Merced County Cooperative Extension

Sweetpotatos in Merced County

Celebrating over 100 years of UC Cooperative Extension

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Two men sitting near tree black and white photo

Visit the UC Merced Library Archive for A Century of Impact in California's Counties: Highlights from the University of California Cooperative Archive. The group also examined archival documents from the California Agricultural Resources Archive (CARA), and learned about each other’s work related to agriculture and land management in the Central Valley. The exhibit photographs are divided into five themes: farm advisor demonstrations, crop trials, labor, home demonstration agents, and California 4-H. While there are thousands of photographs in CARA, the selection of twenty images featured in the exhibit exemplifies the scope of work conducted by farm advisors and home demonstration agents throughout the twentieth century to improve agricultural practices, support youth development, and promote broader civic engagement throughout California.

For more historical information, visit the California Agricultural Resources Archive.

 


Youth engagement and community impact

Learn about the history of our 4-H Youth engagement program in this video Interview with Maxwell Norton and Richard Mahacek, Merced County UCCE! This video interview was conducted by participants of the UC Merced Library 4-H History Detectives Summer Academy (8th-12th graders) as they learned about oral histories. Maxwell Norton and Richard Mahacek are retired farm advisors who both served as directors of the Merced County UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) office during their careers.

Follow this link for Upcoming 4-H Events.


Need help with almond growing?

The Almond Doctor is a website that shares research, experiences and opinions of better farm management practices for almond orchards.


More resources

News you can use

For publications and reports on a variety of topics, including drought, check out the links below:

For more on Vertebrate Pest Control, the following sites may be helpful:

Contribute for a Better Future

Upcoming Events

Event Date
February 12, 2026

Sweetpotato Meeting Spring 2026

Sweetpotato Meeting Spring 2026 is TENTATIVELY set for February 12, 2026.  Please check back here after January 1 to confirm date, time and agenda.

Personnel

Caddie M Bergren

CMTY EDUC SUPV 1

Larry A Burrow

CMTY EDUC SPEC 3

Giuliano Carneiro Galdi

ASST COOP EXT ADVISOR

Alejandro R Castillo

NON-SENATE ACAD EMERITUS(WOS)

Crystal Cortez

CMTY EDUC SPEC 2

Courtney Fagalde

Affiliated Organization

Lonnie C Hendricks

NON-SENATE ACAD EMERITUS(WOS)

Russell D Hill

ASSOC COOP EXT ADVISOR

Phaedra L Huntington

Affiliated Organization

Jose L Laguna

Jose Laguna
Affiliated Organization

Judy MacLaren

Staff Volunteer

Richard L Mahacek

Richard L. Mahacek
4-H Youth Development Advisor - Emeritus
NON-SENATE ACAD EMERITUS(WOS)

Maxwell V Norton

Maxwell V. Norton
Farm Advisor - Emeritus & MG Program Advisor
NON-SENATE ACAD EMERITUS(WOS)

Beth Nuno

Affiliated Organization

Allison Plagenza

CMTY EDUC SPEC 1

Bethany Smith

BLANK AST 1

C Scott Stoddard

Scott on beach in Massachusetts
Farm Advisor  Vegetable Crops and Soils
COOP EXT ADVISOR

Cameron A Zuber

Cameron AT Zuber
Orchard Crops Farm Advisor
ASST COOP EXT ADVISOR