About Us
The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Division operates nine Research and Extension Centers (RECs). Extending from the Oregon border in the north, through the Sierra Foothills and Central Valley, along the Pacific Coast and south to the Mexico border, the REC System covers rich and unique resources connecting research and extension activities to regional challenges and issues.
The REC System is the only statewide program in the UC ecosystem that provides a premier research management organization including land, labor, facilities, and equipment that delivers services to academics and the public. Centers are also focal points for community participation and active involvement in current and relevant regional agricultural and natural resource challenges. The Centers support projects involving county-based cooperative extension and campus-based academics, as well as researchers from land grant institutions in other states, the California State University system, and the United States Department of Agriculture in conducting their research and education programs.
Take a virtual tour of the RECs.
VISION
Be the world's go-to source for the discovery and demonstration of practical solutions to meet the agricultural and natural resource needs of rural and urban communities worldwide.
Vivid Description:
Stretching from Oregon to Mexico, from the Sierra Mountains across the Great Central Valley and Coastal Ranges and on to the Pacific Ocean, our nine unique REC locations will leverage California’s diverse climates and ecosystems, its 400+ crops, and the strength of the University of California system to attract a global consortium of leading researchers and educators. Together we will advance science-based solutions for both large and small scale agricultural and environmental issues - improving access to nutritious and affordable food, making water cleaner and air fresher. We will engage California’s diverse rural and urban communities in hands-on learning to promote science literacy and 21st-century life skills. Our work will elevate California’s economic prosperity while protecting wildlife, enhancing habitat, and making our forests, parks, and communities healthy.
We will create novel partnerships across California and the world to generate resources and opportunities to enhance our ongoing sustainability. We will create innovation hubs and invest in facilities and new technology to address changing needs and emerging problems. Our people will be proud to work in the UC ANR REC System, knowing that they contribute to helping the people of California adapt to the most pressing climate, environmental, and food system challenges.
MISSION
In support of the UC ANR Mission, we provide a unique network of living laboratories generating innovative research, education, and outreach to benefit diverse communities across California’s agricultural, wildland, and urban environments.