California' Golden Brew

The “California’s Golden Brew” project is engaged in several local, regional, and national research efforts. Zappia serves on an interdisciplinary and trans-institutional team of growers, private and public educators and researchers, USDA scientists, and private sector with extensive direct experience in part or all aspects of the proposed work.

Several of the team members are directly involved in education and outreach activities and the team reflects the connection between producers-extension-research-industry, which is indispensable to promote innovative sustainable endeavors.

The project's future research directly relates to sustainable agriculture in that it promotes and sustains economic viability of producers. The project has the potential to enhance environmental quality and in particular soil quality.

The study will inform current and potential methods of coffee integration into avocado systems by assessing coffee intercropping impacts on soil health and profitability across biophysical, management, and socioeconomic contexts furnished by our network of over 30 growers. This work will strengthen the dialogue between producers and researchers in the joint effort to foster agricultural competitiveness and adoption of best practices while enhancing and preserving soil health and promoting soil C sequestration.

Zappia hopes to initiate similar projects at CSUN, making the campus another site for sustainable coffee production.