Collection Guide
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Ventura County, UC Cooperative Extension Records
UCCE.VEN
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
University of California, Merced Library
Title: University of California Cooperative Extension Records, Ventura County
Identifier/Call Number: UCCE.VEN
Physical Description:
43.5 Linear Feet
Processed records. Located at Southern Regional Library Facility (SRLF), University of California.
Physical Description:
2 Linear Feet
Processed records (photographic material). Located at UC Merced Library.
Physical Description:
30 Linear Feet
Unprocessed records. Located at UC Cooperative Extension Ventura Office.
Date (inclusive): 1916-2000
Language of Material:
English
This collection is intended to support teaching, research, and private study. Copyright belongs to the Regents of the University
of California. Use of the materials beyond that allowed by fair use or by any Creative Commons licenses assigned requires
the written permission of the copyright owner(s). For further information, please contact the University of California, Merced
Library at library@ucmerced.edu.
This collection is open for research. A portion of the records have been digitized and are freely
available online. For help locating material please contact library@ucmerced.edu.
At the turn of the previous century, growing concern over the quality of life for rural Americans prompted President Theodore
Roosevelt to appoint a Commission on Country Life in 1908. One of the direct outcomes of the Commission's recommendations
was the passage of the Smith-Lever Act in 1914, which established a national extension service to place the knowledge generated
at land-grant universities into the hands of farmers and rural citizens. The Agricultural Extension Service formalized and
built upon existing efforts of land-grant universities to enhance the knowledge of farmers and apply scientific discoveries
for improved agricultural practices.
Beginning in 1913, the Agriculture Extension Service, later known as UC Cooperative Extension, placed farm advisors employed
by the University of California in every county that formed a farm bureau and agreed to sponsor Extension Service work. While
arrangements have evolved, advisors continue to work in all California counties today and address problems ranging from soil
conditions and land reclamation to irrigation; from livestock breeding to improved varietals; and from mechanization to disease
and pest management, to enable farms to increase efficiency and productivity.
Cooperative Extension was established in Ventura County in 1914 with 300 members and with William B. Parker as its first farm
advisor. Early focus for Ventura Cooperative Extension was to provide demonstrations on the use of cover crops, pruning methods,
soil work, and crop variety selection. The farm advisors also worked with local farmers on eradicating squirrels, treating
and preventing hog cholera, forming storm districts, and establishing the Lima Bean Association. Farm Advisors work focused
on livestock: cattle, horses and goats; field crops: wheat, hay, barley, oats, corn, beets, lima beans, other beans, and grapes;
and trees: apricots, cherries, olives, peaches, pears, prunes, lemons, oranges, almonds, and walnuts. As the county office
staff grew in size, the farm advisors started to specialize in different commodities, with a focus on avocados, citrus, cherimoyas,
litchis, longans, caneberries, strawberries, celery, tomatoes, and bell peppers, as well as home gardens, water, irrigation,
and youth development and nutrition.
The University of California Cooperative Extension Records for Ventura County span the years of 1916-2000. Records include
reports and information on storm districts, irrigation and water management, farm management including information on farm
labor and migrant workers, integrated pest management including information on pesticides and fertilizers, floriculture including
information on gardens and landscaping, nutrition including information on food preservation, and youth developing including
information on 4-H projects Agua Pura, Green Net Project, Youth Experiences in Science, and From Snails to Alpha Males. A
large portion of the records are related to agriculture in Ventura County, the Coastal Plain, and the Intermountain Valleys
of the Transverse Ranges in California and include trial reports and reference material on crops, domesticated animals, wildlife,
water, soil, and climate. The collection includes a wide variety of formats: typed reports, project proposals, data sets,
local newsletters and press releases, maps, audiovisual material, photographs, slides, scrapbooks, and a variety of publications
from the county, state, and national level.
The arrangement reflects the intellectual order rather than the physical arrangement of the records. Series 2, Series 3, and
Series 5 Subseries 1 reflect the name of the farm advisor who was the last custodian of the records in that series or subseries.
The records in these series reflect the custodian's research focus and tenure and can also include records inherited from
previous farm advisors.
Series 1. Administrative Files
Subseries 1. Annual Reports
Subseries 2. General Information Historical Records
Series 2. Ben Faber Records
Subseries 1. Avocados
Subseries 2. Integrated Pest Management and Pesticides
Subseries 3. Citrus
Subseries 4. General Information Historical Records
Series 3. Julie Newman
Series 4. Publications
Series 5. 4-H
Subseries 1. Records for A. Michael Marzolla
Subseries 2. General Information Historical Records
Series 6. Photographs and Audiovisual Material
Subseries 1. Photographs
Subseries 2. Audiovisual Material
University of California Cooperative Extension Records, Ventura County, UCCE VEN, UC Cooperative Extension Archive, University
of California, Merced Library, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343