reduction using grazing and prescribed fire and integrated livestock grazing in cropping systems.
Fadzayi holds a BS in Agriculture from University of Zimbabwe, an MSc in Management of Natural Resources and Sustainable Agriculture from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and a Ph.D in Rangeland Management from The University of Arizona. Before joining UC ANR Fadzayi was a Senior Research Specialist at the University of Arizona where her research focused on adaptive grazing, and collaborative management strategies to promote sustainable grazing. Before that she served as a lecturer and department chair at Midlands State University in Zimbabwe. She began her career as a Senior Agricultural Extension Officer which is where her passion for community-based extension work took root.
In the coming months, Fadzayi is excited to meet producers, land managers, and partners across the region. She is looking forward to learning about local needs and priorities and using that insight to develop relevant practical, research-based programs that directly support land managers and livestock producers in the region.
Fadzayi can be contacted at fmashiri@ucanr.edu or (831) 637-5346 Ext 103.