News

UC Davis Olive Center Releases New Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Gift Set

 

The UC Davis Olive Center released a new olive oil and vinegar gift set just in time for the holiday season. The set comes with three 100ml bottles of garlic-infused olive oil, which adds rich flavor to bread, vegetables, grilled meats and even popcorn; an extra virgin olive oil with robust flavors of fresh-cut grass, green almond and herbs; and a balsamic vinegar made in the Modena region of northern Italy with flavors of toasted caramel, ripe grapes and red currant.

New Study Shows a Gap in California’s Organic Farming Goals

California produces a wide range of organic fruits, vegetables, nuts and dairy, and demand for those products has helped drive the growth of organic agriculture for decades. New research by the University of California, Davis, shows that growth has not continued evenly across the state.

Scientists Sequence Genome of Spider Named for Stephen Colbert

Many spiders reach their maximum size about this time of year, having spent the summer eating, which helps explain their starring role in Halloween decorations. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found one particular trapdoor spider, Aptostichus stephencolberti, which is about the size of a quarter, is big in another way: It has an outsized genome.

Research Team Turning Cheese Byproducts into Bioplastics

California produces 2.4 billion pounds of cheese each year and the leftovers from making your favorite feta, gouda and cheddar could be the source of compostable biodegradable plastics like packaging, spoons and cup liners. 

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, are working with the dairy industry to turn these so-called co-products or byproducts into bioplastics, and scaling up the technology could help the state meet a goal for all single-use packaging to be recyclable or compostable by 2032. 

A Message from the Dean - October 2026

We’re settling into fall with beautiful weather, good company and lots of reasons to celebrate! Earlier this month, we honored nine exceptional people for their outstanding achievements, support, leadership and service to the college with an Award of Distinction. We had a wonderful time celebrating CA&ES at the new Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation where faculty and students showcased examples of their work.

The Assumption About Farm Automation That May Be Wrong

You’ve likely heard this assumption: When AI-enabled and autonomous machines arrive on the farm, jobs will disappear. But researchers at the University of California, Davis, who studied 16 fruit tree operations in California and Washington for three years, found that automation still takes human knowledge. What changes is how the work gets done.

Kiesel Named Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Programs

Kristin Kiesel, a professor of teaching in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, is the new associate dean for Undergraduate Academic Programs as of Oct. 1.

Kiesel, who joined UC Davis in 2015 is known as a kind, inclusive and supportive role model who teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in several topics, including behavioral economics, cooperative business enterprise and agricultural commodity markets. 

Coast Redwoods Slow Their ‘Breathing’ and ‘Eating’ When Temperatures Spike

California’s iconic coast redwoods are used to growing in cool, coastal areas where the average temperature is around 59 degrees Fahrenheit. But as average yearly temperatures rise and heatwaves push to 100-degree-plus spikes, the trees are responding by slowing the very operation that nourishes them, according to a study from the University of California, Davis.