Have you seen these butterflies in your yard recently?
Tiger Swallowtails
are large and showy, and can often be observed drinking nectar from flowering garden plants during these warm, summer months. Want to see more of them? Consider growing a
butterfly garden
!
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In this month's edition:
- Introducing the RCD's new monarch overwintering site project!
- Landowner Highlight: Duckworth Farm
- 2020 Working Calendars are still available, and they're FREE
- Great News for Farmers! Applications are now open for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP)
- Climate Smart Agriculture: Stories from the Farmers
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Introducing the RCD's New Monarch Overwintering Site Project!
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We are excited to announce that Gold Ridge RCD will be contracting with the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (
CARCD
) to begin work on the
Sonoma Coast Monarch Overwintering Site Protection and Enhancement Project
,
a project funded by the
Wildlife Conservation Board.
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Click here
to view a story map of the western monarch.
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"The monarch butterfly is one of the most recognizable species of wildlife in all of America. They undertake one of the world’s most remarkable and fascinating migrations, traveling thousands of miles over many generations from Mexico, across the United States, to Canada..."
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Background
Western monarch overwintering sites
along the Sonoma Coast, once supporting thousands of butterflies, have shown, like most other sites throughout the state, cataclysmic
population declines
in the past two decades; t
he western monarch butterfly population has declined over 99% in the past 20 years, and n
o monarchs were sighted at any of the five monitored sites during the 2019 Thanksgiving counts.
Researchers have determined that the most important strategies
to bolster the western monarch population include:
- protecting and restoring overwintering sites
- providing nectar resources along the migratory flyway
- increasing the availability of early-season native milkweed
The next several years will be a critical time to bring the butterflies back from near-extinction. Gold Ridge is excited to help land managers adopt conservation practices that will protect and enhance monarch habitat on our local public and working lands.
What Can You Do?
News of the near-extinction of the monarch has reached many North Coast residents, leaving individuals wondering, "
what can I do to help this iconic species
?".
Simply by educating yourself on the lifecycle of these beautiful creatures, you can impart a positive impact on monarchs in your area. Click on the resources below to explore various facts about the western monarch.
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2020 Working Lands Calendar: Duckworth Farm
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Duckworth Family Farm
has been an incredible partner in conservation in the district. The family farmers have supported local wildlife habitat by
planting riparian plants
along their farm's section of Blucher Creek,
creating and maintaining livestock ponds
that provide a home for diverse wildlife such as foxes, otters, herons, pond turtles and blackbirds,
preserving a historic black oak grove
, and much more. The Gold Ridge RCD is excited to bring grammar school students to Duckworth Farm through the TEAM (Teaching Environmental and Agricultural Memories) field trip program in the future.
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Working Lands Calendar 2020
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Who doesn't want a beautiful
2020 calendar
with Sonoma County working
lands
as the backdrop?
We worked with our partners Ag + Open Space, Sonoma Land Trust, Sonoma RCD, UCCE and USDA NRCS to create a beautiful calendar.
They make great gifts for your friends to learn more about our working lands.
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USDA's Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) is now open for applications!
Great News for Farmers Impacted by COVID-19
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Are you a farmer or rancher whose operation has been directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic?
The
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
will provide direct relief to prod
ucers
who have suffered losses during the 2020 marketing year due to
COVID-19
.
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How To Apply?
As part of applying for the program, you’ll need to contact the
Farm Service Agency (FSA)
county office at
your
local USDA Service Center to schedule an appointment.
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Sonoma County Farm Service Agency (FSA)
(707) 794-1242 ext. 3
Contact:
Karri Bartolomei Jones
(Farm Loan Manager)
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- STEP 1: Call the Sonoma County FSA number above, and schedule an appointment to discuss your CFAP application.
- STEP 2: Your local FSA staff will work with you via phone, email, fax, mail, or online tools to complete your application. ***Please do not send any personal information to USDA without first initiating contact through a phone call.
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What Information Will You Need?
Tax Identification Number
Far
ming operating structure
Adjusted Gross Income
.
If you are an existing customer
, this information is likely on file at your local Service Center. Additionally, FSA has streamlined the signup process to
not
require an acreage report at the time of application, and a USDA farm number may
not
be immediately needed.
New to Working with the Farm Service Agency?
FSA has county offices located at USDA Service Centers across the country. To find more information on CFAP, visit
farmers.gov/CFAP
.
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Climate Smart Agriculture: Stories from the Farmers
From the CDFA's Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation
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Audubon California, River Garden Farms and CDFA show the soil-building benefits of planting cover crops and creating bird habitat on working lands.
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Dairy farmer Art Silva knows that separating manure solids is good for the environment. His AMMP project will enable him to reuse the manure for cow bedding and compost.
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Double D Dairy #2 installed a manure separator using CDFA grant funds. Separating keeps manure solids out of the lagoon, and allows the dairy to recycle and reuse the dried manure.
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Separating manure solids enables dairy and livestock farmers to dry and sterilize manure to reuse it in the cow barns. This practice also reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
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