WRRC Conference Explores Partnerships on Water

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In the News

 From Nogales International, January 30

Mesquite Trees Aid Sustainable Farming at Montessori School

Rodolfo Martinez Morales, director of the University of Arizona’s Cooperative Extension in Santa Cruz County, is working alongside middle school students to plant a vegetable garden among existing mesquite trees at the Montessori school – taking advantage of the enriched soil to make way for a sustainable garden of tomatoes, peppers and squash in the small patch of desert land.

The project, which is being implemented at Montessori in Amado and Mexicayotl Academy in Nogales, is focused on promoting sustainable agriculture to help rebuild a healthy ecosystem in Southern Arizona.

“The soil around here is characterized as ‘caliche,’ which is very poor soil,” Martinez Morales said. “But you can actually revive that environment just by adding mesquites and manure.”

4-H Program Aims to Build Healthier Hopi Communities

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Photo of Hopi 4-H Health Living Ambassadors.

The Healthy Living Ambassadors program is helping Hopi 4-H members connect their communities to their land.

Since 2019, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension’s Tucson Village Farm and Hopi Tribal Extension have worked together to nurture the Hopi 4-H Healthy Living Ambassadors program, thanks to funding from the Extension Well Connected Communities initiative. The program is a seamless fit with the traditional Hopi culture and values rooted in earth stewardship and a deep connection to the land through food, water, and resources.

“I look forward to seeing where they go and where they take this and what else they come up with to support our community and the rest of the world.”

– Susan Sekaquaptewa, Assistant Tribal Extension Agent

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In the News

From Everyday Health, January 11

Oranges 101: A Complete Guide

Oranges are classified into two categories: sour and sweet. Sour oranges, such bergamot and Seville, are typically not eaten because they are very bitter. They are commonly used to make products such as perfume, liqueur, and marmalade, according to this University of Arizona Cooperative Extension publication. Sweet oranges are typically eaten fresh or juiced. There are many popular types, including navel, Valencia, and blood oranges, which also have their own sub-varieties:

Parent Washington: This variety of navel orange is extremely popular and likely to be what you pick up when you see an orange simply labeled “navel orange” at the store, according to The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. Like other navel oranges, Washington parent oranges are deliciously sweet, easy to peel, and seedless.

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We are always looking for stories that show the impact of Cooperative Extension work. If you have a story you would like to see on this News page, or if you have a comment or suggestion, please contact Brad Poole at bradpoole@arizona.edu.

All Extension news page stories are vetted by the Cooperative Extension communications team and available for journalists to use as they would news releases. Please attribute stories or passages taken from the news page to Arizona Cooperative Extension.

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