eNewsletter | November 2021 | |
In This Month's Edition
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RCD Updates: Healthy Soil Program Demonstration Projects, Turkey Guide by Mason Inumerable
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People Spotlight: Meet Chris Choo, Associate Director for the RCD
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Resources: Healthy Soils Incentives Program 2021-2022, Water For Farms Video by the San Mateo RCD, CalFire Press Release, Native American Heritage Month and Thanksgiving Resources for Educators
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Workshops: CDFA SWEEP Informational Workshop, Restore CA Grant Info Session, CDFA Healthy Soils Program Info Workshops, Cover Cropping Resources, 2021 SWEEP Workshop #1, Community Oak Planting Day
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Other News: Restore CA Zero Foodprint Funding Available, Straus Farm Dairy Cow's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cut SWEEP Funding Available, USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers Addition, NRCS Accepting Applications for Conservation Programs for 2022, Farm and Ranch Cleanup Grant Application Reminder
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What's New at Gold Ridge? | |
Healthy Soils Program Demonstration Projects | |
The RCD has been working with the CDFA's Healthy Soils Program to develop demonstration site tours. The HSP Demonstration Projects aim to improve soil health, sequester carbon, and reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) funding on-farm demonstration projects that collect data and/or showcase conservation management practices that mitigate GHG emissions and increase soil health, and creating a platform promoting widespread adoption of conservation management practices throughout the state. We have two upcoming demonstration projects to look out for!
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Compost Tea Workshop on Saturday, December 4th from 10am to 12 pm. Find more information on the flyer! | |
Site Tour along Ebabias Creek on Friday, December 3rd, December 10, December 17, from 10am to 12pm. Find more information on the flyer! | |
Wild Turkeys: Festive yet Troublesome by Mason Inumberable | |
With Turkey eating season approaching, we wanted to put a spotlight on the wild turkey for this month’s newsletter.
The wild turkey is a member of the Galliformes order of birds which includes grouses, pheasants, partridges, and quails. Wild turkeys in CA were introduced from Texas by the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) in the 1950’s. They now occupy about 18% of the state and are growing in their presence. They are found in 54 of 58 counties in California.
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We see plenty of them here in Sonoma County. Turkeys can be destructive by devouring gardens, ripping out vegetation and causing erosion, roosting on cars, and displacing or eating native wildlife. Turkeys thrive in our residential neighborhoods because of the available food and shelter from predators. Sometimes a visiting flock of turkeys can become a permanent resident if they find these favorable conditions.
DFW reminds us to never ever feed wild turkeys or to provide a source of food for them. If you see them feeding off your bird feeder, make sure to remove your feeder until the visiting flock leaves. You can install motion detecting sprinklers on your property to prevent them from tearing up your garden. Another good turkey deterrent is having dogs in your yard.
In case you're interested, here’s some information on harvesting wild turkeys. You can obtain hunting licenses from the Department of Fish and Wildlife online here. If you are a victim of turkey crime and can prove financial loss from property damage, you can look into a depredation permit.. Contact a DFW Wildlife Helpline at (707) 944-5531 for more information.
Want to learn some turkey terms to impress your neighbors? A male turkey is known as a gobbler, or a tom, depending on who you ask. A young male turkey can also be known as a jake. A female turkey is known as a hen if mature, or a jenny if immature.
Hopefully those looking to remove turkeys and provide a nice meal for their families can kill two birds with one stone and catch a gobbler or a hen safely and successfully!
Check out these resources on turkeys!
Keep Me Wild: Wild Turkey
How CA turkeys thrive after wildfire
CA's Wild Turkey Troubles
Guide to Hunting Wild Turkeys
Keep Me Wild: Wild Turkey Brochure
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Meet Chris Choo - Associate Director
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I've been an Associate Director for Gold Ridge since 2016, but I was also part of the staff for a short time in 2007-8. I've lived in the district since 2000 or so, working for STRAW and then Prunuske Chatham.
I grew up in L.A. and always wanted more connection to the natural world. The San Gabriel River, which flows past my hometown is a concrete channel and not a river. The ocean gave me a sense of place and peace and was a regular outdoor spot for me. My college major was Conservation and Resources Studies and I've been working to improve the world ever since! I currently work for Marin County Dept. of Public Works planning for flooding and sea level rise, while protecting Marin's incredible natural resources and communities. I love the RCD for the unique role to support natural resources, private landowners, and agriculture. I think this type of work is so necessary to support our beautiful natural lands, open spaces, and food for our long-term future.
I love getting outside, in our backyard or out in parks and open spaces. Over the last year, John and I spent a lot of time working on the garden and growing food and flowers. My husband John and I go hiking in Willow Creek and biking on the West County Trail. Travelling to the Channel Islands has been an annual trip, for camping and kayaking until COVID. Santa Cruz Island is beautiful and close and I highly recommend it! (You can go for the day if camping isn't an option.) John and I have traveled regularly and I miss it since we have been locked down. It's been great to spend time in new places: learning about the culture, the history, eating local foods and drinks. Every single place we've visited has been one we've wanted to return to and I'm excited to have the opportunity to travel again.
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Healthy Soils Incentives Program 2021/2022 | |
CDFA is now accepting applications for its Healthy Soils Program (HSP), with $75 million in funding available statewide for on-farm soils health practices that sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gases, and improve soil health. You could receive up to $100,000 in grant awards to support your agricultural operation in making changes that benefit soil health. Gold Ridge RCD is here to help you apply to CDFA's Healthy Soils Program.
Contact William Hart for one-on-one assistance on your application.
Phone: (707) 823-5244 ext. 15
Email: william@goldridgercd.org
Look out for a special eBlast on the Healthy Soils Project coming soon!
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Water For Farms Video by the San Mateo RCD | "These farms, the food they grow, the jobs they provide... all of this abundance requires water." San Mateo RCD, Trout Unlimited, NOAA and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service partner to ensure water for farms, fish and people. Find the video here. | |
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Cal Fire News Release: California Forest Improvement Program Funding Announced
$18 Million in funding for the next 3 years
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CalFire recently announced that they will be allocating more than $18 million to the California Forest Improvement Program. This program is designed to provide up to a 90% cost-share assistance to small private and public forestland owners to improve forest health and increase the resilience of California's forestlands to adapt to climate change. You can read more about this new funding here. If you want to learn more about the California Forest Improvement Program click here.
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Native American Heritage Month and Thanksgiving Resources for Educators | |
Project Learning Tree makes Native American Heritage Month resources readily available for educators on their website. Click here to find them!
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CDFA SWEEP Informational Workshop
Nov 18, 10am-11:30am - Online
| Sonoma RCD is organizing a free online workshop to explain the CDFA SWEEP program and run producers through the application process. | |  |
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Restore CA Grant Info Session
Nov 22, 1pm - Online
| Interested in the Restore CA grant? Then you’re invited to an information session on November 22nd. We will be sharing more about our grant review process and answering all your questions. | | |
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CDFA Healthy Soils Program Info Workshops
Nov 18, 9am-11am
Dec 16, 9am-11am
Jan 20, 9am-11am
| CDFA is hosting three no-cost webinar-based workshops to provide information on the incentive program requirements and the application process. | | |
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Cover Cropping Opportunities in Specialty Crops
Webinar Recordings + Virtual Site Visits
| UCCE Cooperative Extension Contra Costa put together this resource with their webinars and virtual site visits on cover cropping from fall of 2020 to spring of 2021. | | |
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2021 SWEEP Workshop #1
Workshop Recording - Online
| If you can't make any of the upcoming SWEEP workshops, CDFA posted one of their older workshops for the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) on their YouTube. | | |
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Community Oak Planting Day
Nov 26, 9am-11:30am - In Person
| Napa RCD invites volunteers to join them on Green Friday to plant some acorns in Alston Park. Make sure to be prepared to dig, bring water, and wear your masks! More information can be found here. | | |
Restore CA Zero Foodprint Funding Available | |
Restore CA is funding a limited number of agricultural carbon sequestration projects through their Zero Foodprint Program. You can find more information about the program at the Restore CA Application Webpage.
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Straus Farm Dairy Cow's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cut By Eating Seaweed | |
Straus Farms has been working to develop a low-cost, small-scale methane digester system for dairy farms. One of the trials in this investigation involved incorporating seaweed powder into the dairy cow's hay. It was then concluded that over 50 days, the cattle's methane emissions went down by an average of 52%!
You can watch a video on this trial here.
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CDFA Safe Water Efficiency & Enhancement Program (SWEEP) | The State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) provides financial assistance in the form of grants to implement irrigation systems that reduce greenhouse gases and save water on California agricultural operations. | |
USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers Addition | |
Are you a producer or handler of agricultural commodities that are certified organic? Or, are you transitioning your operation to certified organic? You may be eligible for financial assistance to cover expenses paid during the 2020, 2021, and 2022 fiscal years through USDA’s Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP). This new program is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative. Find out more here.
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NRCS Accepting Applications for Conservation Programs for 2022 | |
NRCS conservation programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA), can help with resource concerns.
While NRCS accepts program application year-round, you should apply by your state’s program-specific ranking dates to be considered in this funding cycle. Find more information about these programs here.
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The District's programs continually evolve to address California's
most pressing natural resource needs like climate adaptation, food security, clean water, thriving habitats, and ecosystem resiliency.
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With a tax deducible donation you can support conservation projects that protect water resources, improve soil health, and restore habitat for endangered species. | |
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Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District | | | | |
