News

September 22, 2023

As an industry, we know surprisingly little about soil health. It seems counterintuitive. Soil is so fundamental to growing, and it’s not a new-fangled technology.

August 30, 2023

The Yuma Center for Excellence for Desert Agriculture (YCEDA) is the result. It’s a unique public-private partnership. Five area growers, including JV Smith Companies, identify issues needing attention.

July 5, 2023 Large-scale, industrial agriculture dominates the landscape, as well as the economy, of Yuma County, Ariz. Farmers and scientists are working together to increase yield and conserve water. Credit: Ted Wood/The Water Desk

May 26, 2023 Paul Brierley of Yuma, Ariz. was appointed director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture by Gov. Katie Hobbs. As chief of the state’s agricultural regulatory agency, Brierley will also serve in the governor’s cabinet as her chief advisor on agricultural issues.

May 25, 2023

Governor Katie Hobbs (D-Arizona) looked to Yuma for the next head of the Arizona Department of Agriculture. It was announced on Thursday that Paul Brierley, Director of the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture is going to be nominated for the position.

May 5, 2023 Brierley’s thorough presentation offered an overview of Yuma’s distinct contribution to Arizona agriculture. The county's geographic position, climate, and fertile soil are ideal for growing leafy greens, earning it the moniker “America’s Winter Salad Bowl”.

April 27, 2023 Today, researchers at the center are using human wastewater to track a dangerous fungal outbreak you might have heard of lately: Candida aura.

April 24, 2023

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is concerned about a fungus spreading throughout the United States. It’s called Candida auris, and it can be fatal, especially to people who have underlying health issues. So far there have been no positive cases in Yuma County.

April 12, 2023 Now, the state health department and the University of Arizona's Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture are using it in a pilot program to track Candida auris, an elusive, drug-resistant disease that spreads in health care settings.