- Call for Sonoma and Marin Ag Producers!
- Salmonid Restoration Federation Conference in our backyard
- Out in the Community: 15th Annual Steelhead Festival
- TEAM Spring Field Trips Now Open!
- Adobe Creek Community Meeting
- Upcoming Partner Workshops and Trainings
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North Bay Climate Smart Agriculture Coalition Seeks Producers for Technical Advisory Committee
The Sonoma-Marin Agriculture & County Climate Coalition, part of USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, will collaboratively lead an investment of $10 million to implement climate-smart agricultural practices and pilot a marketing campaign for climate-smart products. Members of the Implementation Technical Advisory Committee will collaborate on developing outreach strategies and set ranking criteria to allocate funding for climate smart projects. Agricultural producer insights and on-the-ground experience are crucial to ensuring project success!
The coalition is seeking 8 local agricultural producers – four crop farmers (orchard, vineyard, fruits and veggies) and four local dairy/rangeland producers – to join its Implementation Technical Advisory Committee working to advise your local RCD staff. This is a special opportunity for producers to play a critical role in driving the success of climate-smart agriculture within these two counties. Learn more at the link below!
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Out in the community: Steelhead Festival
Earlier this month, a few of our team members held a booth at the 15th annual Steelhead Festival at Lake Sonoma. The event was filled with local organizations educating the community about local resources in a kid-friendly, hands-on manner. Sonoma RCD's booth was very popular with our watercolor butterfly making craft and educating the public about native California bees! We're so excited to have had the opportunity to participate in such a community loved event, and cannot wait to go out next year for some more Steelhead fun!
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On-farm field trips this spring!
Calling all 3rd and 4th grade teachers and students! Our spring TEAM field trips are now open for sign-ups. We will be hosting 3rd grade students at Dutton Apple Orchard to learn all about orchard ecology; and 4th grade students at Duckworth Family Farm to learn about blueberries and natural fibers! These field trips fill up fast, be sure to click the link below for more information and sign-up! There is no charge for these field trips, which is made possible by the voters of Sonoma County who fund the work of Ag + Open Space with a quarter-cent sales tax.
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Adobe Creek Community Meeting
Event hosted by the Friends of the Petaluma River
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
5:30pm - 7:00pm
Meet at the Lucchesi Community Center
FREE, kid activities and food are provided!
What is your future vision for the Lower Adobe Creek? Join Friends of the Petaluma River and SFEI to have a conversation regarding sediment solutions and management to support resilient marshes in the face of sea level rise. For more information contact: Stephanie Bastianon, Executive Director here: stephanie@friendsofthepetalumariver.org
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Salmonid Restoration Federation Conference - we'll see you there!
The Salmonid Restoration Federation is hosting its 41st Annual Salmonid Restoration Conference here in Santa Rosa on March 26 - 29, 2024. The first two days of the conference include technical workshops and field tours, one of which our team and project partners at Trout Unlimited will be leading. The conference focuses on a broad range of salmonid and watershed restoration topics of concern to restoration practitioners, watershed scientists, fisheries biologists, resource agency personnel, and land-use planners.
Our team will be presenting "Streamflow and Beyond: The Multiple Benefits of Small-scale Water Storage and Forbearance Projects," Jessica Pollitz, P.E., Sonoma Resource Conservation District with Mary Ann King and Troy Cameron from Trout Unlimited. We are fortunate to have this incredible conference in our backyard this year and hope to see you there!
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UCANR Tree School
Event hosted by Conservation Works, Shone Farm, and Community Alliance with Family Farmers
Thursday, February 29, 2024
2:30-3:45 pm at Shone Farm
Join us at CAFF's Small Farm Conference for our Rainwater Catchment for Farms & Ranches + Grant Application Assistance Workshop
Rainwater is a valuable part of the hydrology story on farms and ranches. Capturing and storing rainwater can reduce the draw on wells and streams, and is an alternative water source for irrigation, livestock water, equipment washing, and more. Join us at CAFF’s Small Farm Conference as we give tips on how to manage water and drought.
This presentation will cover the basics of rainwater catchment, including how to determine the amount of water that can be captured off roofs, as well as highlight existing funding opportunities to support rainwater catchment on your farm or ranch. Speaker: Jessica Pollitz, P.E. Engineer with Sonoma Resource Conservation District. Dutton Pavilion: Classroom 2. Register HERE or by clicking the button below!
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Pile Burning Workshop
Event hosted by UNANR
Friday, March 8, 2024
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Rain date: March 15, 2024
Registration $10
*Address will be emailed to participants a few days prior to the event
Open to all community members. Come
learn hands-on skills to burn piles created by vegetation management
projects or defensible space. We will discuss weather, permits, tools, how to safely construct and light piles and monitoring piles once lit. Due to location, registration is capped at 25 people.
For more information, contact Tori Norville, UCCE Fire Science Advisor, at 707-582-0951 or trnorville@ucanr.edu
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UCANR Tree School
Event hosted by UCANR Forest Stewardship
Saturday, May 4th in Hopland, CA
Saturday, June 1st in Placerville, CA
Registration required
Scholarships available
Registration includes access to exhibitor fair
Join UCANR Forest Stewardship for a unique day long education event for forest landowners, families and anyone interested in Forestry and Natural Resources.
There will be four education sessions led by California natural resource professionals, topics include:
- Forest Art
- Forestry Tools
- Wildlife
- Your Home in the Woods
- Pruning and Vegetation Management
- Fire as a Tool
Registration opened in February.
For more information contact: Kim Ingram, kcingram@ucanr.edu or
Katie Reidy, kkreidy@ucanr.edu
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Biochar Napa event
Event hosted by Napa Green
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Rain date: March 26, 2024
Join Napa Green for a morning of discussions and demonstrations for climate-smart burn techniques and technologies. A few industry representatives will be in attendance including: Napachar, The Clean Burn Company, and Treasury Wine Estates.
Some key discussions and demonstrations include:
- flame-capped kiln/ring-of-fire system
- air curtain burner for processing woody debris
- results from a recent research project regarding biochar application in vineyards
For more information contact: Gloria Ferrer or go to their website.
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Regenerative Winegrowing Immersion
Event hosted by Paicines Ranch
Thursday, March 28, 2024 to
Friday, March 29, 2024
9:00am – 3:00pm
Paicines Ranch will be hosting an event for individuals interested in regenerative winegrowing dynamics and its alliance with the ecosystem. Participants are expected to leave with an understanding of practical and economic benefits of partnering with nature to make consistently sound decisions.
See link below for full details and to register!
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Small Farms Conference
Conference hosted by Community Alliance with Family Farmers
Monday, February 26, 2024 to Friday, March 1, 2024
Online and In-Person at Shone Farm
Registration required, $30
Join CAFF for the 26th annual California Small Farm Conference. A week full of learning, inspiration and movement-building. Topics for workshops include knowledge expansion for SNAP payment, farmer resources, rural healthcare, equity, and business management out of many more! Workshops will be available in English and Spanish.
Join CAFF for the North Bay in-person gathering at Shone Farm to end the week with demonstrations, tours, and a happy hour!
See the link below for full details and to register!
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Conservation at Work with LandSmart®
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