Written by: Jeannette E. Warnert. Originally published on the UC ANR Green Blog.

A new UC Cooperative Extension podcast that focuses on growing orchard crops in the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys is now available free at http://growingthevalleypodcast.com, Apple iTunes and Google Play Music.

The hosts are Phoebe Gordon, UCCE orchard systems advisor in Madera and Merced counties, and Luke Milliron, UCCE orchard systems advisor for Butte, Tehama and Glenn counties. The pair conduct research and extension programs that cover tree crops, with a focus on almonds, pistachios, walnuts, prunes, figs and cling peaches.

The podcast is a new extension format for UCCE. Podcasts are essentially audio files posted on the internet that can be downloaded and heard at the listener’s convenience.

“Many of us in the ag world spend a lot of time in our trucks and it’s a great time to learn new things,” Gordon said.

The podcast will feature brief research reports and timely topical information from the hosts, plus interviews with other UCCE farm advisors, specialists and professors, researchers from the USDA, other universities and industry representatives. It is intended for current and future farmers, pest control advisors, industry representatives and the public.

The first full-length episode is a 20-minute segment with veteran UCCE weed science advisor Kurt Hembree. Hembree, who is based in Fresno County, discusses herbicide resistant weeds that are a concern in orchard systems.

“As things get going, we’ll be experimenting with podcast length and format,” Milliron said “We’d like to hear from listeners about the sorts of things they are interested in.”

Milliron and Gordon have posted a survey where listeners can weigh in about their content preferences and program length. In time, the dialog between the hosts and listeners will be expanded on the website to allow for questions and comments from the audience.

“Who knows, we might even set up a voice mailbox for people to call in with questions, too,” Milliron said.

The intrepid podcast hosts: Phoebe Gordon (left) and Luke Milliron (right).