This press release was written by Julie Finzel, UCCE Livestock & Natural Resources Advisor.

A team of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources advisors has created a new comprehensive website for small acreage landowners in California and beyond. The website can be found at https://ucanr.edu/sites/smacreage/. It was launched in March 2024.

Project leader Julie Finzel, the Livestock and Natural Resources advisor for Kern, Tulare, and Kings Counties, says the website is designed to be a one-stop-shop for backyard livestock producers, youth livestock producers, and other small acreage landowners on livestock husbandry, pasture management, pests and predators, weed management, and emergency preparedness. The resources provided on the website are available in English and Spanish.

“We've seen an amazing growth in interest in small scale livestock production throughout California in the last four years,” says Finzel. “From urban chickens to backyard goats and sheep, folks in our communities are hungry for knowledge about how to care for their animals and their land.”

The website includes specific information for most common livestock species, as well as links to sites with more in-depth information about specific topics. Other pages include information on protecting livestock and property from pests and predators, controlling common weeds, and protecting water quality. The site also provides links to a variety of other UC ANR resources, including wildfire information from the Fire Network, and videos and webinars from the UC ANR Managing Land & Livestock on Small Acreage Webinar Series (2023).

“We're excited to make this information available,” says Finzel, adding, “Most of our educational programming has focused on commercial livestock production. This new website will make science-based information available to a wider audience.”

A team of livestock advisors contributed to the project, including Theresa Becchetti (San Joaquin-Stanislaus), Brooke Latack (Imperial-Riverside-San Bernadino), Dan Macon (Placer-Nevada-Sutter-Yuba), Rebecca Ozeran (Fresno-Madera), and Devii Rao (San Benito-Santa Cruz-Monterey). UC ANR Placer technician Sequoia Williams compiled and designed the webpages.

The website was created in part with support from a Renewable Resources Extension Act grant.