The 2022 IPM Achievement Awards

The 2022 Awardees are:

Cal Poly Strawberry Center

The Cal Poly Strawberry Center advances IPM and sustainability in strawberry production through prolific research and outreach programs with a focus on plant pathology, entomology, and labor automation. The center is conducting ongoing research to increase commercial beneficial predatory mite quality and improving the Lygus bug vacuum as alternatives to traditional pesticides. The Center also provides IPM training for undergraduate and graduate students who plan to advance to positions within the strawberry industry and carry the Center’s IPM and sustainability philosophy throughout California and beyond.

Watch the award video for the Cal Poly Strawberry Center
Watch the congratulatory video from Senator John Laird
Watch the congratulatory video from Assembly Member Dawn Addis

More information is available at strawberry.calpoly.edu or by contacting:
Gerald Holmes, Ph.D., Director
Email: gjholmes@calpoly.edu

Oracle Park

Oracle Park, located in San Francisco, is home of the San Francisco Giants. In the care of Major League Baseball (MLB) fields, managers typically have a low threshold for turf weeds to avoid player injury and to maintain the aesthetic quality of the field. Oracle Park invests in a unique sustainability-centered turf management approach with novel and innovative practices for weed management. The biological nutrition program focuses on soil and turf health to support high-quality, high-performance turf and to minimize and prevent turf pest problems. Innovative technologies such as drones, autonomous mowers, soil sensors, and a sub air system to carefully control soil conditions are also used. Oracle Park’s unique sustainability-centered approach is a cutting-edge, first of its kind IPM model for turf management at MLB parks.

Watch the award video for Oracle Park
Watch the congratulatory video from County Agricultural Commissioner Cree Morgan
Watch the congratulatory video from Senator Scott Weiner

More information is available at mlb.com/giants or by contacting:
Greg Elliott, Director of Field Operations
Email: gelliott@sfgiants.com

California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Statewide Human-Wildlife Conflicts Program

The Human-Wildlife Conflicts Program provides statewide best practices and training for conflicts and interactions between humans and wildlife. The program collects and analyzes wildlife incident data to identify conflict hotspots and conducts educational outreach activities in affected communities. Through their Wildlife Watch Program, integrated wildlife management plans, and other efforts, HWC makes substantial contributions in awareness and appreciation for wildlife in California by educating the public on integrated wildlife management techniques that support safe human-wildlife interactions.

Watch the award video for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Statewide Human-Wildlife Conflicts Program
Watch the congratulatory video from Assembly Member Josh Hoover
Watch the congratulatory video from Los Angeles Deputy County Agricultural Commissioner Jim Hartman

More information is available at wildlife.ca.gov/Wildlife-Watch or by contacting:
Victoria Monroe, Conflict Programs Coordinator
Email: Victoria.monroe@wildlife.ca.gov

Vineyard Team

Vineyard Team is an educational network that promotes sustainable vineyard growing practices and oversees the Sustainability In Practice (SIP) Certified Program. Vineyard Team’s outreach efforts include in-field trainings, podcasts and blogposts, and a Sustainable Ag Expo—all of which aim to bring together researchers, growers, and decision-makers as a strong grower network promoting sustainability. The SIP Certified Program encourages vineyards and wineries to improve sustainability efforts by meeting rigorous certification standards that range from biological conservation and resource sustainability to social equity and continuing education. Currently, 42,000 acres of vineyards and wineries in California are SIP Certified.

Watch the award video for Vineyard Team
Watch the congratulatory video from Senator John Laird
Watch the congratulatory video from Assembly Member Dawn Addis

More information is available at vineyardteam.org or by contacting:
Beth Vukmanic, Executive Director
Email: beth@vineyardteam.org

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas Program, Western Regional Office of the National Center for Appropriate Technology

NCAT’s Western Regional Office provides multilingual support for underserved growers. NCAT’s ATTRA Program provides effective outreach and education to encourage and assist growers in adopting IPM practices in their fields or transitioning to organic production. Notable successes include informing growers about lower-risk pesticide options and providing hedgerow planting for beneficial insects.

Watch the award video for the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas Program, Western Regional Office of the National Center for Appropriate Technology
Watch the congratulatory video from Senator Bill Dodd
Watch the congratulatory video from Assembly Member Cecilia M. Aguiar-Curry
Watch the congratulatory video from County Agricultural Commissioner Humberto Izquierdo

More information is available at attra.ncat.org or by contacting:
Martin Guerena, Sustainable Agriculture Specialist
Email: marting@ncat.org

Chris Geiger

Chris Geiger’s career has been dedicated to the promotion and adoption of IPM in a variety of California’s urban settings. From 2003 – 2022, Chris managed the San Francisco Department of the Environment’s Integrated Pest Management Program (SF IPM), where he guided IPM efforts that resulted in reduced pesticide use and publishing key IPM resources. Chris was a champion of the Rental Assistance Demonstration project, a collaborative project that aimed to renovate and decrease pest pressure and pesticide use in San Francisco’s public housing buildings. Chris has also co-authored Pest Prevention by Design and Pest Prevention by Design – Landscapes which contain IPM strategies for preventing pests through structural or landscape design. Most recently, Chris was a member of the Sustainable Pest Management Work Group and Urban Subgroup, which was convened by DPR, CalEPA and the CDFA last year to develop the Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap for California. Chris’s support of peer networking and partnership has been a lifelong commitment and continues beyond the workplace.

Watch the award video for Chris Geiger
Watch the congratulatory video from Senator Scott Weiner
Watch the congratulatory video from County Agricultural Commissioner Cree Morgan

More information is available by contacting:
Chris Geiger, PhD.
Email: chris@lacewingcollaborations.org

For content questions, contact:
Michelle Andreetta
1001 I Street, P.O. Box 4015
Sacramento, CA 95812-4015
Phone: (916) 324-4245
E-mail: achieve@cdpr.ca.gov

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