North Coast Soil Health Hub Newsletter
News, events, and tools to maximize soil health on farms in Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino Counties
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In this edition:
- Science Advisory Committee update
- Grower Profile: Harvey Vineyard in Sonoma County
- From the Field: Meadow Farm Community Land Trust
- SWEEP: Technical assistance for water efficiency funding
- Winterization reminders for your vineyard
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Science Advisory Committee
By Frances Knapczyk and Miguel Garcia, Napa County RCD
One of the main goals of the North Coast Soil Health Hub is to help farmers improve soil health. But what exactly is soil health? What practices can farmers do to improve it? And how do we measure soil health to know if we’ve improved?
All of these questions are very active topics of research among scientists right now. In order to be able to track the latest scientific findings, and bring them to farmers in the North Coast as soon as possible, the Soil Health Hub formed a Science Advisory Committee (Committee). Since the Hub began, the Committee has guided its programs, demonstration projects, and outreach. The Committee is made up of fourteen university researchers, soil scientists, farm advisers and NRCS agronomists who study soils on farms and in labs in northern California. The Committee meets with the larger Soil Hub team every three months to discuss the latest accomplishments and challenges related to soil sampling, soil health analyses, and outreach and education about soil health. Thus far, the Committee has provided important technical and practical guidance in developing the soil health assessment protocol, the format for the soil assessment report that RCDs provide to growers, thresholds of soil health indicators below or above which indicate optimum soil health, soil sampling protocols, and developing workshops and seminars related to soil health in vineyards.
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Grower Profile: Harvey Vineyard
By Craig Macmillan, Gold Ridge RCD
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John Hervey farms eight acres of Pinot noir near Sebastopol in Sonoma County. The vineyard is planted on an 8’ X 5’ spacing on western facing slopes and within the floodplain of Atascadero Creek, a tributary to the Russian River. Plant material is Pinot noir clones 115, 777, and 667 on 101-14 rootstock. The vineyard is certified with Fish Friendly Farming and John did the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance self-assessment. Both programs promote improved soil health.
Prior to 1997, the property was farmed to cattle and hay production. A cover crop was established between 1997 and 2000 when the vineyard was planted. Since then, the floor has recruited volunteer species such as fillarees, grasses, and clovers. John uses a weed knife as his primary form of in-row weed control augmented with spot sprays of herbicides as needed. Aside from weeds, his biggest pest management challenge is powdery mildew. John has an aggressive program based on sulfur which he says has worked for many years.
The soils are sandy loams, the Pajaro and Goldridge series soils. Erosion can be managed by reducing tillage. At certain times of the year, the water table is at a depth of 3 to 5 feet. Tile drains or open ditches are in place to lower the water table in these areas to relieve the roots from excessive moisture.
The total available water capacity in Goldridge soils is about 4 to 11 inches. Soil fertility varies from moderately high to moderately low. Permeability is moderate to moderately slow, but roots and moisture penetrate this fine sandy soil material readily. Permeability is moderately slow in the more clayey Pajaro soil. Runoff is very slow, and the hazard of erosion is slight. Seasonal water tables are at a depth of 3 to 5 feet. The available water capacity is 8 to 10 inches. Fertility is moderately high. Soil water is supplemented with late season irrigation from a drip irrigation system.
John finds that any nutrients he applies are taken up readily by the vines because of the sandy nature of the soil. By fertilizing in small amounts and when the vines are active, he can feed the vines without leaching material past the root zone. He doesn’t fertilize in the fall because the material would leech.
Hervey Vineyard partnered with Gold Ridge RCD on a carbon farm plan, which identifies and prioritizes farming practices to increase the amount of organic carbon sequestered on the farm. Hervey has already implemented a number of practices which will draw down atmospheric carbon into the farm: he has planted thirty conifer and redwood trees and plans to plant another thirty. Starting four or five years ago he stopped tilling the vineyard floor and established a permanent cover of grasses, fillarees, and clovers. Not only does the permanent cover capture carbon from the atmosphere and sequesters it in the soil, but it outcompetes weeds.
John is also concerned about the living organisms in his soil. He says. “I want to be a worm farmer.” Instead of disks and heavy equipment, earthworms and gophers fill the role of tillers, and they contribute to the soil’s health while they are at it.
John takes a long view of his land. “We’re not the first; we’re not the last (to live on his land),” he says. He is reminded of this when he finds arrow heads and old square nails in the vineyard. To him, soil conservation is about providing healthy ground to grow in for the next generation and doing what’s right. He says, “it is unethical to destroy soil. It’s about the next generation.
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HSP Winner: Meadow Farm Community Land Trust
Just North of Fort Bragg, down a country road, sits a small community with a big mission. “We strive to ameliorate the suffering and other negative impacts of climate disasters” it's stated on their website. Applying for a California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Climate-Smart Healthy Soils Program grant was a part of that mission.
The Meadow Farm Community Land Trust (MFCLT) is a 501(c)3 with a conservation easement obtained by the late founder and property owner, Joanna Becker, in 2013. This easement protects the land from non-farming development, and the organization's board has continued with that legacy since Becker's death in 2016. The property is a total of 28 acres, though only 3 acres are currently devoted to fruit and vegetable production. So far.
Their website,
https://www.meadowfarm.org/
, details the remarkable journey the residents of this land have taken to get this far, as well as their vision, mission, and aims. Building affordable housing for their resident farmers is an important goal of theirs.
“Farming doesn't make much money, and some of us don't need a lot, but we still need a place to call home.”says resident, Sojourna Lee.
On my recent visit to the farm, Lee described the frequency of farming volunteers falling in love with the place and staying on to build small housing for themselves with the potential of obtaining a 99 year lease. They're permitted to build 4 more community houses on the land, something that will allow for greater expansion of the farming projects with enough hands to achieve this.
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Technical Assistance for Water Efficiency Funding
GRANT PROGRAM INFORMATION
The
State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program
(SWEEP) Program is administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The primary goal of SWEEP is to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural irrigation sources. The secondary benefit of the program is to increase Water Use Efficiency by funding irrigation system infrastructure and monitoring upgrades that reduce GHGs.
The application period for SWEEP opens on October 21st, 2019.
INFORMATIONAL WORKSHOP, WEBINAR AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
The Sonoma RCD, California Association of RCDs and California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance are working to host two events to introduce the program and application process:
Workshop -
COMPLETED
Wednesday, November 6 from 5:00 - 6:30 PM
Sonoma RCD Office, 1221 Farmers Lane, Suite F, Santa Rosa 95405
SWEEP Webinar
Wednesday, November 20 from 10:00 - 11:30 AM
Webinar information provided to registrants only.
Workshop and webinar participants who decide to apply for SWEEP can receive technical assistance from RCD staff to help fill out their applications.
These workshops are made possible with funding from the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 (CWC §79707(g)).
OTHER SWEEP AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY RESOURCES
Video: How to Apply to the California State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program
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English
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Hmong
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Spanish
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Video: How to Get Cash to Pay for On Farm Irrigation and Energy Efficiency Improvements in California
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English
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Hmong
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Spanish
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Video: On Farm Water Use Efficiency: Irrigation Management Practices That Save Water and Save Energy
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English
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Hmong
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Spanish
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Soil Health BMP Highlight
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Winterization for water quality and soil health
By Keith Abeles, Sonoma RCD
The sound of rain drops in early October served as a great reminder that winter and our rainy season is around the corner. Below are some helpful reminders on what you can do now to winterize your property and be prepared to handle heavy rain events:
- Check your culverts Culvert inlets can often become clogged with woody debris and leaves. Clean out any debris to ensure that your culverts can function properly.
- Add waterbars on steeper segments of unpaved roads to direct water off the road surface and reduce erosion. Water bars should be installed at an angle in relation to the road length.
- Apply straw and/or seed to any areas with visible bare soil. Prioritize covering bare soil spots on slopes.
- If your property includes a subsurface drainage system with drop inlets, check and clean out your drop inlets. Add straw wattles or hay bales around the inlet to hold back any sediment or debris.
- Don’t forget that we are still in a historic drought - look for ways to encourage water to slow, spread, and infiltrate into the ground to recharge the aquifer. Direct water off unpaved roads and any paved surfaces and into well-vegetated area such a vineyard block, pasture, or wooded area to encourage infiltration.
- In larger rain events, photograph (where feasible) and take notes to document any flooding, where your existing drainage system is unable to handle the flows, or where you had to do emergency repairs. This information is useful in planning future improvements. Sonoma RCD staff can help you identify appropriate stormwater management improvements when developing a LandSmart plan for your property.
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